Sopwith Camel F1

The Sopwith Camel was the third of the great Sopwith Scouts of the first world war and was the result of experience gained from the Pup and the Triplane. More power was needed and heavier armament, Herbert Smith the chief designer at Sopwith's schemed a small, powerful machine where the greatest mass was compressed into the smallest possible envelope. This coupled with the massive gyroscopic effect of the big rotary engine produced an aircraft which had a degree of manouverability unmatched by any German fighter. The Camel was also notoriously difficult to fly.

Sopwith's began deliveries of the Camel to No4 Naval Air squadron in May 1917 with deliveries increasing in tempo throughout the rest of the year, with the Camel becoming the primary British fighter over the trenches of the western front. By Armistice day 1918 the Sopwith Camel had claimed over 2,800 enemy aircraft destroyed, (Chaz Bowyer: Sopwith Camel - King of Combat), more than any other aircraft in WW1. The Camel remained in RAF service for eighteen months after Armistice day before being replaced by the Sopwith Snipe. It is fair to say that the stubby little Sopwith Camel was a truly war winning weapon and lays claim to be one of the most significant fighter aircraft of all time.

Performance

A top speed of 125 mph at sea level
Weight: 1,453 lb's all up weight
Powerplant: One Bentley BR1, 150 HP rotary engine
Armament: Two 0.303 inch Vickers Machine guns firing through the propellor arc.