Sopwith Camel

#SopwithCamel #AVGeek #Camel The Sopwith F.1 Camel was a single-seat fighter biplane powered by a rotary engine (various engine types were fitted, the most common being the 130hp Clerget). It was equipped with two forward-firing synchronised machine guns mounted just ahead of the pilot’s cockpit under a raised fairing, which is said to have inspired the name Camel (initially used as a nickname, but subsequently adopted as the official name of the type). The type was highly manoeuvrable and popular with its pilots although the combination of the short-coupled aircraft and the rotary engine produced some handling quirks that could catch out inexperienced pilots. The Camel proved to be very successful in aerial dogfights and is said to have achieved more victories in combat than any other single type during the First World War. The first aircraft was cleared for flight at Brooklands on 22nd December 1916. It was utilised extensively by both the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal