Windsock - Datafile 026 - Sopwith F1 Camel by J.M. Bruce (Third edition)-2004

SOPWITH CAMEL By J M Bruce

WINDSOCK DATAFILE 26

ON THE COVER

Naval Nine On patrol over the lines Sopwith Camels on the strength of No.9 Naval Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service in 1918. The foreground aeroplane's identity has yet to be confirmed but its colours and markings, based on tonal interpretation, are believed to be as shown. Painting by Brian Knight G Av A of the Guild of Aviation Artists. Above, subject of the cover painting with immaculate finish of PCI0, Ultramarine, white and 'Battleship' grey. Many 'Naval Nine' Camels were marked with various stripes, bands and circles prior to April 1918.

Opposite page: A crisp study of B6266, Sopwith-built and apparently fresh from the factory in typical Sopwith finish and with mottled natural-metal engine cowling and panels. No guns are fitted, their place being filled by a neat aluminium fairing; the Rotherham pump is on the forward centre-section strut; and the aircraft has the early form of undercarriage struts. Unusually for what was presumably a training-unit aircraft in 1917, it has a Le Rhone engine within a Clerget-type cowling. This was what was fitted on the earliest Le Rhone Cainels, leading Brooke-Popham to protest to the Director of Aeronautical Equipment on December 14 1917, that Clerget cowlings were unsuitable on Le Rhone engines - see second photo, page 14. (K M Molson)

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anked alongside the Fokker triplane as the most well known fighter aeroplane of World War One the Sopwith F.l Camel has been long overdue for inclusion in the DATAFILE series. Many books and articles have been written about the Camel over the years but that there is still something new to be said about this 'Great War' classic is only too

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DATA Published by Albatros Productions Ltd., 10 Long View, Chiltern Park Estate, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 1BY, Great Britain. © 1990 / 2004 Albatros Productions, Ltd. This edition © 1995 Albatros Productions, Ltd. Third edition © 1998 Albatros Productions, Ltd. Printing by The Print Centre, Unit C, Northbridge Road, Berkhamsted Herts. HP4 1EH Telephone: (01442) 876600 Designed, edited and produced by R L Rimel!. Colour profiles by R L Rimel!. Scale drawings by Ian R Stair. Colour origination by Columbia Offset (UK and Singapore). The contents of this publication are strictly copyrighted and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, either in whole or in part, without the prior, written consent of Albatros Productions, Ltd . . ISBN 0 948414 30 8

Acknowledgements Unless otherwise accredited, all period photographs reproduced in this book are from the J M Bruce/G S Leslie Collection. For assistance with Camel photography and archive material the publishers are indebted to Andrew Cormack, Peter Elliott and Gordon Leither of the Roval Air Force MllS p.ll m .

apparent as author J M Bruce emphasizes in this DATAFILE. Camel enthusiasts will welcome the close-up photodata, detailed scale drawings and Arthur Bentley cutaway this book provides and that the type is a firmn favourite with model kit manufacturers is evidenced by the extensive listings on page 36. Ray RimeD, March 1991.

SOPWITH CAMEL By J M Bruce, ISO, MA, FRAes,

F~HistS.

AN INTRODUCTION _ _ _ __

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o much has been written about the Sopwith Camel that it would be superfluous, if not indeed tedious, again to traverse its distinguished operational history in these pages. Recorded opinions of its qualities are those left by pilots who survived the experience of flying and fighting in it: we shall never know the views of the many who did not. There can be little doubt that the design of the Camel owed at least some inspiration to an official RNAS order of August 1916 for a version of the agile but mild-mannered Sopwith Pup for which the llO-hp Clerget 92 engine was specified, and to which the serial number N503 was allocated. Late in 1916 it was already clear that the Pup's single Vickers gun was inadequate for combat over the Western Front; and there may have been doubts as to the advisability of putting a llO-hp Clerget into the lightly-built Pup airframe. As far as is known, the Pup N503 was not built: it was recorded only up to December 4 1916, and the January 1917 list of HM Naval aircraft designated N503 as 'blank number'. A new single-seat fighter prototype had emerged from the Sopwith works on December 22 1916, but it was an entirely new design, armed with twin fixed Vickers guns and powered by the llO-hp Clerget engine specified for the N503type Pup. With the Sopwith type number El, this was the first prototype Camel. The precise number and sequence of Camel prototypes has yet to be conclusively

Right, the Sopwith company's Christmas 1916 present to Britain's flying services, the first prototype F.I Camel stands on Brooklands' snowbound airfield in that wintry December. These front and side views of the aircraft illustrate its onepiece upper mainplane with short-span ailerons but without a central cut-out, and the initial form of forward top decking, sloping upwards to the cockpit to serve as a wind deflector in the absence of a conventional windscreen. It seems possible that this aircraft might have been numbered N517: in March 1917, when the Camel that bore that number was at RNAS Dunkerque, it had no central cut-out in the upper wing. N517 flew operationally with Squadrons Nos 9, II and 12 of the RNAS, surviving until August 21 1917, when it was deleted.

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determined. By January 1917 the allocations of serial numbers in the RNAS experimental N500plus group 'had only reached N514; when serial numbers for Camel prototypes were taken up, only N517 and N518 were allocated for RNAS Camels; in the case of the prototype identified .by Martlesham Heath as the F.l / 3, the serial number B381 was allocated in February 1917, at which time it was noted that the aircraft was 'Off Admiralty Contract'. Whether a formal contract existed at that time is uncertain, for apparently it was not until August 17 1917, that Contract NO.AS233 for four 'Sopwith Camel Experimental' aircraft requisitioned 'Prior to March' was formalized . Service details of N517, N518 and B381 are known; the fourth aircraft might have been the unnumbered prototype that was given (or more probably lent) to the French authorities for evaluation. The career of this last was brief, for it was damaged, seemingly irreparably, in a crash in May 1917 (see photograph on page 4 D. There was another, even more experimental, Camel prototype. This had a centre section of increased chord (5 ft), to which were attached tapered outer wing panels; these were separated vertically by broad-chord 'plank' interplane struts obviously analogous to those of preceding Sopwith triplane types. It also had redesigned undercarriage struts and tailskid. A surviving Sopwith drawing names this variant simply as 'Sopwith Camel with tapered wings'. In May 1917, more than a month later than the conventional Camel known to Martlesham

Heath as the F.l / 3, the taper-wing Camel went there for testing: it was recorded in its official trials report as the F.l/l. The tapered wings did not improve performance or handling, and must have been considered to be more difficult from a production standpoint than the constant-chord wings, consequently the taperwing Camel was abandoned. Official contractual acceptance of it was even more belated than in the case of the other four prototypes: not until December 5 1917, did British Requisition No.286 formally call for 'One Sopwith Taper Wing Camel 4F.l Machine'. The response to this was Contract NO.AS34594 of December 12 1917, against which the Ministry of Munitions record of Output of Aeroplanes noted that the Taper Wing Camel had been 'delivered to Martlesham Heath, May 1917' (elsewhere more precisely given as during the week ending May 26 1917). All of these references were almost certainly consequential one upon the other, and were

therefore consistent in designating the aircraft 4F.l. If one is to infer that that was a Sopwith type number, it not only conflicts with Martlesham's designation F.l / l, which at least was contemporary with the aircraft, but raises questions about the sequence and chronology of Sopwith type numbers. Despite Martlesham, it seems not unreasonable to wonder whether F.l/4, rather than 4F.l, was intended. Whatever the truth of the matter, and Requisitions and Contracts notwithstanding, it seems that no official serial number was ever allocated to the Taper Wing Camel. This might signify that by December 1917 the aircraft no longer existed.

