WW1 Sopwith Camel With Original Rotary Engine

Get four FREE full length documentaries from Historical Machines TV by logging in with your KZbin account using the link below. This Video: 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.
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#aviationfilm #sopwithcamel #HAFU #ww1warbirds #thevintageaviator

[@rollertoaster812]

I love the absurdly short take-off. That plane practically taxied straight into the air 😂

[@ebla83]

I thought the same thing!

[@fallingwater]

Turns out the Camel is a bush plane from before bush planes were a thing :D

[@JamesMiller-q9w]

There's a plack on this Plane at the Wright Patterson Museum that states more pilots were killed trying to fly this Plane then were killed in Combat with it.....

[@MichaelMattison]

Good lift,but never heard a more erratic running engine

[@Yosemite_Sam]

​@@MichaelMattisoninterrupting the ignition was the only way to control the engine speed. Sounds crazy but to regulate the power delivery the ignition was set to fire on only 3, 5 or 7 of the cylinders.

[@hhoward14]

For those that do not know. These were nine cylinder engines, and they controlled the engine speed by a selectable mechanism that gave you the choice of: nine, six, or three cylinder operation. Hence the rough sound when three or six were selected. It was light and simple, and served the purpose for a while. Possibly more powerful heavier engines made it "too much of a handful".

[@innocentbystander3798]

Thank you very much, I had no idea. Figured maybe the pilot was thinking, "Hell with it... bad ignition or no, I'm going up." :-D

[@VintageTechFan]

As far as I know, you didn't shut off specific cylinders, but ignited only every second/fourth/eighth time .. the normal ignition sequence was 1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8 .. that means: full power: 1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8-1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8-1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8-1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8-1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8-1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8-1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8-1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8-..... half power: 1-x-5-x-9-x-4-x-8-x-3-x-7-x-2-x-6-x-1-x-5-x-9-x-4-x-8-x-3-x-7-x-2-x-6-x-1-x-5-x-9-x-4-x-8-x-3-x-7-x-2-x-6-x-1-x-5-x-9-x-4-x-8-x-3-x-7-x-2-x-6-x-...... quarter power: 1-x-x-x-9-x-x-x-8-x-x-x-7-x-x-x-6-x-x-x-5-x-x-x-4-x-x-x-3-x-x-x-2-x-x-x-1-x-x-x-9-x-x-x-8-x-x-x-7-x-x-x-6-x-x-x-5-x-x-x-4-x-x-x-3-x-x-x-2-x-x-x-..... eigth power: 1-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-8-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-6-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-4-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-2-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-9-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-7-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-5-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-3-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- ..... Basically, after an ignition you skipped 1,3 or 7 cylinders. Since those engines always had an odd number of cylinders, you were still "walking around the whole engine". (Yes there were 14 cylinder ones, but those were basically 2 independent 7 cylinders bolted together. )

[@hhoward14]

@@VintageTechFan That sounds about right to me, and it would then reduce the risk of plugs oiling up. I am sure that it was all done by brave , clever men...

[@dallesamllhals9161]

Couldn't you just say: ON or OFF? ..and GREAT bowel movements after?

[@andrewgent5887]

@@dallesamllhals9161 definitely bowel movements, with a total loss lubrication system drenching the pilot with Castor oil! 🤢

[@jehl1963]

Keep in mind that these are "rotory" engines, not "radials", even though the cylinders were arrayed in a radial pattern. The difference is that in a rotary the cylinders and crank case are rigidely attached to the prop and go around a fixed crank shaft. Given the mechanical complexities of fine control of spark advance and throttle position and fuel flow in such a situation, it wasn't done. The engines were designed to run flat out, and then the spark would be interrupted to control the power. This is why the engine was off all together on the final approach. It was simple, reliable, and effective.

[@AIRDRAC]

Also flung oil all around the engine. Lubrication was basically a one way trip from the center of the engine to the outside. Edit: and the gyroscopic force from the entire engine rotating, gave the planes a horrifying tendency to lift the nose in left turns, requiring the pilot to counterintuitively apply forward force to the controls, to avoid stalling, leading to most pilots only doing right turns.

