Camel
Sopwith · United Kingdom · first flew 1916 · fighter
The Sopwith Camel was the most successful British fighter of the First World War, credited with more aerial victories than any other Allied type.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Stubby fuselage with engine, guns, pilot and tank crammed into the front seven feet |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Biplane with a distinctive humped fairing over the twin Vickers guns
- Stubby fuselage with engine, guns, pilot and tank crammed into the front seven feet
- Flat-sided slab fuselage behind a round rotary-engine cowling
Look for a compact biplane with a metal hump over the breeches of its two Vickers guns, the feature that gave it its name. The round rotary cowling, flat-sided rear fuselage and short coupled proportions are unmistakable. Compared with the SE5a it looks stubbier, with the pilot sitting close behind the upper wing.
Specifications
- The Camel has a length of 5.72 m (19 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.53 m (28 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 182 km/h (113 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in December 1916 as a more heavily armed successor to the Pup, the Camel reached the Western Front in mid-1917. Its rotary engine and concentrated masses made it viciously agile but unforgiving, killing many novice pilots in training. Around 5,490 were built and its pilots claimed some 1,300 victories.
Variants
The standard F.1 fought over the Western Front, while the 2F.1 Ship's Camel operated from early carriers and gun-turret platforms with a shorter span and detachable rear fuselage. Night-fighter conversions moved the guns above the wing to protect the pilot's night vision.
Where you'll see it
The Camel is a centrepiece of Britain's WWI aviation story, with original airframes preserved at the RAF Museum and the Imperial War Museum. The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden flies an authentic reproduction alongside its other Great War types. Its evening displays are among the few places a rotary-engined Camel can still be seen in the air.
Related aircraft
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