To France The first Camel to go to France was N517, which was reported to be at, or at least on the strength of, the RNAS Depot, Dunkerque, on March 1 1917; indeed, it was probably there on February 28, when it was tested by Flight

Above, believed to be a subsequent prototype, this aircraft retained the onepiece upper wing with shortspan ailerons but had a central cut-out. Its guns had a revised fairing, and a windscreen was fitted, while the white rectangle for the serial number was placed farther aft on the rear fuselage. Left: the Experimental Station at Martlesham Heath identified this Camel prototype as the E1/3. It arrived there on March 24 1917 and underwent official performance and handling trials. As the rear view (at foot) shows, this prototype had a one-piece upper wing with short-span ailerons and a central cut-out. The El/3 saw much test flying with a variety of engines, and in January 1918 was modified to become, effectively, the prototype of the so-called 'Comic' night-fighter variant with cockpit moved aft. By that date it was apparently wearing its official serial number B381. A popular Camel, it was still flying at Orfordness in February 1919.

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Centre, the French Aviation militiiire was well acquainted with the Sopwith 14 Strutter, which was built in much greater numbers in France than in Britain. Perhaps this is why an unnumbered Camel prototype (precisely which is uncertain) was sent to France in Spring 1917. Late in May it was crashed by Sous·Lieutenant Canivet, who survived to continue test flying. This photograph of the wrecked Camel shows that it had a 110·hp Le Rhone engine. Although an early production Camel was, at Trenchard's urgent request of May 30 1917, supplied to the French authorities as a replacement, the type was not adopted by the Aviation

militiiire. fA E Ferko)

Below, this prototype, although of uncertain identity, might have been the F.1 / 3 with a three-part upper wing and revised flank cowlings with elliptical access panels. The distant aircraft are a 'Bristol Fighter, FE2b, Martinsyde Elephant and Sopwith Triplane; and the place was probably Orfordness.

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Lieutenant R J a Compston of No.8 (Naval) Squadron, Fumes, who reported his appraisement to his commanding officer on that date. By May 17 N517 was with NO.9 (Naval) Squadron, but a week later was reported to be under repair. On June 14 it was with No.l2 (Naval) Squadron, and by July 5 it was back at the Depot. By that date it was by no means the only Camel in France, for the first production aircraft N6330 and N6331 were at Dunkerque Depot by May 17; two weeks later N6347 was with No.4 (Naval) Squadron; by June 7 No.4 (Naval) had N6335 and N6345 - N6348, and there were at the Depot nine Clerget Camels and eight with the 150-hp ARI engine. On March 2 1917, a sample Camel was flown at No.1 Aircraft Depot, St-Omer, by 2/ Lt K L Caldwell of No.60 Squadron, RFC, and on March 4 by Captain A M Lowery of No.70 Squadron, RFC. A note of March 5 1917 suggested that this Camel had a central cut-out in the upper wing whereas the Naval Camel did not: the RFC concluded that it wanted this cut-out to be standardized, but did not say why. As it was of little use as a means of improving the pilot's upward view, a more compelling reason for its use might have been the alleviation of the Camel's pronounced tail-heaviness. The Pup

had been similarly afflicted, and it had been found that an improvement was brought about by making a small central cut-out between the spars of its centre section. The identity of the Camel tested by the RFC in early March 1917 seems not to have been recorded, but it might have been the prototype that Martlesham Heath was to record as the F.l / 3. All three test reports (Compston's, Caldwell's and Lowery's) were generally approving, but all commented on the difficulty of clearing gun stoppages, especially of the right-hand Vickers gun, owing to the close-fitting decking over the guns. At the time, all Vickers guns had righthand feed, and although efforts were made to produce left-hand feed blocks these took so long that it was ruled that guns with left-hand feed were to be fitted only to Dolphins. All standard Camels therefore had two right-handfeed guns, and most operational aircraft had the decking cut away over the starboard gun to facilitate access for clearing jams.

Problems It seems that the Camel was so rushed into, and through, early production that first deliveries were by no means free of flaws . On May 27 1917, Wing Captain C L Lambe, RNAS

Dunkerque, wrote to Commodore G M Paine: 'The work on Camels has not been satisfactory. Four were sent down with their engine bearers in such a state that it had to be reported and an Air Department official came down last Saturday and admitted that in their present state they were not fit to have engines installed in them. These four machines came down with supposed performance tests although it is obvious that not only had they never been flown, but could never have had engines installed. This has been reported officially and / believe the A./D. are taking the matter up .... 'There are two 130 Clerget Camels at Dover which will not get to 1O,000ft in 13 minutes with an ordinary weight pilot. This performance is below that which / insist on for the ordinary 80-hp Sop with Pup. You will remember that when Hawker flew the first Camel the supposed official climb was 1O,000ft in 6 mins 50 sees.'

Lambe's letter was written during the period May 1 to June 12 1917, and in those six weeks a total of 41 Sopwith-built Camels were delivered to RNAS Dunkerque. The RFC, too, had problems with its Camels. That Service had ordered its first batch of 250 (B2301-82550) from Ruston, Proctor & Co., Ltd; the first delivery was made in June 1917, and by the end of July, 15 had been delivered. The RFC in France had to go on waiting for quantity deliveries: owing to the alarm caused by German bombing raids on London and the South-East that Summer the first ten Camels delivered in July were allocated to Home Defence units, a frustration that was intimated to RFC Headquarters in a communication dated July 8.

Even when Camels were delivered, the RFC was gravely concerned by their poor performance, which was disturbingly worse than the prototype performance-trial figures had promised. In particular, those with Englishmade Clergets suffered badly, and performance deteriorated as flying time mounted up. Special comparative test flights in France revealed that only the ARI-powered N518 (specially sent for purposes of comparison) had an acceptable performance. Martlesham investigations found that Clerget engines in general seriously lost power after running for any length of time, but that French-built Clergets produced more power than English-made engines of the same type. RFC Squadrons Nos 3, 43 and 70 were still complaining, as late as November 1917, about the Camel's serious loss of performance and manoeuvrability above 10,000 ft. Trenchard's patience ran out, and on December 9 1917, he wrote to the Director of Aeronautical Equipment: '/ prefer the 1l0-hp Le Rhone to the 130hp Clerget and wish to have as many Camel squadrons as possible equipped with the former engine. / am now equipping one squadron with Le Rhone Camels.'

Trenchard demanded that No.80 Squadron should have Le Rhone Camels when it went to France in January 1918, and that Le Rhones should replace Clergets in three other existing squadrons by the end of February 1918. DAE notified his agreement on December 12;1917. Thereafter, most Camels going to the RFC in France had either the 1l0-hp Le Rhone or the 140-hp (long-stroke) Clerget 9Bf. Conversion kits to facilitate the replacement of 130-hp Clergets by the Le Rhone were made available from No.1 Airsraft Depot in April 1918. In time it Right, the known history of the Taper Wing Camel is recounted in the narrative. Here it is seen at Martlesham Heath, where it arrived for testing in late May 1917. This photograph confirms beyond doubt that its upper wing consisted of a centre section and two outer panels.

SOPWITH TAPER WING CAMEL

1: 72 drawings by I R Stair 5

Centre, NSIS, the second RNAS prototype, spent most of its working life at Martlesham Heath, where it saw much service as a development aircraft. It arrived at Martlesham on April 13 1917, and in the following month was tested with the first IS0-hp Bentley ARI engine. By July 21 1917, it had been fitted with a Humber-built BRI, with which it underwent prolonged tests. Late in August NSIS went to France for comparative tests when the RFC was trying to resolve the problems it was experiencing with the Clerget engine in its Camels, and NSlS's performance was better than that of the Clerget Camels also involved in the tests. It was back at Martlesham by September S 1917, and by October 13 had been fitted with a 140-hp Clerget 9Bf engine of French manufa.cture. By January 26 1915, this had been replaced by a Gwynne-built 9Bf, and two weeks later NS1S was reported to have an 'enlarged hole in centre section'. Early in March it was flying with a 110-hp Le Rhone, and was used in tests of petrol; and in May it was fitted with a Badin petrol system, tests of which continued until June 22. A new lubrication system, a windmill-driven generator and various performance tests followed. By late September NSIS was 'being used for general work', and it was last reported on November 29 1915. (RAF Museum)

Left, and upper photo, opposite page, illustrate N6332, one of the initial production batch N6330N6379 ordered by the Admiralty from Sopwith, but transferred to the RFC. It was at the RNAS Depot, Dunkerque, on May 24 1917, and went to No.2 Aircraft Depot, Candas, next day; these photographs were taken on May 26 at Candas. On June 2S N6332 was sent to No. 70 Squadron, RFC, but was lost in combat with Jasta S on July 17 1917, near Waterdamhoek, when Lt. W E Grosset was shot down by Vizefeldwebel Franke and taken prisoner of war.

