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The Sopwith Camel is a British
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...
in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the
Sopwith Pup The Sopwith Pup is a British single-seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characte ...
and became one of the best known fighter aircraft of the Great War. The Camel was powered by a single rotary engine and was armed with twin synchronized Vickers machine guns. Though difficult to handle, it was highly manoeuvrable in the hands of an experienced pilot, a vital attribute in the relatively low-speed, low-altitude dogfights of the era. In total, Camel pilots have been credited with downing 1,294 enemy aircraft, more than any other Allied fighter of the conflict. Towards the end of the First World War, the type also saw use as a ground-attack aircraft, partly because the capabilities of fighter aircraft on both sides had advanced rapidly and left the Camel somewhat outclassed. The main variant of the Camel was designated as the F.1. Other variants included the 2F.1 Ship's Camel, which operated from aircraft carriers; the Comic night fighter variant; and the T.F.1, a "trench fighter" armoured for attacks on heavily defended ground targets. A two-seat variant served as a trainer. The last Camels were withdrawn from RAF service in January 1920.


Development

When it became clear the
Sopwith Pup The Sopwith Pup is a British single-seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characte ...
was no match for the newer German fighters such as the Albatros D.III, the Camel was developed to replace it,Bruce ''Flight'' 22 April 1955, p. 527. as well as the Nieuport 17s that had been purchased from the French as an interim measure. It was recognised that the new fighter needed to be faster and have a heavier armament. The design effort to produce this successor, initially designated as the ''Sopwith F.1'', was headed by Sopwith's chief designer,
Herbert Smith Herbert Smith LLP was a multinational law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The firm was founded in the City of London in 1882 by Norman Herbert Smith and merged with the Australian law firm Freehills on 1 October 2012, forming Herb ...
.Bruce 1965, p. 3. Early in its development, the Camel was simply referred to as the "Big Pup". A metal fairing over the gun breeches, intended to protect the guns from freezing at altitude, created a "hump" that led pilots to call the aircraft "Camel", although this name was never used officially. On 22 December 1916, the prototype Camel was first flown by
Harry Hawker Harry George Hawker, MBE, AFC (22 January 1889 – 12 July 1921) was an Australian aviation pioneer. He was the chief test pilot for Sopwith and was also involved in the design of many of their aircraft. After the First World War, he co-fo ...
at
Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields ...
,
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,
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...
; it was powered by a Clerget 9Z.Jackson 2007, p. 2. In May 1917, the first production contract for an initial batch of 250 Camels was issued by the British War Office.Bruce 1965, p. 5. Throughout 1917, a total of 1,325 Camels were produced, almost entirely the initial F.1 variant. By the time that production of the type came to an end, approximately 5,490 Camels of all types had been built.Bruce ''Flight'' 29 April 1955, p. 563. In early 1918, production of the naval variant of the Sopwith Camel, the "Ship's" Camel 2F.1 began.Bruce 1965, p. 6.