[@davidviner4932]

I met Tom Sopwith in 1983, I was 17, he was an incredible man to talk to

[@gudboigames6640]

Doesn't sound legit bc i doubt an 50+ year old man would comment this...

[@davidviner4932]

@@gudboigames6640 I lived near him at the time, I'm British by the way, question the fact as you like, I couldn't care less

[@callum-jamessavage8220]

hey could you tell me more stories about idk anything tbh im 16 and i love history abd id love to here whatever wisdom you have to offer

[@johnathandavis3693]

@@davidviner4932 -I believe you sir. Very cool story for those who appreciate History.

[@stun1zng267]

Wow!!!

[@matsfreedom]

I had the pleasure of reading a diary of a WWI pilot by the name of Santa-Maria. He was a young Cuban who wanted to spice up his life, so he joined the RAF where he flew the Sopwith Camel. He called it "a nice bus". Most of his squadron was killed during training and battle. He survived some close calls, and an ear infection got him grounded for the remainder of the war. He said of war, "Next time there is another war to fight, I think I would rather not."

[@jarvisfamily3837]

If I'd have to fly behind that motor, I agree with him.

[@sigeberhtmercia767]

In those days it was the RFC (Royal Flying Corps). It became the RAF in April 1918 the final year of the war. If he joined the RAF it would have been in 1918 and the Sopwith Camel was the final Sopwith version, so that would fit. The Camel was replaced by the Sopwith Snipe but was too late to see action.

[@philgiglio7922]

The Only glory in war Is surviving it

[@paulmolen4259]

@@sigeberhtmercia767 I have to contradict that. The Snipe saw action from september 1918 on. One of the most famous of aeral combats took place when Major William Barker (Canadian) attached to No. 201 Squadron RAF flew over the Forêt de Mormal (France) in a Snipe. He was attacked by about 15 Fokker D.VIIs, the best German fighter. Observers on the ground attested tot that. He received three wounds an lost consciousness twice............., but downed at least three D.VIIs before being forced down on the Allied side. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.

[@sigeberhtmercia767]

@@paulmolen4259 I stand corrected. Amazing encounter. Puts me in mind of George Beurling WW2 based in Malta, another Canadian ace.

[@JulieAV]

Those engines had one speed: On. You slow it down by cutting the ignition. That's why the occasional sputtering.

[@thesherm44]

I was just going to ask that. Thanks.

[@allyn788]

Re: cutting the ignition.... ....in addition to actually flying the plane, not getting shot down, and maybe taking a few shots at the enemy if you have a moment.....;-)

[@Sheerwater909]

I'm not sure why GDM 'blips' the engine as much as he does. At The Shuttleworth Collection, similarly engined aircraft normally only use the 'blip' facility when taxying and landing. There is some throttle control available on rotary engines but among other things, it requires the fuel mixture to be reset which makes it a somewhat laborious process.

[@GGigabiteM]

+John Brooks As explained by Gene De Marco in another video, his Sopwith Camel has dual ignition; The blip magneto and a selector switch which grounds certain cylinders to get full speed, half speed quarter speed and eighth speed. So this makes the engine fire on 9, 7, 5 or 3 cylinders which results in more popping. I'm sure the ignition system isn't perfect at full speed either which is why the engine doesn't run at a consistent rpm at maximum speed.

[@thomasbower7727]

And it's a beautiful sound to a WWI aviation enthusiast.

[@peekaboo4390]

Fabulous. Snoopy was one of the best sopwith pilots to ever fly.

[@jazzpup8288]

Yes. Finally a snoopy reference !!

[@johnough4893]

@@jazzpup8288 What about a Biggles reference?

[@richardbunting1031]

@@johnough4893yes, Biggles and Algy ruled the skies!

[@silverjohn6037]

Ah yes, the exceedingly rare dog house variant of the Sopwith;).

[@notmyname3681]

Absolutely mesmerised for five minutes. The Camel was my childhood dream and to be able to sit and watch one flying in all its glory with an original engine, over 100 years since it saw action blows my mind.