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was found that there was a considerable difference in output between French-built Le Rhones and those made in England: on September 18 1918, Headquarters 3rd Brigade specifically asked RAF HQ to send Camels with French-made Le Rhones in preference to English-made engines. There were early troubles with the Kauper interrupter gear, and the first production Camels were pronounced unusable because of its shortcomings. Special efforts were made to hasten production of the Mark III version of the gear in June 1917. Camels with Le Rhone engines did not have these problems because they had the Constantinesco C C hydraulic synchronizing system. Undercarriage faults led to landing mishaps . During the period March 1 to May 9 1918, nine Camel squadrons reported a total of 370 tailskid breakages. The unsatisfactory three-ply skids were replaced by others made of laminated ash: an initial order for two gross had been placed before May 22 1918. Late in the war it was reported that some squadrons, weary of continuing breakages of wooden skids, had taken to making steel skids by bending a Camel half-axle to a suitable curve and fittin g a 'knife plate' to its extremity. Crashes were also caused by the port wheel of the undercarriage coming adrift. Both wheels were retained on their axles by bolts having right-hand threads, and after several landings the port bolt would unscrew itself, whereupon the wheel would go its own way. By May 1918

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bolts and half-axles with left-h and threads for the port wheels were introduced and the problem was resolved. The matters of the position of the Rotherham windmill-driven fu el pressure pump and of the necessary but long-overdue enlargement of the aperture in the centre section are discussed in the captions of relevant illustrations, as is the cutting away of the decking over the starboard gun. This last led to problems of design of suitable windscreens, a detail on which much individual ingenuity was exercised. Although the Camel was enthusiastically if somewhat neurotically agile in combat, its rudder not only looked small but was barely adequate. It is surprising that a proposal to introduce a larger rudder did not materialize until Autumn 1918. After tests of a bigger surface at Martlesham Heath two specimen rudders were sent to France on October 23 1918. Misdirected to No.43 Squadron (which by then had replaced its Camels by Snipes), they were never used in France, but half-hearted tests continued in England after the Armistice. A few Camels continued to fly operationally in the Russian campaign of 1919-20, but the F1, together with 54 other contemporary types, was finally declared obsolete for all purposes by Air Ministry Order No.896 of August 7 1919. There was really no place for the Camel in the peace-time RAF: it was entirely a creature of its war. Although it gave a peculiar pleasure to some pilots it has usually been spoken of more

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with wary respect than with the kind of unqualified affection in which its lineal predecessors, the Pup and Triplane, were held. With the Camel's departure from service a

parti cular type of air combat passed into history; and today for many, in th e Englishs peaking world at least, it epitomizes the aerial fighting of 1917-18. 0

left, Camels of No.3 (Naval) Squadron on the Middle Aerodrome, Dunkerque, in February 1918. Nearest the camera is Squadron Commander l S 8readner's elaborately decorated 86401 , also seen in the second photograph, which was with the squadron on January 3 1918. 8y the end of March it was with No.8 (Naval) Squadron at Walmer; later still, it was used by No.213 Squadron, RAF, in which, flown by Lt. G C Mackay, it shot down a Fokker D.VlI out of control on August 12 1918. 86401 was written off on September 30 1918, on grounds of general fatigue. The second Camel in line, 83809, was first at Dunkerque Depot on July 5 1917, and was in 'C' Flight of No.3 (Naval) Squadron one week later. On January 2.8 1918, FSl K D Macleod drove down a DFW C.V out of control. In March 1918 83809 went to No. 213 Squadron, RAF, but by April 22 was in No. 210 Squadron: on that date Lt. E R Melville drove down a two-seater out of control. Seven days later 83809 was brought down by anti-aircraft fire; its pilot, Lt. H L Nelson, was killed. 7

Right, after becoming No.203 Squadron, RAF, the unit did not completely abandon individual markings on its Camels. This anonymous example has, in addition to the white· circle squadron marking, additional embellishments about and above its individual letter W. (Chaz Bowyer) Centre photos, F6037 was a reconstructed Camel, renumbered on or about July 24 1918, from D1929, which had seen service with No.4 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, earlier that month. The rebuilt aircraft, F6037, went to No.204 Squadron, RAF, in which it was flown by 2/ Lt. J R Chisman, standing in front of the aircraft in the frontal·aspect photograph. His Camel bore the inscription Fums up, and is known to have been with No.204 Squadron in October 1918. It was returned to StOrner on January 25 1919, and was reported to have been destroyed in a fire next day. (A Thomas) Below, an early line-up of the Camels of 'A' and 'B' flights of No.8 (Naval) Squadron, in which severar'Triplanes can be distinguished beyond the Camels. At right is B3757, which had reached Dunkerque Depot by July 5 1917; a week later it was in 'B' Flight of Naval Eight, together with B3758-B3760 and N6343. The operational career of B3757 was brief, ending on August 17 1917, when A/ Flt.Cdr. P A Johnston was reported missing. He had collided with the Camel of FSL E A Bennetts (B3877); both pilots were killed. (TForeman)

Opposite page: Top, CalJ'.els of No.8 (Naval) Squadron at Mont-St-Eloi early in 1918. Aircraft 'A' is B3921, which was with Naval Eight on September 2 1917, when Flt.Lt.R B Munday destroyed a balloon; he destroyed others, again with B3921, on September 29 and November 7. As at January 3 1918, B3921 had the 130-hp Clerget engine No.1342, and went to Dunkerque on the following day. It was still at the Depot on February 7, but 8

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by March 30 was with No.13 (Naval) Squadron, and by April 21 had moved on to No.210 Squadron, RAF. In that unit, flown by Lt. G 8 Wootten, it drove down an Albatros D.V out of control on May 26 1918. On June 11, 83921 was flown back to England. Aircraft 'E', 86350, was at No.1 Naval Aircraft Depot, Dunkerque, apparently throughout January 1918, with a 130-hp Clerget; but on March 30 it was with No.4 (Naval) Squadron with a 8Rl engine. On April 21 1918, piloted by FSL C R R Hickey, it shared in the capture of a Rumpler two-seater. 86350 crashed next day and was written off on May 6 1918. (D C Clayton) Left, after No.8 (Naval) Squadron became No.208 Squadron, RAF, its distinguishing ma::king consisted of two sloping white bars behind the fuselage roundel, as seen here on this Camel. This aircraft had the later form of undercarriage, in which the V-struts were of steel tubing with fairings; the carrier for four 25-lb Cooper bombs can be seen under the fuselage; and there are the minor refinements of a conical spinner on the propeller hub, and small fairings behind the protruding extremities of the transverse tube that served as the carburettor air intake. (TForeman) Centre, the enterprise and initiative of ex-RNAS personnel continued to flourish after the formation of the RAF. One manifestation thereof was this remarkable two-seat conversion of an F.l Camel created by No.208 Squadron in early Summer 1918. A rear cockpit was formed in the space normally occupied by the main fuel tank, which was replaced by a smaller tank under the pilot's seat; and a Lewis gun was installed, to be fired by the occupant of this rear position as tail protection for the aircraft. Finding men small enough and light enough for this hair-raising activity might have presented problems, but it appears that, although flown, this Camel variant was never

