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Sopwith Camel

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This article is about the fighter plane. For the 1960s psychedelic rock band, see Sopwith Camel (band).
Sopwith Camel
Role Biplane fighter
Manufacturer Sopwith Aviation Company
First flight 22 December 1916
Introduction June 1917
Primary users RFC (RAF)
RNAS, AAF
Number built 5,490

The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult to handle, to an experienced pilot it provided unmatched manoeuvrability. A superlative fighter, the Camel was credited with shooting down 1,294 enemy aircraft, more than any other Allied fighter of the war. It also served as a ground-attack aircraft, especially near the end of the conflict, when it was outclassed in the air-to-air role by newer fighters.

Design and development

Intended as a replacement for the Sopwith Pup,[1] the Camel prototype was first flown by Harry Hawker at Brooklands on 22 December 1916, powered by a 110 hp Clerget 9Z. Known as the "Big Pup" early on in its development, the biplane design was evolutionary more than revolutionary, featuring a box-like fuselage structure, an aluminium engine cowling, plywood-covered panels around the cockpit, and fabric-covered fuselage, wings and tail. Two .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns were mounted directly in front of the cockpit, firing forward through the propeller disc with synchronisation gear. A metal fairing over the gun breeches created a "hump" that led to the name Camel.[1] The bottom wing had dihedral but not the top, so that the gap between the wings was less at the tips than at the roots. Approximately 5,490 units were ultimately produced.[2]

Unlike the preceding Pup and Triplane, the Camel was not considered pleasant to fly. The Camel owed both its extreme manoeuvrability and its difficult handling characteristics to the placement of the engine, pilot, guns and fuel tank (some 90% of the weight of the craft) within the front seven feet of the aircraft, coupled with the strong gyroscopic effect of the rotary engine. The Camel soon gained an unfortunate reputation with student pilots. The Clerget engine was particularly sensitive to fuel mixture control, and incorrect settings often caused the engine to choke and cut out during take-off. Many crashed due to mishandling on take-off when a full fuel tank affected the centre of gravity.

In level flight, the Camel was markedly tail-heavy. Unlike the Sopwith Triplane, the Camel lacked a variable incidence tailplane, so that the pilot had to apply constant forward pressure on the control stick to maintain a level attitude at low altitude. However the aircraft could also be rigged in such a way that at higher altitudes it was able to be flown "hands off." A stall immediately resulted in a spin, and the Camel soon became particularly noted for its vicious spinning characteristics.

Operational history

Replica of Camel F.I flown by Lt. George A. Vaughn Jr., 17th Aero Squadron
This aircraft is currently displayed at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

The type entered squadron service in June 1917 with No. 4 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service, near Dunkirk. The following month, it became operational with No. 70 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. By February 1918, 13 squadrons were fully equipped with the Camel.

The Camel proved to be a superlative fighter, and offered heavier armament and better performance than the Pup and Triplane. In the hands of an experienced pilot, its manoeuvrability was unmatched by any contemporary type. Its controls were light and sensitive. The Camel turned rather slowly to the left, which resulted in a nose up attitude due to the torque of the rotary engine. But the engine torque also resulted in the ability to turn to the right in half the time of other fighters,[3] although that resulted in more of a tendency towards a nose down attitude from the turn. Because of the faster turning capability to the right, to change heading 90° to the left, many pilots preferred to do it by turning 270° to the right.

Agility in combat made the Camel one of the best-remembered Allied aircraft of the First World War. It was said in jest to offer a choice between a "wooden cross, red cross and Victoria Cross."[citation needed] Together with the S.E.5a, the Camel helped to wrest aerial superiority away from the German Albatros fighters.

Major William Barker's Sopwith Camel (serial no. B6313, the aircraft in which he scored the majority of his victories,[4]) became the most successful fighter aircraft in the history of the RAF, shooting down 46 aircraft and balloons from September 1917 to September 1918 in 404 operational hours flying. It was dismantled in October 1918. Barker kept the clock as a memento, but was asked to return it the following day.

By mid-1918, the Camel was becoming limited by its slow speed and comparatively poor performance at altitudes over 12,000 ft (3,650 m). However, it was then used as a ground-attack and infantry support aircraft. During the German offensive of March 1918, flights of Camels harassed the advancing German Army, inflicting high losses (and suffering high losses in turn) through the dropping of 25 lb (11 kg) Cooper bombs and ultra-low-level strafing. The protracted development of the Camel's replacement, the Sopwith Snipe, meant that the Camel remained in service until the Armistice.

In summer 1918, a 2F.1 Camel (N6814) was used in trials as a parasite fighter under Airship R23

Variants

The Camel was powered by a variety of rotary engines during the production period.

  • 130 hp Clerget 9B Rotary (standard powerplant)
  • 140 hp Clerget 9Bf Rotary
  • 110 hp Le Rhône 9J Rotary
  • 150 hp Bentley BR1 rotary (gave best performance - standard for R.N.A.S. machines)
  • 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape 9B-2 Rotary
  • 150 hp Gnome Monosoupape 9N Rotary

Engine variants

With rotary engines, the crankshaft remained fixed while the cylinders and attached propeller rotated around it. The result of this torque was a significant "pull" to the right. In the hands of an experienced pilot, this characteristic could be exploited to give exceptional manoeuvrability in a dogfight. A 3/4 turn to the right could be done in the same time as a 1/4 turn to the left.

The Gnome "mono" engines did not have throttles and were at full "throttle" while the ignition was on - they could be "throttled" with a selector switch which cut the ignition to some of the cylinders to reduce power for landing. The Clerget, Le Rhone and BR1 had throttles, although reducing power involved simultaneously adjusting the mixture and was not straightforward, so it became common during landing to "blip" the engine (turn the ignition off and on) using a control column-mounted ignition switch, the blip switch, to reduce power.

Sopwith Camel F.1

  • Single-seat fighter aircraft.
  • The main production version. Armed with twin synchronised Vickers guns.
A Sopwith 2F1 Camel naval variant, flown by Flight Sub Lieutenant Stuart Culley when he shot down Zeppelin L 53, at the Imperial War Museum, London. Note non-standard armament of two Lewis guns in fixed, inaccessible mount over top wing

Sopwith Camel 2F.1

  • Shipboard fighter aircraft.
  • Slightly shorter wingspan
  • One Vickers gun replaced by an overwing Lewis gun
  • Bentley BR1 as standard engine

Sopwith Camel "Comic" Night fighter

Pilot seat moved to rear. The twin Vickers guns were replaced with two Lewis guns firing forward over the top wing on Foster mountings. Served with Home Defence Squadrons against German air raids. The "Comic" nickname was of course unofficial, and was shared with the night fighter version of the Sopwith 1½ Strutter.

F.1/1

  • Version with tapered wings.

(Trench Fighter) T.F.1

  • Experimental-only trench fighter.
  • Downward angled machine guns for efficient strafing
  • Armour plating for protection

(See also Sopwith Salamander)

Operators

Belgian Camel preserved at the Musée Royal de l'Armée et de l'Histoire Militaire in Brussels
 Australia
 Belgium
 Canada
 Estonia
 Greece
 Latvia
 Netherlands
 Poland
 Sweden
 United Kingdom
 United States

Survivors

Sopwith Camel at the Royal Air Force Museum

There are only seven authentic Sopwith Camels left in the world.

  • One is in the Aerospace Education Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. However, this facility was closed as of December 2010, and the Camel was sold to help pay off owed debts. The Camel was sold privately and moved to a museum in New Zealand. [9]
  • One, restored to near-flying condition, is at the Brussels Air Museum Restoration Society (BAMRS) in Brussels, Belgium.
  • A model F.1 (s/n B 7280) can be found at the Polish Aviation Museum. This Camel first flew in Royal Naval Air Service and then in the Royal Flying Corps. Two pilots who flew this aircraft shot down 11 German aircraft in total.
  • N6812, a William & Beardmore built 2F1 Camel, was flown by Flight Sub Lieutenant Stuart Culley on 11 August 1918 when he shot down Zeppelin L 53; it is on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.[10]
  • A model 2F1 N8156 (RAF) is currently on display at the Canadian Aviation Museum. Manufactured in 1918 by Hooper and Company Ltd., Great Britain, it was purchased by the RCAF in 1924 and last flew in 1967. It is currently on static display.[11]
  • F.1 Camel B6291 restored to flying condition, is part of the Javier Arango Collection, in Paso Robles, California. It was previously owned by Al Letcher.
  • A Boulton & Paul built F1 F6314 is on display at the Milestone of Flight exhibition at the Royal Air Force Museum, London.[12] Painted to represent an aircraft coded B of No. 65 Squadron RAF.[13]

