Beschreibung
Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 36. Chapters: Sopwith Camel, Sopwith Dolphin, Sopwith 11/2 Strutter, Sopwith Pup, Sopwith Triplane, Sopwith Bat Boat, Sopwith Snipe, Sopwith Cuckoo, Sopwith Tractor Biplane, Sopwith Atlantic, Sopwith Gunbus, Sopwith B.1, Sopwith Admiralty Type 137, Sopwith 1919 Schneider Cup Seaplane, Sopwith Tabloid, Sopwith Cobham, Sopwith Special torpedo seaplane Type C, Sopwith Snail, Sopwith Salamander, Sopwith L.R.T.Tr., Sopwith Type 807, Sopwith Antelope, Sopwith Buffalo, Sopwith Snark, Sopwith Bulldog, Sopwith Hippo, Sopwith Swallow, Sopwith Dragon, Sopwith Baby, Sopwith Two-Seat Scout, Sopwith Wallaby, Sopwith Grasshopper, Sopwith Type 860, Sopwith Gnu, Sopwith Admiralty Type C. Excerpt: The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult to handle, to an experienced pilot it provided unmatched manoeuvrability. A superlative fighter, the Camel was credited with shooting down 1,294 enemy aircraft, more than any other Allied fighter of the war. Near the end of the conflict, it also served as a ground-attack aircraft. Intended as a replacement for the Sopwith Pup, the Camel prototype was first flown by Harry Hawker at Brooklands on 22 December 1916, powered by a 110 hp Clerget 9Z. Known as the "Big Pup" early on in its development, the biplane design was evolutionary more than revolutionary, featuring a box-like fuselage structure, an aluminium engine cowling, plywood-covered panels around the cockpit, and fabric-covered fuselage, wings and tail. Two.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns were mounted directly in front of the cockpit, firing forward through the propeller disc with synchronisation gear. A metal fairing over the gun breeches created a "hump" that led to the name Camel. The bottom wing had dihedral but not the top, so that the gap between the wings was less at the tips than at the roots. Approximately 5,490 units were ultimately produced. Unlike the preceding Pup and Triplane, the Camel was not considered pleasant to fly. The Camel owed both its extreme manoeuvrability and its difficult handling characteristics to the placement of the engine, pilot, guns and fuel tank (some 90% of the weight of the craft) within the front seven feet of the aircraft, coupled with the strong gyroscopic effect of the rotary engine. The Camel soon gained an unfortunate reputation with student pilots. The Clerget engine was particularly sensitive to fuel mixture control, and incorrect settings often caused the engine t