[@markvickroy6725]

Me too

[@robw7676]

266 Squadron 😉

[@ditto1958]

My favorite WWI airplane

[@MikeinVirginia1]

Me too! Got interested as a kid 60 years ago. 😊

[@papadopp3870]

@@robw7676Captain Bigglesworth, I presume!!

[@penguinmaster7]

there's something about that "BRRAAAAAAA-PT-PT-PT-PT BRAAAAA-PT-PT-PT-PT" sound that's so satisfying

[@idleonlooker1078]

I, too, have the same sense of satisfaction - especially after dropping a satisfying and pressure-relieving fart. 👍

[@robothunter1035]

Sounds cool, sure . . . but don't you think it sounds like it could cut out at any second? Or maybe that was a "value added" feature they put in to keep the pilots on their toes.

[@TheraPi]

@@robothunter1035 there was no throttle, so the pilot had to manually cut the ignition to some of the cylinders (or all of them), in regular intervals in order to maintain certain rpm.

[@robothunter1035]

@@TheraPi Wow! Fascinating! Thank you!

[@tuner69]

Goggles Tigerkhan never thought I would agree with a furry

[@kevinbrown-wo8zq]

I hear Canadian Air Force is ordering 23 of them to replace their aging aircraft.

[@StarwarsHalofreak]

kevin brown Forget the Camels, bring back the Avro Arrow!

[@footsy420]

we just need to weaponize geese. It almost worked in New York.

[@deletesoon70]

We can't afford new, we're asking around to see if some banana republic will sell us their used Camel inventory. Take that, Boeing.

[@hakapik683]

Hey! Better than pissing away money on the piece of crap F-35's!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Pynaegan]

Holy *shit* this is funny! Greets from Texas!

[@ChimpFromSpace]

It's actually amazing how quickly aviation advanced in the following two decades. The first prototype spitfire flew in 1936 I believe. That's just a 20 year difference.

[@paulcharlwood702]

It's even more amazing how quickly aviation had already advanced in 15years, from the Wright Flyer in1903 to the Fokker D VII and the Sopwith Snipe in 1918 and even an all metal monoplane in the Junkers J1

[@sailingspark9748]

and 25 years later Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space.

[@j.griffin]

The First X-15 Flight was closer to the Wright Brothers’ First Flight than it is to today… yet it is STILL the Fastest Plane ever built. It was 23 years after the Spitfire’s First Flight.

[@timonsolus]

Remarkable. Especially when you think about the rate of progress in fighter aircraft between 1919 and 1929. The decade after WW1. Not a great deal of progress in that decade!

[@krsanth-4142]

I cannot remember where I heard/read it, I googled it before posting to see if I could find a source, but it went "war is the best motivation of innovation." I know not entirely true, though it does seem that way.f

[@tomtaylor6163]

Watch how the planes rocks back and forth at startup. The physical strain on the pilots was incredible. You see videos of pilots returning from missions completely exhausted. These things were beasts to fly

[@seeharvester]

Didn't Snoopy fly a Sopwith Camel?

[@philherrick7319]

​@@seeharvester Pretty sure he had a doghouse

[@grepora]

One of the best fighters of WW1. In the hands of a skilled pilot, it was an amazing enemy killing machine. In the hands of an unskilled pilot, it was an amazing pilot killing machine. The pilot flying this one was highly skilled.

[@fdhicks69]

No, an unskilled pilot is a machine killer…

[@codyking4848]

It's a reproduction aircraft with many modern safety systems in it, but okay

[@newzild1]

​@@codyking4848 Maybe you can tell use what 'modern safety systems' it has in it. You don't know, do you?

[@heheheiamasuperstarcatgirl8485]

in any event, it was a killing machine in some fashion

[@bytarik]

These old planes with rotary engines have a nostalgic and scary vibe to it, impossible to not love it.

[@MeaHeaR]

yore comment re scary funny enuf remind me ov the intermittent scary anim-asian of ray harry hausen

[@reynaldoflores4522]

The Wright Whirlwind engine was far superior. More powerful and much more reliable.