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taken into combat, for the squadron was instructed to restore it to normal configuration before it could be tried out in action. Although the aircraft had the squadron marking seen here, no serial number is discernible; this raises the possibility that the two· seater might have been made up from spares and/ or components of previously deleted Camels. Lower photo, page 9, Lt. 0 C Le 80utillier of No.9 (Naval) Squadron with 83883 on August 4 1917, presumably at Leffrinckhoucke. When photographed, this Camel had the earlier form of undercarriage, with the V· struts made of streamline· section steel tubing, and here the Rotherham slipstream· driven petrol pump is on the forward starboard leg. The engine cowling and flank panels are painted a dark·registering colour, and the wheel covers are also coloured. 83883 was with No.6 (Naval) Squadron, July·August, 1917; when in No.9 (Naval), piloted by FSL H F Stackard, it drove down an Albatros D.llI on September 241917; on September 30 FSL A W Wood shared in the destruction of an Albatros two·seater; and on November 4 Flt.Cdr. J S T Fall sent down an Albatros D.V out of control. 8y January II 1918, 83883 was at the RNAS War School, Manstone. (Stewart K Taylor)

Above, only Naval squadrons had the 150·hp 8entley 8RI in their Camels for at least some of the time. This 8entley Camel of No.9 (Naval) Squadron had the early form of undercarriage with its Rotherham pump on the port forward leg. Right, at one period, No.9 (Naval) Squadron had some strikingly individualistic markings on its Camels. Here Lt. E Pierce stands beside 83881 of 'A' Flight at Leffrinckhoucke, the Camel's cowlings and wheel covers painted in (presumably) Flight colours . The aircraft has its own diagonal white band across the fuselage, and, in common with the 10

other Camels of 'A' Flight, the ruff-encircled faee of George Robey, the celebrated contemporary music-hall comedian, on the fin_ Pierce first flew 83881 on July 29 1917, on its delivery flight to the squadron, and thereafter flew it almost exclusively until September 6 1917, whereafter he left No_9 (Naval)_ B3881 was at Dunkerque Depot in February-March 1918, fitted with a 130-hp Cierget, but was later reported at No.4 Aircraft Supply DepOt, in August 1918, with a 150-hp BRI. (E Pierce) Next, a cheerful warrior of No_209 Squadron, RAF, in a Camel that had the decking over the guns' breech mechanisms extensively cut away_ Left, H7386 was a lateproduction Camel built by Hooper & Co., and was probably not delivered until mid-January 1919. It was briefly with No.10 Training Depot Station, Harling Road. (RAF Museum) 11

Right, No.lO (Naval) Squadron had its period of striking markings, here exemplified on the Camels of 'A' Flight, commanded by Flt.Cdr. A W Carter. The fuselage stripes were black and white (in 'B' Flight they were red and white, in 'C' Flight blue and white), and individual wheel-cover markings distinguished each pilot. Centre, seven less exotically decorated Camels at Manstone in Autumn 1918. The nearest, B3922, had seen service with Naval Eight in 1917. On September 11 1917, FIt.Cdr. C Draper on B3922 drove down an Albatros D.V out of control. Late in Uecember 1917 this Camel was with the RNAS War School at Manstone: as at January 11 1918, it had a Clerget engine, but by March 30 had a BRI. Second in line in this photograph is F4983, built by Clayton & Shuttleworth and probably delivered about mid-October 1918. (A Greening, via Aeroplane Monthly) Lower photos, over and under views of B6339 in some emba&r:assment while with No.6 Wing, Otranto. On December 28 1917, this Sopwith-built Camel was reported to be at Otranto in transit to No.6 Wing, RNAS. As at March 8 1918, it was listed on the Wing's strength, fully serviceable and fitted with a 130-hp Clerget engine. Extensive oil-staining of the under surface fabric can be seen. (K M Molson)

Opposite page: Top, efforts to convert the Vickers to have left-hand feed proceeded too slowly for such guns to be available for Camels, but one installation was made, in July 1917, in B3761, seen here at Brooklands. Forward decking and fairing details differed from standard, but these differences might have been at least partly attributable to the aircraft's 150-hp BRI engine. B3761 went to RNAS Manstone, and was reported to be engineless on March 30 1918, when it was still on the stre ngth of the Rl'lAS War School. 12

Below, an atmospheric study, at Brooklands, of B3950 running its Clerget engine. Last Camel of the batch B3751-B3950, it was with No.lO (Naval) Squadron by September 20 1917: on that day, flown by FSL J G Manuel, it destroyed an Albatros D.V near Hooge. (RAF'Museum)

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Centre, the central rectangular cut-out in the Camel's centre section did relatively little to improve the pilot's view, and was more probably introduced to relieve the aircraft's tailheaviness than for any other reason. Steep turns had to be made, and made unhesitatingly, oin combat; yet pilots of Camels were virtually blind to the direction of turn when steeply banked. Early in January 1918 Marllesham Heath began to evaluate an enlarged cut-out, initially using B6422; by February 9, N518 had also been modified, probably with a different size or shape of enlarged cut-out, for it was intended to provide a comparison with B6422. These trials had apparently been concluded shortly before February 16 1918, but not until May 18 did a modified Camel centre section with a cut-out 301 ins. wide go to France. This was fitted to a Camel of V Brigade (presumably No.54 Squadron, RAF) and won immediate approval. On June 5 the Aeroplane Supply Depots were instructed to start modifying Camels in France; on July 3 the requirement was promulgated as modification F.l/78.I1, which was finally incorporated in production Camels that Autumn. (T J Heffernan) Left, the RFC had wanted a proportion of its Camels to have the 1l0-hp Le Rhone engine from the outset, but that engine was so scarce that all promised Camel squadrons for 1917 had to have the Clerget 9B, which proved to be disappointing in service. Thus No.3 Squadron received Clerget Camels as its initial equipment. One such was B6234, which was first reported at Kenley Aircraft Acceptance Park on August 13

23 1917, having been allocated to the RFC with the BEF on that date. It went to No.3 Squadron, RFC, but was brought down intact in German-held territory on December 5 1917; its pilot, Lt. L G Nixon, was made prisoner of war. This photograph was taken after its capture. (Egon Krueger)

Above, No.3 Squadron changed over to Le Rhone Camels early in 1918. One of the squadron's aircraft, its Le Rhone clearly identifiable, is seen here with 2/ Lt. W H Maxted of 'C' Flight and a RAF sergeant. The aircraft is probably B7905, a reconstructed Camel made at the Southern Aircraft Repair Depot, Farnborough. Maxted had five combat victories on B7905: a Fokker D.VIl out of control on September 27, followed by a balloon that same morning, and another Fokker D.VIl out of control on October 1. Next, another of No.3 Squadron's Camels with Le Rfione engine and engine cowling showing distinctive cut-outs at the 4 o'clock position. These had to be provided because the exhaust valve opened later on the Le Rhone than on the Clerget, creating a tendency for the port bottom side of the cowling to overheat. This aircraft has the enlarged aperture in the centre section. Next, delivered from Boulton & Paul, Ltd., about the

second week of May 1918, D9443 was in 'A' Flight of No.3 Squadron later that Summer. Here it is seen in German hands after Lt. A T Partridge was obliged to come down in enemy territory on August 16 1918.

