 |
|
|
|
|
|
| ENGINE |
|
Gnome 9 cylinder rotary 150 h.p. |
| ARMAMENT |
|
Two Vickers .303 machine guns |
| WING SPAN |
|
28 feet |
| LENGTH |
|
18 feet, 9 inches |
| HEIGHT |
|
8 feet |
| MAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT |
|
1,482 pounds |
| MANUFACTURED BY |
|
Sopwith Aviation Company |
| REPLICA BUILT BY |
|
Dick Day |
| TOTAL BUILT |
|
Approximately 6,000 |
| TOTAL IN EXISTENCE |
|
Unknown |
| FIRST BUILT |
|
1916 |
| MUSEUM'S CAMEL BUILT |
|
1968 |
| MAXIMUM SPEED |
|
115 m.p.h. |
| RANGE |
|
290 miles |
| SERVICE CEILING |
|
19,000 feet |
|
Small and lightweight, the Sopwith Camel represented the state-of the-art in
fighter design at the time. The Sopwith Camel shot down 1,294 enemy aircraft during
World War I, more than any other Allied fighter. However, it was so difficult to fly
that more men lost their lives while learning to fly it than using it in combat.
The Sopwith company rolled out the first Camel in December 1916. Although it owed much of
its design to earlier Sopwith aircraft like the Tabloid, Pup and Triplane, the Camel was a
revolutionary machine in a number of respects. The plane's twin Vickers machine guns were
mounted side by side in front of the cockpit -- a first for British fighters and a design
feature that became standard on British fighters for nearly 20 years. Second, the pilot,
engine, armament and controls were all crammed into a seven foot space at the front of the
airplane. This helped give the plane its phenomenal performance, but it also made the
plane very tricky to fly. Additionally, the plane's wood and fabric construction and lack
of protection for the fuel tank made the Camel (like most W.W.I. aircraft) very susceptible
to fire. Moreover, the poor state of pilot training during 1916-1917 meant that the
average life expectancy of an English pilot was little more than two weeks.
In service, the Camel proved to be a huge success, despite its high accident rate. Camels
fought all along the Western Front as well as being employed as night fighters and balloon
busters. Some the earliest fighters used by the Royal Navy were Camels which were deployed
from cruisers, battleships and even towed platforms. Additionally, Camels fitted with
eight primitive air-to-air rockets proved to be very effective against German Zeppelins
and long-range bombers.
The Sopwith Camel on display is a full scale flying replica built by Dick Day from
original World War I factory drawings. The aircraft is fitted with original instruments,
machine guns and an original Gnome rotary engine (something very rare in replicas). It is
painted in the scheme of the World War I flying ace Captain Arthur Roy Brown, a Canadian
flying with the Royal Air Force. Captain Brown is credited by many with shooting down
Baron von Richthofen (The Red Baron). Captain Brown had 11 victories at the time of his
disputed triumph and became ill shortly thereafter. He was hospitalized in England for
ulcers and remained there throughout the war.
|
|
|
