The camel in Old Rhinebeck (in NY) is a treat to see fly. I don't know how the pilots managed these planes and fought at the same time. The engine is "cut" and as it
comes to life, the plane rocks sharply from the torque. It's easy to see how inexperienced pilots could be killed from the trait. OTOH, I sure was manuerverable!
i will never forget the opportunity i was given... well... i purchased... to fly in the sopwith camel when i was younger. nothing in the world quite like it!!
wish that guy would shut up so we could hear the engines..the blipping sound is quite amazing when you hear it for real. Somehow text descriptions don't convey the real on/off effect
Yes the engine sound is rare. The engine is a WW1 Rotary where the crankshaft is attached to the firewall, and the cylinders and crankcase with the propellor attached rotate. It does not have a throttle but a number of magnetoes that the pilot uses to control the number of cylinders producing power. I believe full power, all cylinders firing can only be used for a very limitted time before overheating the engine.
I would think all cylinders would fire all the time, otherwise you're carry dead weight on a plane, and weight is anethma on these old dragonflies. What you are hearing is the pilot "blipping" the engine (basically squeezing the fuel line), on and off, to slow down for the crowd, because that was the only throttle control. All cylinders ran full out all the time unless you blipped it. I've never worked on one so I don't know for sure, but I'd kill for a ride in one.
I am certain that this motor is controlled by selecting the number of cylinders to fire, there is definitely no throttle, and it is not controlled by shutting off fuel. A very primitive system by todays standards.
That may be... they may be a switch to ground or short out the spark to half (or all) the cyclinders... that would probably be faster and safer than cutting the fuel for sure. Thats how you cut the engine on most small engines.
I was recently at Fantasy of Flight Museum and they had several rotary engines. I asked the mechanics there about the throttle control on these engines. They only have full throttle and the only way to reduce power is to "turn off" the magneto intermitently....hence the blurpping sounds you hear.
the sopwith camel has 4 overall throttle seetings. full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8. in addition the blip magneto is able to cut the engine. sounds like too much trouble to me.
@Kahu1958 thats correct from what i've worked out. You control (the sopwith anyway) bye means of the ignition system :S exactly how this works i do not know! but it has two controlls. One of them being the magneto (magnetos :S)
Seriosly How hard is it to make one?
crabmaniac1 10 months ago
Nice, that is so cool. Im building my own right now, should be done in less then two years.
usmarine519 1 year ago
The camel in Old Rhinebeck (in NY) is a treat to see fly. I don't know how the pilots managed these planes and fought at the same time. The engine is "cut" and as it
comes to life, the plane rocks sharply from the torque. It's easy to see how inexperienced pilots could be killed from the trait. OTOH, I sure was manuerverable!
TrOuTster5 2 years ago
damn. thos planes back then flew so slow. think how they got above clouds. they are so cool. and they fought that slow too.
thepilotboy 3 years ago
what character that engine has!
beastinblack 3 years ago
You can really hear the Camels magneto controlled throttle!
mccannpj 4 years ago
i will never forget the opportunity i was given... well... i purchased... to fly in the sopwith camel when i was younger. nothing in the world quite like it!!
unseelieturtle 4 years ago
wish that guy would shut up so we could hear the engines..the blipping sound is quite amazing when you hear it for real. Somehow text descriptions don't convey the real on/off effect
PaulLMF 5 years ago
Yes the engine sound is rare. The engine is a WW1 Rotary where the crankshaft is attached to the firewall, and the cylinders and crankcase with the propellor attached rotate. It does not have a throttle but a number of magnetoes that the pilot uses to control the number of cylinders producing power. I believe full power, all cylinders firing can only be used for a very limitted time before overheating the engine.
Kahu1958 5 years ago
I would think all cylinders would fire all the time, otherwise you're carry dead weight on a plane, and weight is anethma on these old dragonflies. What you are hearing is the pilot "blipping" the engine (basically squeezing the fuel line), on and off, to slow down for the crowd, because that was the only throttle control. All cylinders ran full out all the time unless you blipped it. I've never worked on one so I don't know for sure, but I'd kill for a ride in one.
fiftycaliberfistfuck 4 years ago
I am certain that this motor is controlled by selecting the number of cylinders to fire, there is definitely no throttle, and it is not controlled by shutting off fuel. A very primitive system by todays standards.
Kahu1958 4 years ago
That may be... they may be a switch to ground or short out the spark to half (or all) the cyclinders... that would probably be faster and safer than cutting the fuel for sure. Thats how you cut the engine on most small engines.
fiftycaliberfistfuck 4 years ago
I was recently at Fantasy of Flight Museum and they had several rotary engines. I asked the mechanics there about the throttle control on these engines. They only have full throttle and the only way to reduce power is to "turn off" the magneto intermitently....hence the blurpping sounds you hear.
flyingvee201 4 years ago
the sopwith camel has 4 overall throttle seetings. full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8. in addition the blip magneto is able to cut the engine. sounds like too much trouble to me.
kommanderlum 4 years ago
@Kahu1958 thats correct from what i've worked out. You control (the sopwith anyway) bye means of the ignition system :S exactly how this works i do not know! but it has two controlls. One of them being the magneto (magnetos :S)
te3data 1 year ago
WOW nice very sweet ,pioneers of modern combat jets ! :)
returned2life 5 years ago
Awesome :)
vlmarshall 5 years ago