TheSopwith Camel is a BritishFirst World War single-seatbiplanefighter aircraft that was introduced on theWestern Front in 1917. It was developed by theSopwith Aviation Company as a successor to theSopwith Pup and became one of the best-known fighter aircraft of the Great War. Pilots flying Camels were credited with downing 1,294 enemy aircraft, more than any other Allied fighter of the conflict. Towards the end of the war, Camels lost their edge as fighters and were also used as aground-attack aircraft.
The Camel was powered by a singlerotary engine and was armed with twinsynchronized 0.303 in (7.70 mm)Vickers machine guns. It was difficult to fly, with 90% of its weight in the front two metres (seven feet) of the aircraft, but it was highly manoeuvrable in the hands of an experienced pilot, a vital attribute in the relatively low-speed, low-altitudedogfights of the era. Its pilots joked that their fates would involve "awooden cross, theRed Cross, or aVictoria Cross".
The main variant of the Camel was designated as theF.1. Other variants included the2F.1 Ship's Camel, which operated fromaircraft carriers; theComicnight fighter variant; and theT.F.1, a "trench fighter" armoured for attacks on heavily defended ground targets. A two-seat variant served as atrainer. The last Camels were withdrawn from RAF service in January 1920.
Harry Cobby sitting in the cockpit of a Sopwith Camel
When it became clear theSopwith Pup was no match for the newer German fighters such as theAlbatros D.III, the Camel was developed to replace it,[2] as well as theNieuport 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 theSopwith F.1, was headed by Sopwith's chief designer,Herbert Smith.[3][4]
Early in its development, the Camel was simply referred to as the "Big Pup". A metalfairing 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.[2][5] On 22 December 1916, the prototype Camel was first flown byHarry Hawker atBrooklands,Weybridge,Surrey; it was powered by a 110-horsepower (82 kW) Clerget 9Z.[4]
In May 1917, the first production contract for an initial batch of 250 Camels was issued by the BritishWar Office.[6] 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.[7] In early 1918, production of the naval variant of the Sopwith Camel, the "Ship's" Camel 2F.1 began.[8]
The Camel had a conventional design for its era, with a wire-braced wooden box-girder 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 had a noticeably bulkier fuselage.[3] For the first time on an operational British-designed fighter, two0.303 in (7.7 mm)Vickersmachine guns were mounted directly in front of the cockpit,synchronised to fire forwards through the propeller disc[4][2] – initially this was theSopwith firm's own synchronizer design, but after the mechanical-linkage Sopwith-Kauper units began to wear out, the more accurate and easier-to-maintainhydraulic-link Constantinesco-Colley system replaced it from November 1917 onward. In addition to the machine guns, a total of fourCooper bombs could be carried for ground attack purposes.[4]
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 ofFred Sigrist, the Sopwith works manager, as a measure to simplify the aircraft's construction.[9] The upper wing had a central cutout section to improve upwards visibility for the pilot.[10]
Production Camels were powered by variousrotary engines, most commonly either theClerget 9B or theBentley BR1.[11] In order to evade a potential manufacturingbottleneck being imposed upon the overall aircraft in the event of an engine shortage, several other engines were adopted to power the type as well.[12]
Unlike the preceding Pup andTriplane, the Camel was considered to be difficult to fly.[13] 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 seven feet (2.1 m) of the aircraft, and to the stronggyroscopic effect of the rotating mass of the cylinders common torotary engines.[Note 1]
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,[14] 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.[15]
Upon entering service, the Camel gained an unfortunate reputation with pilots,[16] with inexperienced ones crashing on take-off when the full fuel load pushed the aircraft'scentre of gravity 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 dangerousspin.RFC pilots used to joke that it offered the choice between "awooden cross, theRed Cross, or aVictoria Cross".[17][15]
A two-seat trainer version was later built to ease the transition process:[18] in hisRecollections of an Airman, Lieutenant ColonelL. A. Strange, who served with the central flying school, wrote: "In spite of the care we took, Camels continually spun down out of control when flew [sic] 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 [them] with 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.[16]
Despite these issues, its agility in combat made the Camel one of the best-rememberedAllied aircraft of theFirst World War. 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".[4]