Design


Overview

The Camel had a mostly conventional design for its era, featuring a wooden box-like fuselage structure, an aluminium engine cowling, plywood panels around the cockpit, and a fabric-covered fuselage, wings and tail. While possessing some clear similarities with the Pup, it was furnished with a noticeably bulkier fuselage. For the first time on an operational British-designed fighter, two 0.303 in (7.7 mm)
Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public i ...
machine guns were mounted directly in front of the cockpit, synchronised to fire forwards through the propeller disc – initially this consisted of the fitment of the Sopwith firm's own synchronizer design, but after the mechanical-linkage Sopwith-Kauper units began to wear out, the more accurate and easier-to-maintain, hydraulic-link Constantinesco-Colley system replaced it from November 1917 onward. In addition to the machine guns, a total of four
Cooper bombs The Cooper bomb was a British 20 pound bomb used extensively in World War I, it was the first high explosive bomb to be adapted by the Royal Flying Corps. Design The bomb was in weight, of which was the bomb casing and was an explosive ch ...
could be carried for ground attack purposes. The bottom wing was rigged with 5° dihedral while the top wing lacked any dihedral; this meant that the gap between the wings was less at the tips than at the roots; this change had been made at the suggestion of Fred Sigrist, the Sopwith works manager, as a measure to simplify the aircraft's construction. The upper wing featured a central cutout section for the purpose of providing improved upwards visibility for the pilot. Production Camels were powered by various rotary engines, most commonly either the Clerget 9B or the
Bentley BR1 The Bentley BR.1 was a British rotary aircraft engine of the First World War. Designed by the motor car engine designer W. O. Bentley, the BR.1 was built in large numbers, being one of the main powerplants of the Sopwith Camel. Design and develo ...
. In order to evade a potential manufacturing
bottleneck Bottleneck literally refers to the narrowed portion (neck) of a bottle near its opening, which limit the rate of outflow, and may describe any object of a similar shape. The literal neck of a bottle was originally used to play what is now known as ...
being imposed upon the overall aircraft in the event of an engine shortage, several other engines were adopted to power the type as well.


Flight characteristics

Unlike the preceding Pup and
Triplane A triplane is a fixed-wing aircraft equipped with three vertically stacked wing planes. Tailplanes and canard foreplanes are not normally included in this count, although they occasionally are. Design principles The triplane arrangement ma ...
, the Camel was considered to be difficult to fly. With light and sensitive controls the type owed both its extreme manoeuvrability and its difficult handling to the close placement of the engine, pilot, guns and fuel tank (some 90% of the aircraft's weight) within the front of the aircraft, and to the strong
gyroscopic A gyroscope (from Ancient Greek γῦρος ''gŷros'', "round" and σκοπέω ''skopéō'', "to look") is a device used for measuring or maintaining orientation and angular velocity. It is a spinning wheel or disc in which the axis of rot ...
effect of the rotating mass of the cylinders common to rotary engines.As compared with
radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...
s in which a conventional rotating crankshaft is driven by a fixed engine block.
Due to the torque of the rotary engine the Camel turned more slowly to the left, which resulted in a nose-up attitude, but the torque also resulted in being able to turn to the right quicker than other fighters,Clark 1973, p. 134. although that resulted in a tendency towards a nose-down attitude from the turn. Because of the faster turning capability to the right, some pilots preferred to change heading 90° to the left by turning 270° to the right. Upon entering service, the Camel gained an unfortunate reputation with pilots,Jackson 2005, pp. 15–16. with inexperienced ones crashing on take-off when the full fuel load pushed the aircraft's
centre of gravity In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. This is the point to which a force may ...
beyond the rearmost safe limit. When 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. The aircraft could be rigged so that at higher altitudes it could be flown "hands off". A stall immediately resulted in a dangerous spin. RFC pilots used to joke that it offered the choice between "a wooden cross, the
Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
, or a
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...
". A two-seat trainer version was later built to ease the transition process: in his ''Recollections of an Airman'', Lieutenant Colonel
L. A. Strange Louis Arbon Strange, (27 July 1891 – 15 November 1966) was an English aviator, who served in both World War I and World War II. Early life Louis Strange was born in Tarrant Keyneston, Dorset, and was educated at St Edward's School, Oxford, ...
, who served with the central flying school, wrote: "In spite of the care we took, Camels continually spun down out of control when by pupils on their first solos. At length, with the assistance of Lieut Morgan, who managed our workshops, I took the main tank out of several Camels and replaced hemwith a smaller one, which enabled us to fit in dual control." Such conversions, and dual instruction, went some way to alleviating the previously unacceptable casualties incurred during the critical type-specific solo training stage. Despite these issues, its agility in combat made the Camel one of the best-remembered Allied aircraft of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. Aviation author Robert Jackson notes that: "in the hands of a novice it displayed vicious characteristics that could make it a killer; but under the firm touch of a skilled pilot, who knew how to turn its vices to his own advantage, it was one of the most superb fighting machines ever built".