Reproductions

  • In 1969 Slingsby built a flyable Type T.57 Sopwith Camel reproduction powered by a 145 hp Warner Scarab engine for use in a Biggles film. This aircraft is now on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton painted as B6401.[14][15]
  • A reproduction Sopwith F.1 Camel is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. This aircraft was built by museum personnel from original First World War factory drawings and was completed in 1974. It is painted and marked as the Camel flown by Lt. George A. Vaughn Jr. while flying with the 17th Aero Squadron.[16]
  • In 1977, a flyable reproduction was built for Leisure Sport Ltd by the late Viv Bellamy at Lands End. Painted to represent B7270 of 209 Squadron, RAF, the machine which Captain Roy Brown flew when officially credited with downing Baron Manfred von Richthofen, it has a Clerget rotary engine of 1916 and was registered as G-BFCZ until 2003. First seen at Brooklands Museum in January 1988 for Sir Thomas Sopwith’s 100th birthday celebrations, it was purchased by the Museum later that year, can be taken by road for exhibition elsewhere and is ground run regularly.
  • Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome flies a reproduction Camel completed in 1992 with a 160 hp Gnome Monosoupape rotary, built by Nathaniel deFlavia and Cole Palen.
  • N8343 constructed by Dick Day, is part of the Javier Arango Collection, in Paso Robles, California. Powered by a 160 h.p. Gnome Monosoupape rotary. It is regularly flown.
  • Another reproduction is on display at the Evergreen Aviation museum.
  • B3889 is part of The Vintage Aviator Collection, L.T.D., in Masterton, New Zealand. It was originally built by Carl Swanson for Gerry Thornhill. It is flown on a regular basis. Powerplant is a 160 hp Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine.
  • New reproductions are currently under construction by 1) the Northern Aeroplane Workshops for the Shuttleworth Collection, in England.[17] and 2) another is under construction at the Great War Flying Museum, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
  • A replica of the Camel is currently being built in the United States by Koz Aero LLC, based on original factory drawings, and using many original parts, including an original engine and instruments.[18]

Specifications (F.1 Camel)

Orthographically projected diagram of the Sopwith camel.
Orthographically projected diagram of the Sopwith camel.

Data from Quest for Performance[19]

General characteristics

  • Drag area: 8.73 ft² (0.81 m²)
  • Aspect ratio: 4.11

    • Performance

  • Lift-to-drag ratio: 7.7 Armament

    Notable appearances in media

    Snoopy
    piloting his
    "Sopwith Camel".

    The Camel appears in literature and popular media as:

    See also

    Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

    Related lists

    References

    Notes
    1. ^ Quote: "Under fire from a pupil of Richthofen (the Red Baron), John's Camel caught fire over occupied France. Bayard's last sight of his twin brother was of John jumping out of his fighter feet first. Faulkner also wrote about the Camel (and Sartoris) in his famous story All the Dead Pilots."
    Citations
    1. ^ a b Bruce 22 April 1955, p. 527.
    2. ^ Bruce 1955, p. 563.
    3. ^ Clark 1973, p. 134.
    4. ^ Ralph 1999, p. 80.
    5. ^ "9 Bomb Squadron (ACC)." Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.
    6. ^ "17 Weapons Squadron (ACC)." Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.
    7. ^ "27 Fighters Squadron (ACC)." Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.
    8. ^ "37 Bomb Squadron (ACC)."Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.
    9. ^ "Closed center sells rare planes to pay bills." guardonline.com, 16 March 2011.
    10. ^ Ellis 2008, p. 148.
    11. ^ "Sopwith 2F.1 Camel." Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.
    12. ^ Ellis 2008, p. 145.
    13. ^ "Individual History: Sopwith F.1 Camel F6314/9206M." Royal Air Force Museum, 2007. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.
    14. ^ Jackson 1988, p. 349.
    15. ^ ""Sopwith Camel (replica) ('B6401')." Fleet Air Arm Museum. Retrieved: 14 November 2008.
    16. ^ United States Air Force Museum 1975, p. 12.
    17. ^ "Sopwith Camel." Shuttleworth Collection. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.
    18. ^ Kozura, Tom. "Sopwith F.1 Camel." kozaero.com. Retrieved: 24 December 2011.
    19. ^ Loftin, LK, Jr. "Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft. NASA SP-468". NASA. Retrieved: 22 April 2006.
    Bibliography
    • Bruce, J.M. "Sopwith Camel: Historic Military Aircraft No 10: Part I." Flight, 22 April 1955, pp. 527–532.
    • Bruce, J.M. "Sopwith Camel: Historic Military Aircraft No 10: Part II." Flight, 29 April 1955. pp. 560–563.
    • Clark, Alan. Aces High: The War In The Air Over The Western Front 1914 - 1918. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1973. ISBN 0-29799-464-6.
    • Ellis, Ken. Wrecks & Relics, 21st edition. Manchester, UK: Crecy Publishing, 2008. ISBN 9-780859-791342.
    • Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume III. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-818-6.
    • Ralph, Wayne. Barker VC: The Classic Story of a Legendary First World War Hero. London: Grub Street, 1999. ISBN 1-902304-31-4.
    • Robertson, Bruce. Sopwith: The Man and His Aircraft. London: Harleyford, 1970. ISBN 0-90043-515-1.
    • Sturtivant, Ray and Gordon Page. The Camel File. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1993. ISBN 0-85130-212-2.
    • United States Air Force Museum Guidebook. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio: Air Force Museum Foundation, , 1975.
    • Winchester, Jim, ed. "Sopwith Camel." Biplanes, Triplanes and Seaplanes (Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books plc, 2004. ISBN 1-84013-641-3.
    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sopwith Camel.
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