In June 1917, the Sopwith Camel entered service with No. 4 Squadron of theRoyal Naval Air Service, which was stationed nearDunkirk, France; this was the first squadron to operate the type.[19] Its first combat flight and reportedly its first victory claim were both made on 4 July 1917.[6] 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 theRoyal Flying Corps.[8] By February 1918, 13 squadrons had Camels as their primary equipment.[20] The Camel proved in service to have better manoeuvrability than theAlbatros D.III andD.V and offered heavier armament and better performance than the Pup and Triplane. Together with theS.E.5a and theSPAD S.XIII, it helped to re-establish the Allied aerial superiority for a time. While flying a Sopwith Camel with the serial number B6313, the Canadian aceBilly Barker was credited with shooting down 46 aircraft. The total aircraft credited to Barker while flying B6313 is the highest attributed to a single aircraft during World War I.[21]
An important role for the Camel was home defence. The RNAS flew Camels fromEastchurch andManston airfields againstdaylight raids by German bombers, includingGothas, from July 1917.[18] 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.[22] 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.[23]
When the Germans switched to performing night attacks, the Camel proved capable of being flown at night.[19] Those aircraft assigned to home defence squadrons were quickly modified with navigation lights to serve as night fighters. A smaller number of Camels were more extensively changed; on these aircraft, the Vickers machine guns were replaced by over-wingLewis 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.[24][25][Note 2]
The Camel was used to intercept and shoot down German bombers on several 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.[27] During this air raid, a combined force of 74 Camels andS.E.5s intercepted 28 Gothas andZeppelin-Staaken R.VIs; three German bombers were shot down, while two more were downed by anti-aircraft fire 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.[28] In July 1918 seven Sopwith Camels destroyed two German Zeppelins by bombing their hangars in theTondern raid; they were flown offHMS Furious and then landed in Denmark or ditched in the sea to be picked up.
The Camel night fighter was also operated by151 Squadron to intercept German night bombers operating over the Western Front.[29] These aircraft also carried out night intruder missions against German airstrips. After five months of operations, 151 Squadron had claimed responsibility for shooting down 26 German aircraft.[29]
Sopwith 2F.1 Camel suspended from airship R 23 prior to a test flight
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 earliestaircraft carriers to be built, e.g.HMSFurious. Furthermore, the Camel could be deployed fromaircraft 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.
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 theFokker 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.[31] The protracted development of the Camel's replacement, theSopwith Snipe, resulted in the Camel remaining in service in this capacity until well after the signing of theArmistice.[32]
During theGerman spring offensive of March 1918, squadrons of Camels participated in the defence of the Allied lines, harassing the advancing German Army from the skies.[31] Jackson observed that "some of the most intense air operations took place" during the retreat of theBritish Fifth Army, in which the Camel provided extensive aerial support. Camels flew at multiple altitudes, some as low as 500 feet (150 m) for surprise strafing attacks upon ground forces, while being covered from attack by hostile fighters by the higher altitude aircraft.[32] 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.[32]
In the aftermath of the First World War, the Camel saw further combat action. Multiple British squadrons were deployed into Russia as a part of theAllied intervention in the Russian Civil War.[32] Between the Camel and the S.E.5, which were the two main types deployed to theCaspian Sea area to bombBolshevik bases and to provide aerial support to theRoyal Navy warships present, Allied control of the Caspian region had been achieved by May 1919. Starting in March 1919, direct support was also provided forWhite Russian forces, carrying out reconnaissance, ground attack, and escort operations.[33] During the summer of 1919, Camels ofNo. 47 Squadron conducted offensive operations in the vicinity ofTsaritsyn, primarily againstUrbabk airfield; targets including enemy aircraft, cavalry formations, and river traffic. In September 1919, 47 Squadron was relocated toKotluban, where its aircraft operations mainly focused on harassing enemy communication lines.[34] During late 1919 and early 1920, the RAF detachment operated in support of GeneralVladimir May-Mayevsky'scounter-revolutionary volunteer army during intense fighting aroundKharkiv. In March 1920, the remainder of the force was evacuated and their remaining aircraft were deliberately destroyed to avoid them falling into enemy hands.[34]
The Sopwith 2F.1 Camel used to shoot downZeppelin L 53, at theImperial War Museum, London. Note mounting of twin Lewis guns over the top wing
The 2F.1 was a shipboard variant, flown fromHMS Furious.[35] It had a slightly shorter wingspan and aBentley BR1 as its standard engine. Additionally, one Vickers gun was replaced by an overwingLewis gun to assist in destroying Zeppelins using incendiary ammunition.
