Opponent Airplane Type · AT024
Sopwith F.1 Camel
A Fighter by Sopwith Aviation Company.
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Description
In terms of aircraft destroyed (1294) the Camel was the best British fighter of World War I, and 5490 examples were built. The type was derived conceptually from the Pup, and began to enter service in mid-1917. The nickname Camel resulted from the forward-fuselage hump over the two machine-guns. Power was provided by any of four rotaries in the range from 75 to 112 kW (100 to 150 hp), and the concentration of the major masses (engine, fuel, armament and pilot) round the centre of gravity in the forward fuselage gave the fighter exceptional agility, though the turning characteristics were tricky enough to cause all but experienced pilots some acute handling problems. There was also a naval 2F.1 version with a single gun, reduced span and a detachable tail. (Source: The International Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Oriole Publishing, 1991)