(Chaz Bowyer) Right, the Camel was flown operationally in Italy by Squadrons Nos 28, 45 and 66. No.28's white-square marking is here seen on B2455 in Austro-Hungarian hands at Feltre after it had been forced down by Obit. Frank Linke-Crawford on May II 1918. The Camel's pilot, Lt. E G Forder, was taken into captivity as a prisoner of war. (Peter M Grosz) 14

Left, a post-Armistice photograph of Captain C M McEwen, MC, DFC, of No_28 Squadron, RAF, with D8239_ On it he scored his 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 26th combat victories - an Albatros D.I11 and a two-seater, both destroyed on July 9 1918, another two-seater out of control on July 20, and an Albatros D.V destroyed on September 26. The elaborate markings scheme was of post-war creation. As an Air Vice-Marshal, McEwen commanded No.6 (RCAF) Group of Bomber Command from February 29 1944 until June 18 1945 during World War II. His victory score in World War I has been reported as 20, but a squadron list attributes 27. (KMMo/son)

Next, B6372 was originally allocated to the R? C with the EF on September 26 1917, when it was still at Kenley Aircraft Acceptance Park. It was with No.45 Squadron in France in October 1917 and went to Italy with the squadron. Here it is seen with Captain M B Frew, who logged at least ten combat victories on it between January II and April 4 1918. Subsequent victories on B6372 were recorded by Lt. H D O'Neill (I) and Captain N C Jones (4). Apparently it returned to France, possibly when No.45 Squadron joined the Independent Force, RAF, on September 22 1918, for it was reported to be at No.4 ASD on October 4 1918. Next, Camels saw much use as ground-attack aircraft in late 1917 and 1918, employment that led to appallingly heavy casualties in the squadrons. Even single-seat fighters were fitted with bomb carriers for four 25-lb Cooper bombs, as seen here under the fuselage of this Camel of No.46 Squadron. Built by Ruston, Proctor & Co., Ltd., it had a Clerget engine and the later form of undercarriage. Left, and top of page 16, aircraft 'W' of No.46 Squadron, RFC, illustrates the positions of markings on the Camels of that unit in Winter 1917-18. The squadron marking consisted of two narrow white bands 15

round the fuselage ahead of the tailplane; and the aircraft letter was placed on the fuselage side immediately behind the roundel, to starboard of centre on the centre section, and under the port lower wing.

8elow, after March 1918 the marking of No.46 Squadron changed to the horizontal white line seen in this photograph of C1659. This Camel went to No.46 Squadron on March 6 1918. On March 22, while being flown by Lt. H G W Debenham (here photographed with the aircraft) C1659 drove down an Albatros D.V and an Albatros two·seater. (Via E F Cheesman) Centre, 85417 had been completed by October 31 1917, on which date, although still at the works of Hooper & Co., Ltd. , it was allocated to the RFC with the EF in France. Although the 110-hp Le Rhone had been specified for the Camels of the batch 85401·85450 the earliest deliveries (at least up to 85410) had Clergets, and at the time of aUocation all up to 85429 were expected to have that engine. Changes were made as Le Rhones became available; in particular, 85417's allocation, as a Le Rhone Camel, was amended on November 7 1917. In France, it went to No.54 Squadron, but was brought down intact on February 9 1918, and was captured with its unlucky pilot, 2/ Lt. GAO Manley. (A E Ferko) Right, Major H V Champion de Crespigny, MC, DFC, with Lt. A G Jones·Williams, MC, and Camel F3991, aircraft 'V' of No.65 Squadron, RAF. This was a late· production Camel, apparently delivered only in late October 1918, yet it still had only the original sp1all aperture in the centre section. Its engine, although a Clerget, was probably a 140·hp 98f, known as the 'Iong·stroke' Clerget. As a Squadron Leader, JonesWilliams was killed on December 17 1929, while attempting to create a new world's long-distance record. (WEvans) 16

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21

Left, in this view of a Camel of No.65 Squadron, RAF, the cutting away of the decking over the starboard Vickers gun to provide access for clearing stoppages can be seen. A non·standard fitting on this Camel was the pilot's mascot perched on the after extremity of the plywood rear decking. (Chaz Bowyer) Centre, built by Ruston, Proctor & Co., Ltd., 08101 was numerically the first Camel of batch 08101-08250 and was probably delivered late in April 1918. By June 9 it was in Italy with No.66 Squadron, in whose markings it is seen in this photograph. On that date, flown by Lt. G A Birks, it shot down an Albatros O.V; Birks shot down another O.V on June 21, again on 08101. A week later Lt. G F M Apps used this same Camel to destroy an Albatros O.III; on July 18 Lt. W C Hilborn destroyed a O.III; and two days later, flown by Lt. A E Baker, 08101 destroyed an enemy single-seater. The last known victim of this warlike Camel was a two-seater shot down by Lt. H 0 McDiarmid on August 15 1918. (Chaz Bowyer) Right, an uncomfortably adjacent anti-aircraft shell caused this damage to B7320 of No.70 Squadron while being flown by 2/ Lt J Todd. A Ruston, Proctor product, B7320 was at Lincoln ~ircraft Acceptance Park on January 1 1918, when it was allocated to the RFC in France. It was with No.70 Squadron by February 8, when it was flown by 2/ Lt. Todd in a combat in which he drove down an Albatros O.V out of control. B7320 was flown back to England on March 15 1918. (K M Molson) 22

Above, delivered in the latter half of September 1918 against a Ruston, Proctor contract, F2010 was a latecomer to No.70 Squadron, RAF, and wore the unit's new marking of triple white bands round the rear fuselage. Its individual squadron identity '5' appeared on the rear decking of the fuselage as well as on the sides. This photograph was probably taken at Bickendorf late in 1918 or early 1919. Centre, during the anti· Bolshevik campaign of 1919· 20, No.47 Squadron, RAF, received some Camels in September 1919. These were flown by 'B' Flight at Beketovka, commanded by FIt.Lt. S M Kinkead, OSO, OSC, OFC, who is seen here beside a Camel marked with white·centre roundels that were probably a simplified rendering of the roundels of the Imperial Russian Air Service; these had the red ring outermost. Beyond can be seen the tail unit of a OH9 or 9A. (K M Molson) Left, Camel production in the Lincoln works of Ruston, Proctor & Co., Ltd. The nearest aircraft has been identified as B2428, which was at Lincoln Aircraft Acceptance Park on October 8 1917, allocated to the RFC with the BEF. Neverthe less , it went to No.66 Squadron , RFC, in Italy and crashed on February 12 1918, killing its pilot, 2/ Lt. M A Rowat.

23

Right, the United States Air Service purchased a total of 143 Sopwith Camels and equipped the 17th, 41st, 148th and 185th Aero Squadrons with the type. Some were fitted with the 150·hp Gnome Monosoupape engine; others had the Clerget; virtually all were built by Boulton & Paul. Here one of them, distinguished by its American roundels, is seen at HainauIt Farm. Next, in training units pilots could be less inhibited in the markings they applied to their aircraft, and some senior officers and instructors indulged in colourful and fanciful decoration. This Camel's white· painted fuselage bore a representation of some indeterminate raptor seizing a serpent; farther aft is an elaborately detailed painting of a dragon. Details of the aircraft, its pilot and its station are unfortunately unknown. Next, precisely how, when, where and by whom C42 was given its all·white finish and named White Feather is an intriguing little mystery. Its initial allocation was to No.6 Wing, RNAS, Otranto, and it was shipped to that Italian destination on March 18 1918, together with C44 and C45: C43 had been shipped on March 13, and C52 followed on March 25. Under allocation to No.6 Wing and awaiting shipment were C46 and C53·C56. As at October 1 1918, what was by then No.6 Group (Taranto) had C42 on strength, together with C43, C44, C53 and C56. Evidently C42 returned to the United Kingdom, for in July 1919 it was reported as a two·seat conversion at Leuchars. It has been said that it saw service at Central Flying School, with the implication that it did so in the livery seen in this photograph. Perhaps it did, but its , sojourn at CFS must have been post·Armistice and brief: more significantly, another photograph of this Camel strongly suggests that it had its all·white finish in Italy. Right, Sopwith Camel of an unknown unit, apparently at a tra ining station in Britain.