The "Comic" was a Camel variant designed specifically fornight-fighting duties. The twin Vickers guns were replaced by two Lewis guns onFoster 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 12 inches (30 cm) to the rear, and to compensate the fuel tank was moved forward.[36] It served with Home Defence Squadrons against German air raids. The "Comic" nickname was unofficial, and was shared with the night fighter version of theSopwith 1½ Strutter.
The T.F.1 was an experimentaltrench fighter used for development work for theSopwith Salamander. Its machine guns were angled downwards for efficientstrafing, and it featured armour plating for protection.
Belgian Sopwith Camel flown by Adj. Léon Cremers with n° 11 Squadron "Cocotte" markingMajor Wilfred Ashton McCloughry MC, the commanding officer of No. 4 Squadron AFC, and his Sopwith Camel, 6 June 1918
B6291 – F.1 on display at theNational Air and Space Museum,Washington, D.C.[44] 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.[45] From 2005 the aircraft was part of the Javier Arango Collection inPaso Robles, California and was donated to the NASM on Arango's death in April 2017.[46] From 2017 to 2024, the aircraft was displayed at theSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center inChantilly, Virginia.
B7280 – F.1 on static display at thePolish Aviation Museum in Kraków, Lesser Poland. The aircraft was built inLincoln byClayton & Shuttleworth. On 5 September 1918, when being flown by CaptainHerbert A. Patey ofNo. 210 Squadron RAF over Belgium, it was shot down byLudwig Beckmann ofJasta 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 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.[47][48]
N8156 – 2F.1 on static display at theCanada 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.[55]
ZK-SDL – F.1 airworthy in New Zealand with The Vintage Aviator Ltd (TVAL)[56] and painted as B5663. It was previously displayed in the Aerospace Education Center inLittle Rock, Arkansas, 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.[57][failed verification] It was previously registered as N6254.[58]
Replica of Camel F.1 flown by Lt. George Vaughn Jr., 17th Aero Squadron at theUSAF Museum
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 – F.1 airworthy at theCavanaugh Flight Museum, formerly inAddison, Texas. 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 ArthurRoy Brown (RAF officer), a Canadian who flew with the Royal Air Force.[62][63] The museum closed indefinitely on 1 January 2024 and announced that its aircraft would be relocated toNorth Texas Regional Airport inDenison, Texas.[64]
Replica – F.1 on display at theBrooklands Museum inWeybridge, Surrey. It was built in 1977 by Viv Bellamy at Lands End, as a flyable reproduction for Leisure Sport Ltd. Painted to representB7270 of 209 Squadron, RAF, the machine which Captain Roy Brown flew when officially credited with shooting downBaron 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 SirThomas Sopwith's 100th birthday celebrations, it was purchased by the museum later that year.[65][failed verification][66][failed verification]
Replica – B6299 at theOld Rhinebeck Aerodrome inRed Hook, New York. It was completed in 1992 with a 160 hpGnome Monosoupape model 9N rotary, built by Nathaniel deFlavia and Cole Palen.[67][68] 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.[citation needed]
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 asN8343.[69][failed verification]
Replica – Unknown airworthy with the Vintage Aviator Collection inMasterton, New Zealand. It was originally built by Carl Swanson for Gerry Thornhill. It is powered by a 160 hpGnome Monosoupape rotary engine and is painted asB3889.[citation needed]
Replica – F.1 under construction by Koz Aero inComstock Park, Michigan. It is based on original factory drawings and using many original parts, including an original engine and instruments.[74][75]
Replica – F.1 under construction by John S. Shaw. It has an original Clerget 9B 130 CV engine.[76][77]
Replica – F.1 under construction by John S. Shaw. It has a new build Gnome Monosoupape 9B-2 100 hp engine.[78][79]
Biggles flies a Sopwith Camel in the novels byW. E. Johns during Biggles's spell in 266 Squadron during the First World War. The first collection of Biggles stories, titledThe 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.[85]
The Sopwith Camel was featured as a flyable aircraft in theMicrosoft Flight Simulator series, starting withMicrosoft Flight Simulator 1.0, released in November 1982.[86] Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 was the last version to include the Sopwith Camel with the game.
The Camel is the "plane" ofSnoopy in thePeanuts comic strip, when he imagines himself as a World War I flying ace and the nemesis of theRed Baron.[87]
^As compared withradial engines in which a conventional rotating crankshaft is driven by a fixed engine block.