[@stevechopping3021]

@@reynaldoflores4522 Yes but it wasn't around until 1923

[@tommcewan7936]

Apparently the gyroscopic force from the entire engine block whirling around is fearsome, and makes the plane very difficult to manoeuvre; every pitch will cause a secondary yaw effect that must be compensated for, and vice versa.

[@kevinbrown-wo8zq]

it runs on Heinz Beans thats why it sounds that way.

[@coasterqueencat5300]

It does sound like that, lol.

[@samchin3812]

lmo

[@oz-corner8281]

😂

[@ziggy2shus624]

For those not familiar with Gnome rotary engines, the crankshaft is fixed to the airplane and the entire engine and propeller rotate around the crankshaft. The great mass of the rotating engines creates huge gyroscopic forces, as seen when the engine first starts. These rotary engines had no throttle, so the engine speed could only be controlled by shutting off the engine or reducing the number of cylinders firing. This results in the burp,burp burp sound. The gyroscopic forces from the rotary engine caused unusual control problems, such as, to make a left turn you put in left rudder, but to make a right turn you also put in left rudder!!! See KZbin for videos of WW1 rotary engines rotating on stands, really strange.

[@SAAXLCH]

add the castor oil enema

[@TheHelado36]

How the hell it was lubricated ?

[@jeffreyburrows9157]

@@TheHelado36 Oil was flowing into heads by centrifugal force.

[@goneflying140]

Well stated and correct!! You can really see the torque effect when he is blipping the throttle on startup. So cool. That Gyroscopic effect could do a couple of things for you as a pilot. It could easily put you into a stall/spin if you didn't understand how it worked, or you could use it to make really sharp turns, almost flipping the plane around in midair if you were a gifted aviator. That made the Camel a great turn fighter.

[@angelreading5098]

A highly spirited display by probably the most experienced WW1 vintage aircraft aviator in the world,this is the way they flew the Sopwith Camel in combat and actually used the torque of the spinning rotary engine to advantage,get it wrong and you were in real trouble,wood and fabric plus rigging wires made for a very strong lightweight structure that was well engineered for its day,these replicas are built to the original drawings to incredible detail by real craftsmen,long may their skills continue and these works of art be seen in our skies today.

[@gordonmcinnes8328]

These qualities meant it scored more kills than all of its contemporaries combined. But it lost almost as many pilots in accidents than to combat. A fickle mistress indeed.

[@hughjohnson2674]

AFAIK. This is a real one and not a replica.

[@granddukeofmecklenburg]

​@@gordonmcinnes8328 no it didn't... Even it's claim of the most aerial victories of any aircraft is contradictory to the Spad XIII, and Se5a numbers.

[@Cemi_Mhikku]

@@hughjohnson2674 At this age and with these materials, you start running into arguments really fast as to where the line between the two really is. There's not much point in being too adamant about it; life's too short to argue about differences of opinion like they're fact.

[@hughjohnson2674]

@@Cemi_Mhikku we’re getting really wound up about a kids book, and enjoying it. We’re silly old men, you’ve more important things to worry about, your health. And be nice to your mother, whatever that’s worth!

[@vadim.ka96]

It needs like 5 meters of free space to take off. Thats defenetly cool.

[@StarwarsHalofreak]

I reckon it's pretty easy when the plane isn't made entirely of metal.

[@ladarian511]

Vadim Kavecsky and it's a biplane which doesn't need much speed to produce enough lift, and triplanes need even less free space

[@teimopielinen8418]

Sometimes the tail would rise before plane even started moving.

[@andrewryan4417]

The beauty of early planes. You don't need an asphalt runway of 8000 feet, but a grass aerodome. Granted I have no problem with jets or airliners, but I suppose there's a romantic beauty to wear a leather jacket, cap, goggles, and travel long distances as you listen to a loud open top engine.

[@That_Freedom_Guy]

Definitely! 👍

[@71superbee3]

Airborne in four seconds. Now with a stronger head wind I'm certain we could cut that in half. Nice! :)

[@w00t420]

Double the wings, double the lift!

[@TheEmeraldMenOfficial]

TokiMcNoodle and half the stall speed.