24

\

Its chequered fuselage markings were echoed on the forward faces of its airscrew blades and, at least in colour, on its wheel covers. The style and presentation of its serial number were unusual, and on the fin was painted an outline of Camelus dromeilarius, perhaps as a kind of rebus. The presence of its Vickers guns possibly indicates a connection with a school of aerial fighting; the cutting away of the starboard part of the forward decking suggests an earlier operational career. (Chaz Bowyer)

Above, F4017 had a jazzy paint scheme while at NO.204 TDS, Eastchurch, where its pilots included Captain LP Coombes, DFC, and Lt. Arnold. Built by Ruston, Proctor under Contract No.35a/ 1152/ C.ll08, it was probably delivered in October 1918. (DR Neate) Next, one of the Camels used by No.8 (Training) Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, at Leighterton was C121, seen here with C123 beyond at right. C121's emu emblem proclaims its Australian 'ownership'; C123 was later painted white overall. (DG Edwick) Next, some of the dual· control two· seaters had the unexpected refinement of a head fairing behind the rear cockpit. One such was E9968 of the South-Eastern Area Flying Instructors' School at Shoreham. This Camel was one of a batch of 20 (E9964E9983) that were reconstructed by No.3 (Western) Aircraft Repair Depot, and was probably basically completed about mid-1918: it is known that E9971-E9974 were all at No.1 Fighting School, Turnberry, in July 1918. Left, the US Navy had at least six F.l Camels in the postArmistice period, and apparently experimented with shipboard flying much as Britain's Royal Navy had done during the war. In this photograph an F.l is seen on a small flying-off platform aboard the USS Texas. (K M Molson) 25

Right, at least four of the F.I Camels of the US Navy had the l30-hp Clerget engine; these had the American naval numbers A5721, A5722, A5729 and A5730. Here, photographed in March 1920 at Guantanamo, Cuba, A572l is seen, fitted with RNAS Graindesigned hydrovane and flotation gear. A large windmill-driven generator is mounted on the fuselage side ahead of the aircraft's number. (Fred C Dickey, Jnr) Centre, in November 1917 the RFC called for a single-seat aircraft specifically for ground-attack work, requesting that it should have one or two guns installed to fire at a downward angle of 45 deg. To provide a speedy response to this request, an F.I Camel, B9278, was modified to have two downward-firing Lewis guns and a third Lewis gun on a Bowan & Williams (Admiralty Top Plane) Mounting; a modest amount of armour plating was to be fitted , but it is uncertain whether this was done, for contemporary reports mention both unhardened steel and, as a mock-up, plywood panels. With the Sopwith designation TF.I, B9278 flew in its modified form at Brooklands on February 15 1918; it had a IIO-hp Le Rhone engine. It was flown to France on March 7 by Captain LJ Wackett, but it took little time to discover that the concept of downward-firing guns was a mistaken one, and B9278 returned to England on March 13. Its history is dealt with at greater length in the author's article The first British armoured brigade, Part 2, in Air Internationai,March 1979. Right, one of the US Navy's Clerget Camels with hydrovane and Grain flotation gear, of ~hich the port air-bag is inflated. The unlacing of the side panel of fuselage fabric reveals that no fuselage air-bags were fitted when this photograph was taken. The underwing insignia were of the star form . (US Navy Air Photo Lab)

26

THE SOPWITH F.l CAMEL IN DETAIL _ _

Left, cockpit of a Camel captured by the Germans. Here the guns are still in place, but the Aldis optical sight has been removed, probably by the Camel's vanquisher. Aldis sights were highly prized by German pilots. (Via H H Wynne) Below, instrument panel of an F.l Camel from which the Vickers guns have been removed, leaving their mounting brackets visible on the bridge member across the cockpit. In the centre is the Type 5/ 17 compass, to its left the tachometer, to right the air-speed indicator. Under the curved cross-level is the altimeter, to its right the watch holder, at far left the pulse glass, and at far right the air-pressure gauge. (Chaz Bowyer)

r

27

Ri ght, positioning of the Came l's windmill-driven Rotherham pump first came into question on October 27 1917, when Col. Whittington, Deputy DAE, wrote to the GOC, RFC, that it was proposed to relocate the pump on an undercarriage strut because it was considered dangerous to mount it on the centresection strut, as seen here on B9204. Squadrons consulted by RFC HQ generally saw no objection to this proposal, but Major J A Cunningham, OC No.65 Squadron, sensibly pointed out that the strut-mounted pump was visible to and within manual reach of the pilot, who could see when the pump seized up and

28

could immediately change to his gravity tank if necessary. At that time the proposal was shelved, but in Summer 1918 more squadrons came to recognise the severity of the vibration that the pump could create: in several cases it caused splitting of the centre-section strut, and it generally affected the sighting of the guns. On August 4 1918, RAF HQ instructed Brigades and the 54th wing that the Rotherham pump should be mounted on an undercarriage strut: most units favouring this arrangement preferred the forward starboard leg of the V-strut, but it is doubtful whether absolute uniformity was ever attained.

Left, Clerget engine, presumably a 130-hp 98, in a Camel of a training unit; the engine's nose-piece has been removed. The aircraft has the later form of undercarriage struts, with separate fairings attached to steel-tubing V-struts.

Opposite page: RAF Museum Camel photos by R L Rimell; clockwise from top left: padded wicker seat; windscreen and cockpit coaming; lower instrument panel detail; starboard cockpit corner with airspeed indicator prominent; central panel detail; and finally, 'spade-grip' control stick with wood locking arm.

This page: Clockwise from below: centre section strut bracing with 'acorn' tensioner; port Vickers gun; front port undercarriage fixing and rigging plate; lower wing cutout to clear metal side shields (starboard); same area port side also reveals underside panel and rigging attachments; forward centresection strut detail ( starboard); and finally, cartridge belt ejection port.

29

Right, bare bones. The skeleton of a Camel fuselage with engine and all internal fittings and equipment removed by its German captors. (AE Ferko) Centre, the main 'fuel tank, of 30 gallons capacity, was installed immediately behind the pilot's seat. For operational Camels it was intended to provide MID self· sealing ('fireproof') tanks eventually. In July 1918 it was recorded that Camels came after DH9s, DH9As and DHI0s in order of priority for the fitting of these tanks, but preceded the Snipe, SE5a, Bristol Fighter and other types. As at July 12 it was expected that the installation drawings for the Camel would be completed early in August, but it is uncertain whether any of these tanks were available before the Armistice. Much earlier, on January 14 1918, an unidentified Camel with allegedly fireproof tanks had been allocated to No.70 Squadron, but no further details about that installation are known. Below, more bare bones, the fuselage of a Camel in course of conversion to a dual· control two·seater. Fuel capacity was greatly reduced, and there was no provision for the installation of any armament. (The late Rodney Gerrard)

30

Clockwise from below: Rotherham pump on rear starboard centre-section strut; split axle and fairing detail; centre-section cut-out; centre-section strut and rigging attachments; pitot tube; port rear interplane strut fixing; doubled (RAFwire) flying wires pass through lower wing root to fuselage fixing points-see page 29; lower wing port interplane strut fixing; fuselage underside detail; channel behind firewall with undercarriage bracing wires; bungee cord on starboard undercarriage and finally; starboard wheel and undercarriage detail.

31

Clockwise from top left: lower wing aileron horn detail; picquet ring-lower wings; rear fuselage detail; fuselage guide tube for upper elevator wire; tail plane detail; port tailplane with RAFwire bracing; starboard elevator controls; fin and rudder detail and finally, tailskid. Below, fin/ rudder detail showing hinge and bracing cable attachment (top) and doubled rudder cables.

