Sopwith F.1 Camel
notes: label: Physical Description
content: Single engine, single-seat, WWI biplane fighter, with 130 HP Clerget 9B rotary engine.
label: Summary
content: The Sopwith Camel is among the most significant and famous of all WWI aircraft. Camels downed 1,294 enemy aircraft, more than any other Allied fighter in WWI. The cowling over the two Vickers machine guns ahead of the cockpit created a distinctive “hump,” making the name Camel a natural choice, although it was never an official military designation.
label: Summary
content: Unlike the earlier Sopwith Pup and Sopwith Triplane, which were docile to fly and well-liked by pilots, the Camel was unstable, requiring constant input from the pilot. The gyroscopic effects of its powerful rotary engine made it dangerous for novice pilots, and almost as many were killed in accidents as died in combat. But its instability also contributed to it being agile and maneuverable, and once its tricky characteristics were mastered, the Camel was a superior fighting airplane.
label: Summary
content: The Camel entered operational service in July 1917 and remained a front-line fighter until the end of the war, with approximately 5,490 built. This example, B6291, served with No. 10 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service.
place: label: Country of Origin
content: United Kingdom
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Air and Space Museum Collection
label: Location
content: National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
label: Exhibition
content: World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of the Arango Family in Memory of Javier F. Arango
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Air and Space Museum
identifier: label: Inventory Number
content: A20170105000
objectType: label: Type
content: CRAFT-Aircraft
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Materials
content: Airframe: wood, fabric covered
label: Materials
content: metal
label: Materials
content: rubber
label: Dimensions
content: Wingspan: 28 feet (8.5 m)
label: Dimensions
content: Length: 18 feet 9 inches (5.7 m)
label: Dimensions
content: Height: 8 feet 6 inches (2.6m)
label: Dimensions
content: Empty weight: 930 lbs