Operational history


Western front

In June 1917, the Sopwith Camel entered service with No. 4 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service, which was stationed near Dunkirk, France; this was the first squadron to operate the type.Jackson 2007, p. 3. Its first combat flight and reportedly its first victory claim were both made on 4 July 1917. By the end of July, the Camel also equipped No. 3 and No. 9 Naval Squadrons; and it had become operational with No. 70 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. By February 1918, 13 squadrons had Camels as their primary equipment. The Camel proved in service to have better manoeuvrability than the Albatros D.III and D.V and offered heavier armament and better performance than the Pup and Triplane. Together with the
S.E.5a The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the ...
and the SPAD S.XIII, it helped to re-establish the Allied aerial superiority that lasted well into 1918. Major Billy Barker used his personal Sopwith Camel ( serial no. ''B6313'', the aircraft in which he scored the majority of his victories) to shoot down 46 aircraft and balloons from September 1917 to September 1918 in 404 operational flying hours, making it the most successful fighter in RAF history.


Home defence and night fighting

An important role for the Camel was home defence. The RNAS flew Camels from Eastchurch and Manston airfields against daylight raids by German bombers, including Gothas, from July 1917.Bruce 1965, p. 9. The public outcry against the night raids and the poor response of London's defences resulted in the RFC deciding to divert Camels that had been heading to the frontlines in France to Britain for the purposes of home defence; in July 1917, 44 Squadron RFC reformed and reequipped with the Camel to conduct the home defence mission.Davis 1999, p. 96. By March 1918, the home defence squadrons had been widely equipped with the Camel and by August 1918, a total of seven home defence squadrons were operating these aircraft.Davis 1999, p. 98. When the Germans switched to performing nighttime attacks, the Camel proved capable of being flown at night as well. Accordingly, those aircraft assigned to home defence squadrons were quickly modified with navigation lights in order that they could serve as night fighters. A smaller number of Camels were more extensively reconfigured; on these aircraft, the Vickers machine guns were replaced by overwing Lewis guns and the cockpit was moved rearwards so the pilot could reload the guns. This modification, which became known as the "Sopwith Comic" allowed the guns to be fired without affecting the pilot's night vision, and allowed the use of new, more effective incendiary ammunition that was considered unsafe to fire from synchronised Vickers guns.Davis 1999, p. 97.Bruce 1968, p. 151, 153. The Camel was successfully used to intercept and shoot down German bombers on multiple occasions during 1918, serving in this capacity through to the final German bombing raid upon Britain on the night of the 20/21 May 1918.Jackson 2007, pp. 3-6. During this air raid, a combined force of 74 Camels and Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5s intercepted 28 Gothas and Zeppelin-Staaken R.VIs; three German bombers were shot down, while two more were downed by anti-aircraft fire from the ground and a further aircraft was lost to engine failure, resulting in the heaviest losses suffered by German bombers during a single night's operation over England.Jackson 2007, p. 6. The Camel night fighter was also operated by 151 Squadron to intercept German night bombers operating over the Western Front. These aircraft were not only deployed defensively, but often carried out night intruder missions against German airstrips. After five months of operations, 151 Squadron had claimed responsibility for shooting down 26 German aircraft.Davis 1999, pp. 98–99.


Shipboard and parasite fighter

The RNAS operated a number of 2F.1 Camels that were suitable for launching from platforms mounted on the turrets of major warships as well as from some of the earliest aircraft carriers to be built. Furthermore, the Camel could be deployed from ''aircraft lighters'', which were specially modified barges; these had to be towed fast enough that a Camel could successfully take off. The aircraft lighters served as means of launching interception sorties against incoming enemy air raids from a more advantageous position than had been possible when using shore bases alone. During the summer of 1918, a single 2F.1 Camel (''N6814'') participated in a series of trials as a
parasite fighter A parasite aircraft is a component of a composite aircraft which is carried aloft and air launched by a larger carrier aircraft or mother ship to support the primary mission of the carrier. The carrier craft may or may not be able to later rec ...
. The aircraft used
Airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...
'' R23'' as a mothership.