[@planegaper]

he didn't even lay on the throttle, may have something to do with torque mind you, the on off, power kinda reminds me of a rally driver using throttle to point the car.. must take a fair bit of practice to master..

[@gordonmcinnes8328]

This and the Pup were the first carrier bourne fighters.

[@steven530x]

@@w00t420 I used to think that too but it's only like 25% more lift with a second wing

[@stewartnicol3028]

Captain W.E.Johns and BIGGLES taught the next generation of Aviators. These included the "FEW" of the 1940 R.A.F.

[@johanhorst3837]

i have read the book: the camels are coming of captain Johns. and all the biggels books. i have them nearly all and keeping them Always.

[@davidhames36]

engine is running perfectly normal believe it or not

[@vasilis23456]

David Hames is it because of cutting the engine to work as a throttle?

[@connormclernon26]

Vasilis Papanikolaou exactly

[@GGigabiteM]

Only the Gnome Monosoupape series (which is installed in this Camel) used blipping and cutting cylinders to control power. pretty much every other rotary engine had a normal throttle and worked similar to all other engine types of the time. You could still blip them and cut ignition, but it wasn't solely the method of adjusting power.

[@bry117]

I used to restore WWII Ford Jeeps. Would not try this

[@ThomasDoubting5]

Throttle is on or off lol 😂 thats it

[@zichengzhang2249]

The camel is such an incredible biplane fighter! Nice job restoring this one and allowing her to fly once more.

[@HistAvFilmUnit]

It really is!

[@Rob-vv5yn]

This is an exact replica, the engine is also a new build exact replica but with better finish and metallurgy so it is more reliable and service life much longer than an original.

[@whosonfirst1309]

@@Rob-vv5ynthe description says it’s an original.

[@Rob-vv5yn]

@@whosonfirst1309 having meet the pilot and discussed the engine and details I know better.

[@codyking4848]

@@whosonfirst1309 It's not an original. The only airworthy Camel in the world is ZK-SDL, and hasn't flown in ten years.

[@richpurslow3283]

It was really impressive how it just leap into the air practically AND its turning circle was really really good too! even if it does sound like its about to quit.

[@anttitheinternetguy3213]

I was about to say this thing could Be a great daily Fly as it could take off from My driveway

[@gordonhodgson8403]

I think that's the pilot using the "blip switch" to cut ignition.

[@woooster17]

The reason for those cool scarves they wore.. apart from keeping the draft out, was to wipe their goggles clean of castor oil and the likes spewed out by the engine. Marvellous display in a difficult aircraft.

[@devildog3575]

Thank you professor. Seriously nice tidbit👍

[@funkyalfonso]

waynester71 Interestingly RFC pilots rarely talked about what the engine's castor oil did to their stomachs. Nasty.

[@51362879]

One thing about the castor oil is they’d breathe it then they’d be grounded for a couple days due to extreme diarrhea. Some flew too much too soon, and dysentery killed them.,,

[@planegaper]

@@funkyalfonso yeah heard of some smelly aircraft coming back to base, and it wasn't due to a meeting with Immelman, mind you planes that met with him didn't come back most of the time.. but hey, if yer gummed up from all that Brie , go for a circuit in the pattern ..fix you right up..

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

You had to be CAREFUL you wore a SHORT SCARF when flying an AIRCO DH-2. 😝😝😝

With a blip switch for throttle control,I find it amazing. Plus all that mass spinning around in the nose. Must be intense!

[@JohnBowman-o4e]

As far as the rotary engine goes, they're not overhauled. They are simply returned to the factory and once done, sent back to the airframe it came from . I used to fly an AT 301. It was a bear to start, but an incredibly dependable engine. I'm too old to fly anymore but. I still love the old girl

[@greglinden3090]

Radial, not rotary.

[@williamstrachan]

@@greglinden3090 The Sopwith Camel has a rotary engine (block rotates, crank stays still) with cylinders arranged radially. It does not have a Wankel rotary engine (dorito spins), and it does not have a radial engine (crank rotates, block stays still).

