1/32 Sopwith F.1 Camel “Clerget”

Description

This is an injection-plastic aircraft model kit.

Adapted from the Wingnut Wings website:

Features include:

• 26cm x 18cm
• High quality Cartograf decals for 6 aircraft
• 166 high quality injection moulded plastic parts
• Optional fuselage halves with alternative lacing details, windscreens, cut down cockpit decking, early and late undercarriage, propellers, 20lb Cooper bombs & carrier
• Highly detailed 18 part 130-140hp Clerget 9B/9Bf engine
• 10 photo-etched metal detail parts
• Fine in scale rib tape detail
• Full rigging diagram.

The iconic Sopwith Camel, so named for the “hump” over its guns, is possibly the most famous of all First World War aircraft, if not by sight, then by name. Sopwith developed the Camel in late 1916 in an effort to overcome the single gun handicap suffered by their successful 80hp Pup and improve performance with a more powerful engine. The initial Sopwith F.1 Camel prototype was unveiled in late December 1916 and featured a single piece top wing, 2 Vickers Mk.1* machine guns and a 110hp Clerget 9Z engine. Unlike their previous Pup and Triplane, the Camel featured a top wing with no dihedral coupled with a high 5 degree dihedral bottom wing which, combined with its concentrated centre of gravity, helped contribute to it”s high maneuverability and well deserved reputation as a difficult (and frequently dangerous) aircraft to fly. Additional prototypes were produced with various improvements including a 3 piece top wing with centre section cut-out and 130hp Clerget 9B engine. Testing by selected operational pilots in early 1917 brought mostly positive reports along with a few recommendations for additional improvements, some of which made their way on to early production aircraft.