Ground attack

By mid-1918, the Camel had become obsolescent as a day fighter as its climb rate, level speed and performance at altitudes over 12,000 ft (3,650 m) were outclassed by the latest German fighters, such as the Fokker D.VII. However, it remained viable as a ground-attack and infantry support aircraft and instead was increasingly used in that capacity. The Camel inflicted high losses on German ground forces, albeit suffering from a high rate of losses itself in turn, through the dropping of 25 lb (11 kg) Cooper bombs and low-level strafing runs. The protracted development of the Camel's replacement, the Sopwith Snipe, resulted in the Camel remaining in service in this capacity until well after the signing of the
Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...
. During the German spring offensive of March 1918, squadrons of Camels participated in the defence of the Allied lines, harassing the advancing German Army from the skies.Jackson 2007, pp. 7-8. Jackson observed that "some of the most intense air operations took place" during the retreat of the
British Fifth Army The Fifth Army was a field army of the British Army during World War I that formed part of the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front between 1916 and 1918. The army originated as the Reserve Corps during the preparations for the Bri ...
, in which the Camel provided extensive aerial support. Camels flew at multiple altitudes, some as low as for surprise strafing attacks upon ground forces, while being covered from attack by hostile fighters by the higher altitude aircraft.Jackson 2007, p. 8. Strafing attacks formed a major component of British efforts to contain the offensive, the attacks often having the result of producing confusion and panic amongst the advancing German forces. As the March offensive waned, the Camel was able to operate within and maintain aerial superiority for the remainder of the war.


Postwar service

In the aftermath of the First World War, the Camel saw further combat action. Multiple British squadrons were deployed into
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
as a part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. Between the Camel and the S.E.5, which were the two main types deployed to the
Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central A ...
area to bomb
Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
bases and to provide aerial support to the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
warships present, Allied control of the Caspian region had been achieved by May 1919. Starting in March 1919, direct support was also provided for White Russian forces, carrying out reconnaissance, ground attack, and escort operations.Jackson 2007, pp. 8-10. During the summer of 1919, Camels of No. 47 Squadron conducted offensive operations in the vicinity of Tsaritsyn, primarily against Urbabk airfield; targets including enemy aircraft, cavalry formations, and river traffic. In September 1919, 47 Squadron was related to Kotluban, where its aircraft operations mainly focused on harassing enemy communication lines. During late 1919 and early 1920, the RAF detachment operated in support of General Vladimir May-Mayevsky's
counter-revolutionary A counter-revolutionary or an anti-revolutionary is anyone who opposes or resists a revolution, particularly one who acts after a revolution in order to try to overturn it or reverse its course, in full or in part. The adjective "counter-revolu ...
volunteer army during intense fighting around
Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.
. In March 1920, the remainder of the force was evacuated and their remaining aircraft were deliberately destroyed to avoid them falling into enemy hands.Jackson 2007, p. 10.


Variants

Camels were powered by several makes of rotary engines: *
Bentley BR1 The Bentley BR.1 was a British rotary aircraft engine of the First World War. Designed by the motor car engine designer W. O. Bentley, the BR.1 was built in large numbers, being one of the main powerplants of the Sopwith Camel. Design and develo ...
, 150 hp (standard for RNAS aircraft) * Clerget 9B, 130 hp (standard powerplant) * Clerget 9Bf, 140 hp * Le Rhône 9J, 110 hp * Gnome Monosoupape 9B-2, 100 hp * Gnome Monosoupape 9N, 160 hp


Sopwith Camel F.1

The F.1 was the main production version. It was armed with twin synchronised Vickers guns.


Sopwith Camel 2F.1

The 2F.1 was a shipboard variant, flown from . It had a slightly shorter wingspan and a
Bentley BR1 The Bentley BR.1 was a British rotary aircraft engine of the First World War. Designed by the motor car engine designer W. O. Bentley, the BR.1 was built in large numbers, being one of the main powerplants of the Sopwith Camel. Design and develo ...
as its standard engine. Additionally, one Vickers gun was replaced by an overwing Lewis gun to assist in destroying Zeppelins using incendiary ammunition.


