User:TheLongTone/Sopwith-Wright biplane

Background
In 1911 Thomas Sopwith took his Howard Wright biplane to America to give a series of exhibition flights. He used some of the prize money that he won to buy a Wright Model B biplane built under license by the Burgess Company and powered by a 50 hp Gnome Omega.

Development
On returning to England Sopwith had the aircraft rebuilt, adding a fabric-covered nacelle to protect the pilot.

Operational history
It was flown by Harry Hawker to win the British Michelin Trophy for flight endurance on 24 October 1912, with a flight lasting 8 hr 23 min. Hawker could have continued for longer, but landed because it was becoming dark.