^The ammunition in question was the RTS (Richard Thelfall and Sons) round, a combined incendiary and explosive round with anitroglycerin andphosphorus filling. While more effective than earlier incendiary bullets such as the phosphorus-filledBuckingham bullet, they required careful handling, and were initially banned from synchronised weapons, because of fears about the consequences of bullets striking the propeller of the fighter, and to preventcooking off of the sensitive ammunition in the chambers of the Vickers guns, which fired from aclosed bolt—a required feature for guns used in synchronized mounts—where heat could build up much quicker than in theopen bolted Lewis gun.[24][26]
^"SOPWITH 2F.1 SHIP CAMEL".Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation. Archived fromthe original on 22 July 2017. Retrieved12 May 2017.
^"FAA Registry [N6254]".Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived fromthe original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved12 May 2017.
^"Sopwith F-1 Camel".National Museum of the US Air Force. 17 July 2015. Retrieved12 May 2017.
^"Aircraft".Cavanaugh Flight Museum. Retrieved12 May 2017.
^"FAA Registry [N86678]".Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived fromthe original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved12 May 2017.
^"FAA Registry [N7157Q]".Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived fromthe original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved12 May 2017.
^"FAA Registry [N8343]".Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived fromthe original on 28 February 2020. Retrieved12 May 2017.
^"FAA Registry [N6557]".Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved12 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^Butts, D (2000). "Biggles – Hero of the Air". In Watkins, T; Jones, D (eds.).A Necessary Fantasy?: The Heroic Figure in Children's Popular Culture. New York:Garland Publishing. pp. 137–152.ISBN0-8153-1844-8.
Bruce, J.M.War Planes of the First World War: Volume Two Fighters. London:Macdonald, 1968.ISBN0-356-01473-8.
Clark, Alan.Aces High: The War in the Air Over The Western Front 1914 – 1918. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1973.ISBN0-297-99464-6.
Cony, Christophe (April 1999). "Une déception: les Sopwith Camel belges" [A Disappointment: The Belgian Sopwith Camels].Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French). No. 73. pp. 19–23.ISSN1243-8650.
Davis, Mick.Sopwith Aircraft. Ramsbury, Malborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 1999.ISBN1-86126-217-5.
Jackson, A.J.British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume III. London: Putnam, 1988.ISBN0-85177-818-6.
Jackson, Robert.Infamous Aircraft – Dangerous Designs and their Vices. Barnsley, UK:Pen and Sword, 2005.ISBN978-1-84415-172-1.
Jackson, Robert.Britain's Greatest Aircraft. Pen and Sword, 2007.ISBN1-84415-600-1.
Klaauw, Bart van der (March–April 1999). "Unexpected Windfalls: Accidentally or Deliberately, More than 100 Aircraft 'arrived' in Dutch Territory During the Great War".Air Enthusiast. No. 80. pp. 54–59.ISSN0143-5450.
Leinburger, Ralf.Fighter: Technology, Facts, History. London: Parragon Inc., 2008.ISBN978-1-40549-575-2.
Mason, Francis K.The British Fighter. London: Putnam, 1992.ISBN0 85177 852 6
Murphy, Justin D. and Matthew A. McNiece.Military Aircraft, 1919-1945: An Illustrated History of their Impact. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2009.ISBN1-85109-498-9.
Ralph, Wayne.Barker VC: The Classic Story of a Legendary First World War Hero. London: Grub Street, 1999.ISBN1-902304-31-4.
Robertson, Bruce.Sopwith: The Man and His Aircraft. London: Harleyford, 1970.ISBN0-900435-15-1.
Spooner, Nigel (2024).A History of Aviation at Brooklands in 100 Objects. Barnsley, England: Pen & Sword Airworld.ISBN978-1-52679-091-0.
Sturtivant, Ray and Gordon Page.The Camel File. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1993.ISBN0-85130-212-2.
Thomas, Andrew. "In the Footsteps of Daedulus: Early Greek Naval Aviation".Air Enthusiast, No. 94, July–August 2001, pp. 8–9.ISSN0143-5450
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.ISBN1-84037-396-2.
.jpg)
_(12243203404).jpg)
.jpg)
Media related toSopwith Camel museum aircraft at Wikimedia Commons