Sopwith Camel "Comic" Night fighter

The "Comic" was a Camel variant designed specifically for night-fighting duties. The twin Vickers guns were replaced by two Lewis guns on Foster mountings firing forward over the top wing, as the muzzle flash of the Vickers guns could blind the pilot. The second reason to use Lewis guns was to facilitate the use of incendiary ammunition because of the risk of using it in synchronized guns. To allow reloading of the guns, the pilot was moved about to the rear, and to compensate the fuel tank was moved forward. It served with Home Defence Squadrons against German air raids. The "Comic" nickname was unofficial, and was shared with the night fighter version of the Sopwith 1½ Strutter.


F.1/1

The F1/1 was a version with tapered wings.


T.F.1

The T.F.1 was an experimental trench fighter used for development work for the Sopwith Salamander. Its machine guns were angled downwards for efficient strafing, and it featured armour plating for protection.


Trainer

The trainer variant had a second cockpit behind the normal pilot's position. The weapons were removed, although the hump was sometimes kept.


Operators

; * Australian Flying Corps ** No. 4 Squadron AFC in France. ** No. 5 Squadron AFC in the United Kingdom. ** No. 6 (Training) Squadron AFC in the United Kingdom. ** No. 8 (Training) Squadron AFC in the United Kingdom. ; * Aviation Militaire Belge **
1ère Escadrille de Chasse The 1st Squadron (french: 1re escadrille) is a Recce squadron in the Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. Based at Florennes air base, it is part of the 2nd Tactical Wing and operates the General Dynamics F-16 Block 20 MLU Fighting Falco ...
*
Groupe de Chasse ''Groupe de Chasse'' or ''groupe de chasse'' (usually abbreviated as GC) is the French language term for "fighter aircraft, fighter group (air force), group" or "fighter wing (military unit), wing". More literal translations include "pursuit grou ...
** 9ème Escadrille de Chasse ** 11ème Escadrille de Chasse ; *
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
; * Estonian Air Force ; * French Government ; *
Georgian Air Force The Aviation and Air Defence Command of the Defence Forces ( ka, თავდაცვის ძალების ავიაციისა და საჰაერო თავდაცვის სარდლობა, tr), (''formerly'' ...
- 3-4 aircraft, 1920 ; * Hellenic NavyDavis 1999, p. 102. ; * Latvian Air Force ; * Royal Netherlands Air Force ; * Polish Air Force operated 1 Camel post-war (1921) * Imperial Russian Air Service ; *
Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
- Postwar. ; * Royal Flying Corps /
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
:* 3 Squadron :* 17 Squadron :* 28 Squadron :* 37 Squadron :* 43 Squadron :* 44 Squadron :* 45 Squadron :* 46 Squadron :* 47 Squadron :* 50 Squadron :* 51 Squadron :* 54 Squadron :* 61 Squadron * 65 Squadron * 66 Squadron * 70 Squadron * 71 Squadron * 73 Squadron * 75 Squadron * 78 Squadron * 80 Squadron * 81 Squadron * 89 Squadron * 94 Squadron * 112 Squadron * 139 Squadron * 143 Squadron * 150 Squadron * 151 Squadron * 152 Squadron * 155 Squadron * 187 Squadron * 188 Squadron * 189 Squadron * 198 Squadron * 201 Squadron * 203 Squadron * 204 Squadron * 208 Squadron * 209 Squadron * 210 Squadron * 212 Squadron * 213 Squadron * 219 Squadron * 220 Squadron * 222 Squadron * 225 Squadron * 230 Squadron * 233 Squadron * 273 Squadron * Royal Naval Air Service ** No. 1 Squadron RNAS ** No. 3 Squadron RNAS ** No. 4 Squadron RNAS ** No. 6 Squadron RNAS ** No. 8 Squadron RNAS ** No. 9 Squadron RNAS ** No. 10 Squadron RNAS ** No. 12 Squadron RNAS ** No. 13 Squadron RNAS ; * American Expeditionary Force * United States Army Air Service ** 9th Aero Squadron ** 17th Aero Squadron ** 27th Aero Squadron ** 37th Aero Squadron **
148th Aero Squadron The 148th Aero Squadron was a unit of the United States Army Air Service that fought on the Western Front during World War I. As a day pursuit (fighter) squadron, its mission was to engage and clear enemy aircraft from the skies and provide ...
*
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...


