Academy 1/32 Sopwith F.1 'Camel'

Below is a photo of a kit I started last autumn, it is of a Academy 1/32 scale Sopwith F.1, or as it was baptised, 'Camel'  It was nick-named the 'Camel' because the two .303 calibre machine guns were covered over by a fairing which from the side looked like a hump.


In WW1, there were many nick-names for aircraft, the Royal Aircraft Factories RE8 was called the 'Harry Tate' and the Bristol F2B was called the 'Brisfit' (misfit?').


The Camel had quite a reputation in that it killed and maimed almost as many pilots as it did enemies - it was a beast to take off and land due to design feature that the centre of gravity was located in the first six feet of the aircraft.  It was designed this way - it was unstable in flight, which was a great asset in dogfighting - it was extremely manoeverable and could turn on a dime and give nine cents change.  It was introduced in early 1917.


I will be completing this kit as part of a Group Build on 'Aerscale', an online modelling forum.  My input begins on page 2 of the 'Hangar Queen 6' Group Build'

http://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=242855

Here is a Youtube video of a replica Camel in New Zealand.  I think this camel was at least in part financed by Peter Jackson, the film director.



From Youtube - "The Vintage Aviator's Sopwith F.1 Camel is shown here during a display at the Tauranga City Classics Of The Sky airshow held at Tauranga Airport, New Zealand. Capably flown by Gene De Marco this aircraft features an original 160hp Gnome rotary engine which is almost 100 years old."


The Camel was flown by the Royal Flying Corps.  The pilot with the most victories in a Camel was Major William Barker, VC.  Major Barker was born in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada in 1894. He received the Victoria Cross in 1918 and was, and still is, the most decorated serviceman of Canada and the British Commonwealth.  His Camel, B6313 will be the subject of my model.

For all the brave men who flew with the Royal Flying Corps, and the Royal Naval Air Service (which were joined in 1918 to became the Royal Air Force) - the RAF/RCAF Marchpast -