32

COLOURS AND MARKINGS he question of colours and markings for British aeroplanes of the World War One era is comparatively straightforward for the number of standard colour dopes was small compared to those adopted by the French and German air services. Yet the colours used by the RFC, RNAS, and later RAF, continue to cause headaches for modellers seeking representative finishes. As will be seen in the accompanying notations, variations in shades were quite marked although one must take into account the results of fading and the tendency of protective v.arnishes to darken the true colours. Most Camels had their upper surfaces doped in PClO (Pigmented Cellulose Spec. No.lO) which is a broad term for at least five individual preparations each differing slightly from the other. As a general rule the actual range of hues using PCI0 pigments was between Methuen 3(E/ F)8 to almost 5F8. As a rule of thumb earlier varnishes were somewhat lighter and on the olive/ brown side while laterpigmented dopes were rather more brown orientated. In many cases fuselage undersides were also doped in PC 10 and the colour often 'wrapped round' the flying and/ or control surfaces by about H-2ins. to provide an outlined effect on the clear doped surfaces. The application from April 1916 of PClO to airframes had somewhat of an adverse effect on the life of the national identification colours already being used and thus some new dopes, which resulted from earlier experiments, were used from the end of 1916 when it was decided to standardise military aeroplane markings for the RFC and RNAS. The new roundel red (VR2), almost a vermilion, was more durable than the earlier VRI while the original VBI blue faded quickly and resulted in a deeper shade of blue which also suffered the same problem. Finally, a new range of ultramarine pigments was formulated and it was one of the darker versions that was at last accepted in terms of adhesion and non-flaking to become VB2.

T

compiled by R L Rimell ___________

During 1917 many British pilots and observers complained that the national markings were often difficult to differentiate from the surrounding PC 10 resulting in an order on May 5 1917 that narrow white outlines were to be added to upper surface roundels. The white dope was redesignated VW3 following its change to a zinc oxide base. The final change to identification colours came about in the early part of 1918 when a durable red pigment was formulated. In March Red VR3 was introduced for the first time and thus the 'standard' colours became Red VR3, White VW3 and Blue VB2 and so they were to remain for the war years and up to the mid-1930s.

Other colours In addition to the standard PC 10 finish on Camels described above, there were variations, especially concerning the cowling and forward fuselage areas. Although Camels with overall PC lO-doped fuselages (including undercarriages) were seen, many others had their cowlings, upper metal panels, side and under surface metal shields either left in natural metal or finished in 'Battleship' grey. The ply-covered areas behind the metal side shields and around the cockpit and rear decking were frequently coated with a glossy Copal varnish. This gave a slightly reddish, warm tinge to the natural ply and is easily distinguished from the adjacent PClO on photographs. Squadron markings, numbers, etc., were usually doped white on fuselage sides and also upper wings and turtle decks in some units. Serial numbers were either doped in white characters or black within a white rectangle. Serial applications on rudders differed considerably.

REAR COVER PlATES 1) Sopwith F.l Camel B6385, No.3 Squadron RFC,1918. This Camel was finished in PC 10 on its upper surfaces, the dope apparently extending to the

1) With the 130hp Clerget 9B the Camel's performance deteriorated rapidly, and British-made Clergets were less satisfactory than Frenchmade engines. The RFC was gravely concerned over this shortcoming, but had to accept that the six squadrons due in France by December 31 1917 would have Clerget Camels. One of these was No.3 Squadron, RFC, whose B6385 is here seen after capture in November (SecondLieutenant C J Kent, PoW); a rack for four 25lb Cooper bombs is fitted under the fuselage, and the Rotherham pump is on the forward starboard centre-section strut. (A E Ferko) 33

cowling, fuselage metal panels, wheel covers, struts and airscrew tips. Ply fuselage panels are varnished, under surfaces of wings and tail plane clear-doped with white squadron bands and identification letter. The letters on fuselage sides were usually repeated in white on the upper port wing and in black below the lower starboard wing.

2) Sopwith F.I Camel B7175, No.13 Naval Squadron ,RNAS 1918, flown by L H Slatter. PC 10 Khaki dope was applied to all upper surfaces with the cowling and metal fuselage panels in 'Battleship' grey. Ply fuselage panels are varnished, under surfaces of wings and tailplane, clear-doped. Red,white and blue markings on fuselage and wheel covers as depicted - note non-standard large area windscreen.

Although unconfirmed the upper surfaces of both wings may be PClO, clear-doped below. Colours of the fuselage are conjectural based on tonal values of known national colours red panel behind varnished ply panel, ultramarine rear fuselage, fin and wheel covers, black Cleopatra motif, red asp and fin spot. Upper surfaces of horizontal tailplane are also ultramarine and carry evidence of dark, unconfirmed markings - possibly a continuation of the asp as shown in the, admittedly 'conjectural, sketch above. Natural metal 'engine-turned' cowling and metal panels.

Publisher's note For the convenience of modellers, Methuen colour references, wherever possible, have been quoted and can be found in the Methuen Handbook of Colour by Kornerup and J H Wanscher published by Methuen and Co. Ltd., a book which provides over 1260 colour samples. The book is currently available from peter Grose Ltd., PO Box 18, Mayhill, Monmouth, Gwent NP5 4YD at £31.50. 0 Methuen notations matched to extant fabric samples of Camels and other contemporary British aeroplanes.

Methuen Colour Samples PCIO: 3E8, 3F8, 4F2-4F8.

2) Sopwith Camel, 13 Naval Squadron RNAS, flown by L H Slatter. Just visible is what appears to be a flat piece of metal - on the rear edge of the ply turtledeck representing a Bulldog. From the side it looks as if the dog is sitting on its haunches looking forward with mouth open and snarling. Flight Commanders' broad red, white and blue stripes are edged with white. The marking, not unlike that used by Charles Nungesser ,on his aircraft, was repeated exactly on both sides of the machine, meeting in front of the tail fin, see sketch above. The off·centre markings on the wheel discs was also used by Slatter's flight members, while individual aircraft numbers from I to 5 were usually marked where the cockade was. (N Franks) 34

3) Sopwith F.I Camel B6398, nicknamed 'Sylvestre', of No.IO TOS Harling Road, 1918. This colourful Camel trainer bears a distinctly Egyptian flavour for its finish complete with Cleopatra and a menacing asp!

'Battleship' grey: IBI, I C I. VB3 Red: IOB8, IOC8, 1008, 10E8. VB2 Blue: 1908, 2007, 20E8, 21 C7, 2107.

3) B6398's exotic markings must have been late in application and brief in duration, for it had a long and active operational career in No.1 (Naval) Squadron,

No.209 Squadron, RAF, and latterly with No.20l Squadron, RAF. On December 6 1917, At. Lt. SM Kinkead of No.1 (Naval) Squadron, flying B6398, drove down an

No.201, RAF) B6398 went to No.1 ASD, where it was recorded on May 4 1918. It soon went to No.209 Squadron, and on May 15 . Captain ST Edwards forced down a Pfalz D.III out of control. By August 12 it was back with No.201 Squadron, when Lt. R McLaughlin drove down a -Fokker D.VlI out of control. On September 2 Captain RCB Brading drove down a D.VlI and destroyed another, and on September 6 he sent down yet another Fokker D.VlI out of control. B6398's last recorded victim, again a victory for Brading, was a Pfalz D.XII destroyed on September 15. This Camel must have returned to England soon after that date, for before 1918 was out it had acquired the striking decor seen in this Albatros D.V out of control photograph, possibly taken and destroyed a two-seater; at No.10 Training Depot and on March 10 1918, he Station, Harling Road. The drove down another D.V out name Sylvestre has no of control. From No.1 (Naval) obvious relevance to the Squadron (or perhaps from ancient· Egyptian markings.