Surviving aircraft

There are eight known original Sopwith Camels left: * B5747 – F.1 on static display at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. * B6291 – F.1 on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. After being discovered in the 1960s by Desmond St. Cyrien, the aircraft was restored through the 1980s, with the restoration being completed by Tony Ditheridge at AJD Engineering in the United Kingdom, first flying in 1992. From 2005 the aircraft was part of the Javier Arango Collection in
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and was donated to the NASM on Arango's death in April 2017. * B7280 – F.1 on static display at the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków, Lesser Poland. The aircraft was built in Lincoln by Clayton & Shuttleworth. On 5 September 1918, when being flown by Captain
Herbert A. Patey Captain Herbert Andrew Patey (25 September 1898 – 18 February 1919) was an English World War I flying ace credited with 11 aerial victories. World War I Patey began his military career by joining the Royal Naval Division early in World War I. ...
of
No. 210 Squadron RAF No. 210 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit established in World War I. Disbanded and reformed a number of times in the ensuing years, it operated as a fighter squadron during World War I and as a maritime patrol squadron during the Spanish Civi ...
over Belgium, it was shot down by Ludwig Beckmann of '' Jasta 56''. Patey survived and was taken prisoner. The Germans repaired the aircraft and flew it until the end of the war. It was then taken to
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
and exhibited at the Deutsche Luftfahrt Sammlung (German Aviation Collection). During World War II it was moved to Poland for safekeeping, and put into storage. Restoration began in 2007 and was completed by 2010. * C8228 – F.1 on static display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. * F6314 – F.1 on static display at the Royal Air Force Museum London in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. It was built by
Boulton & Paul Boulton & Paul Ltd was a British general manufacturer from Norwich, England that became involved in aircraft manufacture. Jeld Wen Inc. bought Boulton & Paul (along with another joinery company John Carr) from the Rugby Group plc in 1999 to ...
and is painted to represent an aircraft coded ''B'' of
No. 65 Squadron RAF No. 65 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. First World War The squadron was first formed at Wyton on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps with a core provided from the training station at Norwich. It served as a tra ...
. * N6812 – 2F.1 on static display at the Imperial War Museum in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. It was built by William Beardmore and was flown by Flight Sub-Lieutenant Stuart Culley on 11 August 1918 when he shot down Zeppelin LZ 100.Ellis 2008, p. 148. * N8156 – 2F.1 on static display at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, Ontario. Manufactured in 1918 by Hooper and Company Limited, it was purchased by the RCAF in 1925 and last flew in 1967. * ZK-SDL – F.1 airworthy in New Zealand with The Vintage Aviator Ltd (TVAL) and painted as B5663. It was previously displayed in the Aerospace Education Center in
Little Rock, Arkansas ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...
, until it closed in December 2010, and the aircraft was sold to help pay debts. The Camel was sold to TVAL and restored to flying condition. It was previously registered as N6254.