[@thomasquinn284]

What a thrill for me to watch this video. The courage and bravery of the WWW1 pilots is beyond all expectations. What great history they have created. Can't really tell you how much I appreciate your putting this together for us. Thank you.

[@nadjasunflower1387]

to also think, modern aviation combat tenets were made back then, and still used today. "Dicta Boelcke" by Hauptmann Oswald Boelcke.

[@svennoren9047]

"They only survived a couple of weeks, but at least they had clean beds." -- some footslogger in a trench.

[@SuperEdge67]

The noise it made when it started up was similar to a noise I made on the toilet yesterday.

[@goneflying140]

Gotta stay away from that Taco Bell!!

[@melted_cheetah]

The balls of those guys in ww1! Not enough these rag wing planes were primitive and constructed of mere wood and Fabric - Oh, No let's make it even more dangerous and difficult by having a mass of torquey, spinning metal on the nose AND have to flutter it constantly.

[@melted_cheetah]

Oh I forgot the castor oil spewing all over your face and those bad guys you were supposed to shoot or avoid.

[@HarryJohnson1991]

I've read that WW1 pilots who ingested the castor oil often got diarrhea. As if they didn't already have enough things stacked against them. Imagine having all of what you mentioned and on top of that your guts are unpleasantly rolling around.

[@thomashambly3718]

The propeller was wooden, not metal

[@453421abcdefg12345]

tanklord99 da boss: He means that the engine was spinning, this aeroplane has a rotary engine.

[@thomashambly3718]

Englishman French oh OK thanks

[@gborch]

BIG BALLS OF STEEL to fly this plane - nice landing crosswind with almost no rudder control... Wonderful video

[@markwilliams2620]

ryan lemons So was the Mossy. It's not the material....it's what you do with the material

[@peterelmer9114]

Amazing to watch this very skilled pilot 👍 I am currently reading “Winged Victory” (for the third or is it fourth? time) by V. M. Yeates ; a Camel pilot with the RFC in 1918 - he did 248 hrs of combat service on the Western Front and his semi-autobiographical account is a must read for any Sopwith Camel enthusiasts. A classic work of literature which deserves much more recognition; probably the best book I have ever read.

[@keithengland1250]

Peter Elmer, absolutely agree and Yeates story and the story of the book itself is also incredibly sad. Having caught TB (apparently another side effect of breathing in all those burnt caster oil fumes) he was desperate to finish the book to be able to get to a warmer climate for his lungs. However by the time he completed it the Depression had arrived and not that many copies sold. He died shortly afterwards. During the 2nd world war, pilots were paying a kings ransom for his book as it was the best tutorial on how to survive dog fighting available. When the “Bloody Red Baron” touched peoples consciousness many years later the book was republished and became a best seller - years too late for the author of course!

[@peterelmer9114]

Keith England ; It is incredibly sad how pilots like Yeates didn’t return to a hero’s welcome after the war had ended. His story paints a picture full of poetic vision combined with the brutal reality of flying a Sopwith Camel in 1918; how he survived is miraculous especially when he describes returning from a ‘job’ with sixty bullet holes in his aircraft ! The book has been compared with Joyce’s classic Ulysses (which I’ve not read) and, in my opinion, deserves much more recognition. A great and classic book which I’m so glad I discovered and read - it’s tough going on times for various reasons, the primary one being his poetic and often laconic style which gives the text an almost diaristic and repetitive feel; I really like this as it seeks to mirror the often functional and tedious nature of life as a pilot at the front, wherein death itself is seen as part of the daily struggle. I hope more people discover this book and thanks for your interest in replying 👍 ‘Contact’

[@paulwheble840]

One of the best books ever about the First World War in the air. Terribly poignant ending. Much respect to Yeates, his comrades and adversaries.

[@Channel-os4uk]

In his book Yeates called the first Biggles book (The Camels Are Coming), by WE Johns 'Super Bunk'. Winged Victory is the real thing.

[@alisonjones7747]

This comment should be pinned. This is THE definitive book written by an Allied pilot on WW1, and a Camel pilot.

