Brooklands Sopwith Camel flying at Booker Airfield in 1989

[LorenzoB16]

Sounds like a diesel at the end

[Harakudoshi904]

How much is a reproduction camel cost? I want one.

[Giselle76502]

By Jove Biggles

[GerbilEssences]

Excellent :)

[bob23yer]

Nice three point landing.

[Susseditout]

Fabulous!

[davidrodgersNJ]

I wonder why they decided to call it the "camel"...

[MrRascool]

@davidrodgersNJ

Apparently the cover over the two Vickers guns formed kind of a hump, so they called it the Camel... that's the story I heard anyway.

[Darbyjack]

This plane lives near me. Saw it up close and personal :) Not sure if it still works though

[BasicModelling]

Beautiful.. :)

[vonjager]

lol, that is so freaking cool. What an amazing feeling that must be. I can't imagine what the sights, sounds, and sensations are in this plane that is such an old piece of the roots of aviation. What a great video, thanks for the treat. The only way it could have been better is if I had been there.

[alterman156]

The Sopwith Camel replica at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome has 160 HP Gnome rotary engine making it a littl eoverpowered. That plane is probably quite tricky on takeoff. If I'm not mistaken, you had to position the rudder all the way to the left on takeoff to counteract the aircraft's tendency to roll to the right.

[southparkf17]

I would love to fly a sopwith camel but with a modern engine, I hear that the rotary engine, because it spun with the propeller, tried to pull the plane in that direction which mad it tricky to fly.

[qu4k3w0r1d]

Fantastic video, sexy plane. I'm amazed at the STOL performance of this plane. All of the simulations I have tried really drag out takeoffs and landings in comparison to what the plane could clearly realistically do. Sweet vid!

[andysvideo]

Glad you liked it, it was something special to watch. you may also like to have a look at my in cockpit footage of the Brooklands Vimy flying at Oxford.

Andy

[derry162]

No technical know how, but an interest in WW1, have you guys read 'Scorpio Rising' or 'Winged Victory'? These aircraft accounted for massive enemy losses, but only if the pilot survived the first flight. They were v difficult to fly, but if you got the hang of it, it was the most agile 'plane at the time. Pilots used to use it for 'red cap' hunting for fun. I was fortunate enough to visit the Shuttleworth collection when T Sopwith celebrated his 100th birthday.

[aitchgee3]

Really nice of you to come back on this and much appreciated! Lots of people on here get confused about rotaries (you much less than most!). I was equally puzzled until I got down and built the working quarter scale Bentley BR2 rotary, during which everything (almost) became clear. So I now feel this terrible need to set everyone straight. Rather childish really! Good luck with the Pup!

[Nickh2203]

The standard engine fit for the Camel was a 110hp Le Rhone. The engine in this video is not a Le Rhone. It is possibly a Gnome-Monosoupape or a Bentley.

The Le Rhone engine was very much a two stroke, and the fuel/oil was introduced into the rear of the engine from a pressurised tank, which was sectioned off for each of the fluids.

We have a similar arrangement on the Sopwith Pup we are restoring, except that the tank is immediately behind the engine, not behind the seat !

[aitchgee3]

As you can see two pushrods, it can't be a Monosoupape, which has only one rod operated valve. I think you'll find Le Rhones have rod operated valves and are 4 strokes.

[aitchgee3]

I suppose it's the fact that the fuel/air mixture is drawn into the crankcase that makes people think these are two strokes. But the mixture is taken thence to the cylinders via an external tube and a conventional rod operated inlet valve in the cylinder head. The Le Rhone uses a single pushrod to operate both valves. Four stroke! Prove me wrong and I'll apologise humbly!

[Nickh2203]

Sorry Aitchgee,

Brain fade on my part, I totally messed up . . the Le Rhone's are definitely 4 stroke engines with a single push rod up the front alternately closing and opening the inlet and exhaust valves.

The engine I should have mentioned was the Clerget . . not the Mono, which you are also totally correct also has the single pushrod arrangement.

My 'umblest apologies Sir !

I'm not worthy . . I'm not worthy !

[edslides]

keep in mind these rotarys were 2 stroke engines. when you think that way, it makes as much sense a a two stroke can

[aitchgee3]

They are most certainly not 2 strokes. Why would you think that? In the close shot when the engine is being turned slowly by hand, you can see the pushrods in front of each cylinder. The cambox is the domed part just in front of the crankcase and the tappets protrude through it and connect with the inner ends of the pushrods. The valves are operated by rockers out of sight behind the engine cowl.

[aitchgee3]

All my remarks apply to the Bentley engine; Ive spent some years making the fairly well known quarter scale working model, so Im pretty familiar with it by now. I cant answer for exactly how other rotaries are designed. No offence intended in all this; I just like to see the facts right.

[aitchgee3]

Of course the pistons reciprocate! They would have no purpose if they didnt. All I can think you must mean is that the crankshaft doesnt rotate, while the cylinders and pistons do. And the exhaust valve opens as the cylinder is at the bottom of the engine. You can see very clearly on both starts that the smoke comes from the bottom of the engine. Why would you design it to open at the top?

[andysvideo]

Note

There is an amusing legend associated with this event. The producer decided he wanted a shot with the camera in the centre and both vehicles facing him, one at 45 degrees to the right and one at 45 degrees to the left.

The car was driven in place and shunted backwards and forward until right and then the Camel was taxied up. To close cried the producer and waited for the pilot to select reverse gear and drive back a few foot!