APPENDICES _____________________ SPECIFICATIONS Power: One 130-hp Clerget 9B, 140-hp Clerget 9Bf, 11O-hp Le Rhone 9J, IS0-hp Bentley ARl/BRI, 100-hp Gnome Monosoupape 9B-2, IS0-hp Gnome Monosoupape 9N. Experimental: 110-hp Clerget 9Z (in first prototype), 170-hp Le Rhone 9R, 18S-hp Clerget 9H. All were 9-cylinder air-cooled rotary engines. Dimensions: Span 28ft; length 18ft. 6in. (BRI and IS0-hp Monosoupape), 18ft. 8in. (Le Rhone 9J), 18ft. 9in. (Clerget 9B and 9Bf); height 8ft. 6in.; wing area 231 sq.ft. Weights: (With BRl) Empty 977lb; loaded I,S08Ib. Performance: (With BRl) Max. speed at 6,SOO ft, 116.S mph; at 1O,OOOft, III mph; at IS,OOOft, 103 mph. Climb to 6,SOOft, S min. 30 sec.; to 10,000 ft, 9 min. SO sec.; to IS,OOOft, 20 min. With a modified BRI (large induction pipes, compression ratio raised to S.7 to 1 at loaded weight of 1,4 70lb) speed at 1O,OOOft was 121 mph, climb to 1O,OOOft, 8 min. 1Osec.; service ceiling 22,OOOft. Armament: Two fixed 0.303-in. Vickers machine-guns, initially with 2S0 rpg.; Sopwith-Kauper Gun Gear on Clerget Camels; Constantinesco Fire Control Timing Gear on Le Rhone Camels. Four 2S-lb Cooper bombs or equivalent. The 'Comic' night-fighter conversion had two 0.303-in. Lewis machine-guns on Foster mountings on the centre section. SOPWITH F.I CAMEL SURVIVORS Belgium Musee Royal de l'Armee et d'Histoire militaire, Parc du Cinquantenaire/ Jubelpark 3, B1040 Brussels - Sopwith Fl Camel Sell (exB5747) - recently restored in Belgian markings and currently displayed. Poland Muzeum Lotnictwa i Astronautyki, Skr Pocztowa 17, Alega Planu 6 - Letniego 17, 30-969 Krakow 28 - Sop with Fl Camel B 7280 (exNO.201 and 210 Squadrons RAF) -undergoing restoration and currently stored. United Kingdom Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon, London NW9 SLL - Sopwith Fl Camel F6314 currently displayed. Museum of Army Flying, AAC Centre, Middle Wallop, Stockbridge, Hampshire S020 8DW - Sopwith Fl Camel B692J - rebuilt using 'original parts', currently displayed. United States of America Arkansas Museum of Aviation History. Arkansas, USA. - Sop with Fl Camel 'EJ537' recently restored For further details of these Camels see WWJ Survivors by Ray Rimell, Aston Publications Ltd., 1990.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Books: The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing), J M Bruce, Putnam and Co. Ltd., 1982. Profile Publications No.3J, The Sopwith Camel Fl, J M Bruce, 1965. Sopwith Camel - King of Combat, C Bowyer, Aston Publications Ltd., 1988. Sopwith Camel, J M Bruce, Arms and Armour Press Ltd. , 1989. 35

SOPWITH F.l CAMEL KITS

by R L Rimell _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Hasegawa

FLYING MODELS .

Produced in 1985 this incredible 1:8 scale kit contained hundreds of parts in wood, metal and plastic. Second in the Hasegawa Museum Series it attempted to provide a true scale airframe and, with reservations, the intention was almost achieved. Among many notable features, special attention must be drawn to the pressed aluminium parts including the onepiece cowling and the side shields with accommodation for separate screw fasteners. The metal areas are well produced, the manufacturer thankfully resisting the temptation of providing a gleaming chromeplate finish . As might be expected from Hasegawa, much use of plastic has been made extending to some detail parts for the cockpit, petrol and oil tanks, a superb 'wicker' seat, Vickers guns and padding, engine mounting, partial tailplane structure and additional engine parts to supplement the complete Clerget 9A engine. There are also dozens and dozens of minute brass and white metal fittings plus a

detailed transfer sheet of instrument faces; even the gun timing warning plate on the cowling and the Sopwith builders' placard for the dashboard are supplied. Comparison with drawings and photographs reveal discrepancies: wing ribs and spars are over-scale and the tail structure needs reworking; modellers are advised to study all available references before building the model.

Revell Despite the many plastic Camel kits that have appeared in the wake of Revell's 1:28 version, first introduced in 1957, none have eclipsed it. Although the wings are rather heavy and the struts somewhat overlong this is a superb model with plenty of internal detail and an ideal basis on which to produce an accurate miniature. Revell also produced a 1:72 version of the Camel in 1963 and this, too, requires the struts to be reduced in length in order to achieve the correct wing gap. Of all the 1:72 F.l Camels so far produced the original Revell kit remains the best. 0

Kit name

Manufacturer

Date

Scale

Remarks

Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith

Comet Guillow's Keil-Kraft Sterling VK Models

19807 1960 1959 19707 1970

1:207 1:20 1:24 1:12 1:6

Sf. Balsa; free-flight scale. Balsa; free-flight scale.
Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel

In addition, Mick Reeves Models produces superb true scale plans. plus cowlings, wheel covers, metal fittings and instrument panels for the F.l Camel in both 1:3 and 1:4 scales. NON FLYING MODELS Kit name

Manufacturer

Date

Scale

Remarks

Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith

Hasegawa Revell Hobbycraft Artiplast Aurora Merit Monogram Smer Tommy Atkins Schreiber Eldon Entex ESCI Fuji Keil-Kraft Nichimo Revell Renwal Academy / Minicraft Sunny Gunze Sanyo Plastiques-Dermatt Elvin UPC ODK Sharp Skytrex Addar

1985 1957 1990 1968 1956 1957 1979 1976 1988 1970 1968 1976 1982 1973 1961 1969 1963 1975 1988 1975 1980 1967 1958 1968 1977 1980 1990 1975

1:8 1:28 1:32 1:48 1:48 1:48 1:48 1:48 1:48 1:50 1:72 1:72 1:72 1:72 1:72 1:72 1:72 1:72 1:72 1:72 1:72 1:96 1:120 1:1207 1:120 1:120 1:144 1:168

The ultimate; almost scale structure, composite materials. Injection moulded; well detailed, accurate. Scaled down Revell copy; reasonable. Inj ection moulded; ex-Merit. Injection moulded; original 1:48 kit-poor. Injection moulded; copy of Aurora kit. Injection moulded; reworked Aurora tool. Injection moulded; ex-Merit. Vacform; Night Fighter version. Paper/ Card model; reasonably accurate. Injection moulded; copy of Revell kit. Injection moulded; ex-Eldon. Inj ection moulded; ex-Eldon. Injection moulded; ex-Eldon. Injection moulded; rather poor. Injection moulded; ex-Eldon. Injection moulded; long struts but reasonable. With Aeroskin pre-colour tissue; poor. Injection moulded; copy of Eldon kit. Injection moulded; ex-Eldon. Tinplate model; fairly basic. Injection moulded; promotional model. Injection moulded; crude. Injection moulded; copy of Elvin kit. Inj ection moulded; ex-UPC. Inj ection moulded; ex- UPC. White metal, Red Eagle series. Inj ection moulded with Dr.I; poor.

F.l Camel Camel F.l Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel Camel

Modellers and collectors should note that several versions of the Revell kits existed. The 1:28 kit was sold under the Advent label also, like its smaller 1:72 stablemate, having been reissued many times in a variety of packing styles, new transfers, etc. Updates to this list are welcomed from reliable sources - inclusion of any kit noted here does not imply current availability.

36

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Drawn and traced by IAN R. STAIR © 1991 IAN R. STAIR and ALBATROS PRODUCTIONS LTD

1/48th SCALE DRAWINGS

12"

Ii

1m

SOPWITH TAPER WING CAMEL

0

l'

L F! OS

2'

i 0

3' !

4'

5'

6'

I

1m .

7'

1) SOPWITH F.l CAMEL 86385

2) SOPWITH F.l CAMEL 87175

3) SOPWITH F.l CAMEL 86398

Printed in Great Britain.