Invaluable reference tool on the Sopwith Camel, one of the first
fighter planes in World War I.
The Sopwith Camel was a British World War I single-seat biplane
fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by the Sopwith
Aviation Company, it had a combination of a short-coupled fuselage, heavy,
powerful rotary engine and concentrated fire from twin synchronised machine
guns. The Camel was credited with shooting down 1,294 enemy aircraft, more than
any other Allied fighter in World War I.
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. However the aircraft could also be rigged in
such a way that at higher altitudes it was able to be flown "hands off." A stall
immediately resulted in a spin, and the Camel soon became particularly noted for
its vicious spinning characteristics.
This book is a complete reference tool for any modeller or
enthusiast, including highly detailed colour profiles, plan drawings and plenty
of source photos in black and white and colour.