[angryace13]

i was told in some other youtube vidio that the sopwith camel had no throttle, instead it had a device wich you sellected the rpms of the engine, the engine seemed to come on and off and on and off, but this one doesent do that. why? beautifle sopwith by te way

[deweypug]

I was wondering the same thing - perhaps this Camel had a different engine? I do hear a little of the magneto on/off situation towards the end...

[angryace13]

maby it was modified, i wonder what it would be like to fly one.

[speedbanana2008]

I also heard of a Magneto selector that could be used to select 1 cylinder firing, 3 cylinders, or all cylinders. You could not use the 1 or 3 cylinder settings for long, as the spark plugs on the unfired cylinders would get oiled up with unburned fuel, and would not restart again!

[aitchgee3]

I cant be 100% sure, but I think this aircraft has the later Bentley BR2 engine. This engine does have a throttle- of sorts. Its a sliding plate with a metering needle. Mixture adjustment is by altering the rate of fuel flow to the carburettor.

[blade01927]

The camel had switchable magneto's, you could select full power, half power or blip which was as close to an idle as you could get. The magneto would switch on and off to keep the engine running at low speeds, hence the rev and die sound of the engine.

[angryace13]

yea i know that much XD, but this one sounds like it has throttle control, most of them had the full, half quarter, and i here even 8th speed, and you use the blip to keep it idling, by engaging and dis ingaging the ignition.

[aitchgee3]

I think it depends on which engine is fitted and this looks like the Bentley BR2, which does have a throttle.

[carbidegrd]

No it did not. you are thinking of earlier engines which ran at one speed and were controled by shutting off and on the contact switch and killing power to the mags. The Clerget 130 9 cyl had a pulser fuel device and a mixer box (basic carb for the mix from the pulser.) The pilot had a spark advance and throttle independent of each other.

[paullubliner]

I know the LeRhone 9C and 9J series were throttleable from 1200 down to 900 RPM (NOT RPM'S!)  That being just above sink on Nieuports, hence the need for "blipping" to descend and land. I was under the impression the Bentley BR2 was used in the Snipe and the BR1 the Camel. Further the 110 LeRhone 9J WAS used int he Camel but with decidedly inferior performance.

[camelpilot]

Anybody know who the pilot was that flew this day?

[andysvideo]

It was Darroll Stinton at the time he was the CAA's chief test pilot, but has been retired for a number of years.

I am told he does pop in to Brooklands from time to time.

Regards Andy

[mightycowhero]

nice

[AlbertaAllan]

That's an incredible work of pure genius!

[quinelo2]

Wonderfull plane!!

[MandolinHymns]

Where on earth do they find parts for those rotary/radial engines? What a treat to see it spin inside the cowling!

[OddballSherman]

I guess there are some parts still around here and there. But the rotary engine is a very simple beast, you can even build your own mini version with a set of instructions and some basic machine tools. So i'm betting if they can't find a part, they just get one made.

[ANARCHYdashTVdotCOM]

Old Sears and Roebuck mail order catalog.

[whizbang47]

Check out the second takeoff. See how it almost

torque snapped on him? Hundreds of rookies bought it that way. Now this guy was a real pilot! Did you see his 3-point technique? And this with a no-brakes, big engined (for its weight,) short coupled bird. Very nice.

[camelpilot]

lol, that wasn't torque, that was wind that caused that on 2nd takeoff.

[whizbang47]

Yes sir, I can see how that could be. You didn't make a crosswind takeoff on a grass field, did you? Were the Rover video people disabled?

[injunscout]

These rotary engines were designed to use oil. There was no recirculation- the oil did its job, and then out the exhaust. A "total loss" system.

[McLarenMercedes]

seems like an awful waste of oil

I wonder how the oil went out the exhaust when on four stroke engine the oil in the crankhouse is sealed off from the compression chambers of the cylinders?

[fivestander]

the oil was introduced around the cowling and flung around the engine by centrifical force. that's why when you see old guys fly these planes, they come back with black splotches on their faces, that was oil. Also, you may see them running to the bathroom, because what oil did they use?

Caster oil.

[ArtyEffem]

In common with a two-stroke, the oil is mixed with into fuel and the mixture is drawn initially into the crankcase before transferring to the cylinders, via either ports or a free-moving poppet valve set into the piston crown. The exhaust stroke takes place at the top of the rotation as each relevant cylinder lines-up with the pilot's face; hence the coating of same.

In a rotary the pistons don't actually reciprocate - perhaps hard to visualise but true.

Did I mention there's no throttle?

[aitchgee3]

This is a bit misleading. The oil isnt actually mixed with the fuel: the fuel/air mixture is drawn into the crankcase through the hollow crankshaft and gets to the cylinder heads through tubes. Lubrication is a total loss system. The oil is pumped into the main bearings (not introduced around the cowling, fivestander!) & via galleries to all the appropriate places. Its in contact with the fuel in places, but not mixed with it. Thats why castor oil is used, as its not diluted by the petrol.

[PistolPete2]

If you will notice, the

engine turned with the

propeller. The crankshaft

was stationary and attached

to the airplane.

[agentfazexx]

wow that mofo is burning some oil..

[Ettrick8]

Beautiful to look at but could be lethal to learners

[andysvideo]

Believe me this one has been on its nose and damaged its prop, scaring the wits out of the ground crew.

[Ettrick8]

But it looks like so much fun I wish I had been there

[skeilak]

@andysvideo

Thanks for the video. A truly handsome aircraft.

I'd hate to have to work on that engine, though.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'd love to work on that engine. Or any other part of that classic warbird.

You are indeed, a fortunate man, Sir.

[andysvideo]

It is a very detailed and accurate replica.

[WASPTexas]

Is that an original Sopwith Camel from WWI? Or a replica?

[CSXrailz]

I love the sopwith camel