Reproductions

* Replica - F.1 airworthy in Oliver BC Canada, operated as C-FGHT by the Royal Flying Corps School of Aerial Fighting Ltd. Built from Replicraft plans by Rolland Carlson in Wi.Powered by a Warner Super Scarab 165 hp engine. * Replica – Type T.57 on static display at the
Fleet Air Arm Museum The Fleet Air Arm Museum is devoted to the history of British naval aviation. It has an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft, aero engines, models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships (especially aircraft carriers), and paintin ...
at RNAS Yeovilton near Yeovil, Somerset. It was built in 1969
Slingsby Slingsby may refer to: * Slingsby (surname) * Slingsby, North Yorkshire * Slingsby Aviation, formerly Slingsby Sailplanes, a manufacturer of gliders and other aircraft * Slingsby Channel Slingsby Channel is a strait on the north side of Bramham I ...
for use in a Biggles film. It has a Warner Scarab engine installed and is painted as ''B6401''. * Replica – F.1 on static display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...
. 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. * Replica – F.1 airworthy at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in
Addison, Texas Addison is an incorporated town in Dallas County, Texas, in the United States. Addison is situated to the immediate north of the city of Dallas, with a 2020 census population of 16,661. Addison and Flower Mound were the only two Texas municipali ...
. It was built by Dick Day from original factory drawings. The aircraft is fitted with original instruments, machine guns and an original Gnome rotary engine. It is painted in the scheme of the World War I flying ace Captain Arthur Roy Brown (RAF officer), a Canadian who flew with the Royal Air Force. * Replica – F.1 on display at the
Brooklands Museum Brooklands Museum is a motoring and aviation museum occupying part of the former Brooklands motor-racing track in Weybridge, Surrey, England. Formally opened in 1991, the museum is operated by the independent Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd, a pri ...
in Weybridge, Surrey. It was built in 1977 by Viv Bellamy at Lands End, as a flyable reproduction for Leisure Sport Ltd. Painted to represent ''B7270'' of 209 Squadron, RAF, the machine which Captain Roy Brown flew when officially credited with shooting down Baron Manfred von Richthofen, it has a Clerget rotary engine of 1916 and was registered as G-BFCZ until 2003. First displayed at the museum in January 1988 for Sir Thomas Sopwith’s 100th birthday celebrations, it was purchased by the museum later that year. * Replica – B6299 at the
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is a living museum in Rhinebeck, New York. It owns many examples of airworthy aircraft of the Pioneer Era, World War I and the Golden Age of Aviation between the World Wars, and multiple examples of roadworthy antiqu ...
in
Red Hook, New York Red Hook is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 9,953 at the time of the 2020 census, down from 11,319 in 2010. The name is supposedly derived from the red foliage on trees on a small strip of land on the Huds ...
. It was completed in 1992 with a 160 hp Gnome Monosoupape model 9N rotary, built by Nathaniel deFlavia and Cole Palen. It replaced one of the Dick Day-built and -flown Camel reproductions formerly flown at Old Rhinebeck by Mr. Day in their weekend vintage airshows, which had left the Aerodrome's collection some years earlier. * Replica – F.1 airworthy with the Javier Arango Collection in Paso Robles, California. It was constructed by Dick Day, is powered by a 160 hp Gnome Monosoupape 9N rotary, and is registered as ''N8343''. * Replica – Unknown airworthy with the Vintage Aviator Collection in Masterton, New Zealand. It was originally built by Carl Swanson for Gerry Thornhill. It is powered by a 160 hp Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine and is painted as ''B3889''. * Replica – F.1 on static display at the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley, British Columbia. Lacking an engine, a full reproduction 130 hp rotary engine has been installed. * Replica – F.1 on static display at the Aviation Heritage Museum in Bull Creek, Western Australia. The engine is original and the propeller is suspected to also be genuine. * Replica – F.1 airworthy at the
Shuttleworth Collection The Shuttleworth Collection is a working aeronautical and automotive collection located at the Old Warden Aerodrome, Old Warden in Bedfordshire, England. It is the oldest in the world and one of the most prestigious, due to the variety of old ...
in Old Warden, Bedfordshire. It was built by the Northern Aeroplane Workshops. * Replica – F.1 under construction by Koz Aero in
Comstock Park, Michigan Comstock Park is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,088 at the 2010 census. The community is located within Alpine Township to the west and Plain ...
. It is based on original factory drawings and using many original parts, including an original engine and instruments. * Replica – F.1 under construction by John S. Shaw. It has an original Clerget 9B 130 CV engine. * Replica – F.1 under construction by John S. Shaw. It has a new build Gnome Monosoupape 9B-2 100 hp engine. * Replica – F.1 on static display at Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre in Montrose, Angus. It is painted and marked as B7320 flown by Captain John Todd of 70 Squadron Royal Flying Corps. * Replica – F.1 on static display at The Museum of Flight near Seattle Washington.


Specifications (F.1 Camel)


Notable appearances in media

Biggles flies a Sopwith Camel in the novels by W. E. Johns during Biggles's spell in 266 Squadron during the First World War. The first collection of Biggles stories, titled ''The Camels are Coming'', was published in 1932. The first two collections of stories (broken into three books in Australia) were all true stories or events, lightly fictionalised—some of them are identifiable in official war records, e.g., the accidental discovery of a major camouflaged airfield when rescuing a downed pilot. The Camel is the "plane" of
Snoopy Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. He can also be found in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recog ...
in the '' Peanuts'' comic strip, when he imagines himself as a World War I flying ace and the nemesis of the Red Baron.Murphy and McNiece 2003, p. 87.


See also


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

* Bowyer, Chaz. ''Sopwith Camel: King of Combat''. Falmouth, Cornwall, UK: Glasney Press, 1978. . * 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. * Bruce, J.M. "Aircraft Profile No. 31. The Sopwith Camel F.1" ''Profile Publications'', 1965. * Bruce, J.M. ''War Planes of the First World War: Volume Two Fighters''. London:Macdonald, 1968. . * Clark, Alan. ''Aces High: The War In The Air Over The Western Front 1914 - 1918''. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1973. . * * Davis, Mick. ''Sopwith Aircraft''. Ramsbury, Malborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 1999. . * Ellis, Ken. ''Wrecks & Relics, 21st edition''. Manchester, UK: Crecy Publishing, 2008. . * * Gerdessen, Frederik. "Estonian Air Power 1918 – 1945". '' Air Enthusiast'', No. 18, April – July 1982. pp. 61–76. . * Guttman, Jon: "Sopwith Camel (Air Vanguard; 3)". Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2012. . * Jackson, A.J. ''British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume III''. London: Putnam, 1988. . * Jackson, Robert. ''Infamous Aircraft - Dangerous Designs and their Vices''. Barnsley, UK:Pen and Sword, 2005. . * Jackson, Robert. ''Britain's Greatest Aircraft''. Pen and Sword, 2007. . * * Leinburger, Ralf. ''Fighter: Technology, Facts, History''. London: Parragon Inc., 2008. . * Mason, Francis K. ''The British Fighter''. London: Putnam, 1992. * Murphy, Justin D. and Matthew A. McNiece. ''Military Aircraft, 1919-1945: An Illustrated History of their Impact''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2009. . * Ralph, Wayne. ''Barker VC: The Classic Story of a Legendary First World War Hero''. London: Grub Street, 1999. . * Robertson, Bruce. ''Sopwith: The Man and His Aircraft''. London: Harleyford, 1970. . * Sturtivant, Ray and Gordon Page. ''The Camel File''. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1993. . * Thomas, Andrew. "In the Footsteps of Daedulus: Early Greek Naval Aviation". ''Air Enthusiast'', No. 94, July–August 2001, pp. 8–9. * ''United States Air Force Museum Guidebook''. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio: Air Force Museum Foundation, 1975. * Williams, Anthony G. and Emmanuel Gustin. ''Flying Guns: World War I and its Aftermath 1914–32''. Ramsbury, Wiltshire: Airlife, 2003. . * Winchester, Jim, ed. "Sopwith Camel." ''Biplanes, Triplanes and Seaplanes'' (Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books plc, 2004. .


External links


Cole Palen/Nat deFlavia reproduction Camel at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome



Canadian Aviation Museum Camel




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