The Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin was a British fighter aircraft manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It was used by the Royal Flying Corps and its successor, the Royal Air Force, during the First World War. The Dolphin entered service on the Western Front in early 1918 and proved to be a formidable fighter. The aircraft was not retained in the postwar inventory and was retired shortly after the war.
The Dolphin’s unusual wing arrangement gave its pilot an excellent view. It was heavily armed with up to four guns. Many pilots removed one or both Lewis guns from the top wing. No. 87 Squadron repositioned them on the lower wings outside the aircrew arc to increase the volume of fire when ground strafing.
This Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin was on display at RAF London.
This example is a composite reconstruction with original tail surfaces, fuselage frame parts and nose cowlings from three separate aircraft. Its identity comes from the original Sopwith built rear fuselage section, from an aircraft built in 1918 and probably used by a training unit.