[@nicks4725]

Ngl there is something magical about these slower plans. Watching one after years of watching airshows with jets just makes it look like its just.... In the sky going as fast as it pleases

[@Kneedragon1962]

I learned to read at the age of 7 ~ 8 ~ 9 by reading Biggles books. So I learned a little bit about this thing. It was pretty much the most effective allied fighter plane of WW1. It was very tricky to fly, some things were intuitive, many were not. Young men learned to fly, in something like a Bristol Boxkite, and then transitioned to one of these. Then they were sent to the front. When they got there, they often had 10 ~ 14 hours experience - not in the Camel, total. Once they arrived at their squadron, their life expectancy (50% dead by) was 10 ~ 12 days. Yet they had no shortage of volunteers. It got you out of the trenches. That says something rather nasty about trench warfare, I think... The common engines were a 110 hp Le Rone, a 130 hp Le Rone, or a 150 hp Bentley. The 160 hp Gnome did exist, but it was not common. The smaller Le Rones had no throttle, you used the ignition switch. Not sure about the 130, but the Bentley did have a throttle, but many pilots just used it like the smaller Le Rones because they were used to that.

[@joylunn3445]

+Kneedragon1962 You need to dig out Look and Learn Eagles over the Western Front now printed as complete book series.

[@Kneedragon1962]

+Joy Lunn I will keep an eye out. Thanks.

[@13aceofspades13]

+Kneedragon1962 Camel never really had a 130HP Lerone, but it did have a 130HP Clerget 9b engine, which was in fact the most common engine it came with. Yes, the Sopwith Camel was known for its agility, it had a very steep climbing turn to the left because of the gyroscopic effect presented by the rotary piston engine, and a level or diving turn was best too the right for the same reason! although it could turn in any direction extremely well how ever it wanted, climbing turns where best too the left, and level or diving turns appeared best too the right from what i have read. the biggest issue with the Sopwith Camel was its gyroscopic effect which made it rather difficult for new pilots to fly, many pilots were killed on takeoff because of the gyro effect combined with the camels sensitive controls, pilots would get too rough with it on takeoff and lose control of it. also the 160HP Gnome and 110hp Le Rone engines had no throttle, but the 130HP Clerget 9b (the more common engine for the camel) and 150HP Bentley engines (prefered by pilots but extremely rare due to shortage of the engine) did have throttle control, but the effectiveness of the throttle was limited, so quite frequently as you stated pilots used the blip switch in combination with the throttle to control engine speed. the Sopwith Camel when compared to the French Spad s XIII C, and Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 receives a lot of criticism because both the spad and S.E.5 have top speeds exceeding 135MPH, and the camel is limited to 115-117MPH, but in reality the camel was only marginally slower than the Albatros DV, and Fokker DVII, but considerably more maneuverable! only the Fokker DVIIF, and Fokker DVIII both with a top speed of about 128MPH are notably faster, and still the camel probably out maneuvers both. the big issue was getting a pilot with the skill set to fly the machine to full effectiveness, as maneuvering it took practice and know how.

[@Kneedragon1962]

angryace13 Thank you, yes, you are of course quite correct.

[@davidfarmer2049]

I gather the loss rate purely in training interesting was *"appalling". I can tell you now I wouldnt have got one of those I the air. Like you I ve read most of the Biggles books. I don't know how they flew them. * figures kept hushed up for years.

[@goneflying140]

It takes ballz of steel to fly a plane like this with a rotary engine that low to the ground doing steep turns. If you stalled / spun this plane down that low, you likelly would not make it. This was an amazing display of airmanship. The slip to landing was absolute perfection. Nice job, and a great airplane!!

[@theonewhoknows2]

I absolutely love the sound of that rotary under load it sounds amazing

[@HistAvFilmUnit]

It does!

[@tappedout300xc]

A flying work of art . The pilot made a beautiful landing . Good stuff .

[@potrzebieneuman4702]

..and he had a bit of crosswind to contend with.

[@obfuscated3090]

You can see by the torque reaction why radials replaced rotaries, but it sure is cool!

[@MarsFKA]

Radials replaced rotaries because there was a limit to the size of a rotary and radial technology was improving.

[@rbeckhoff89]

Probably the most used Rudder of any airplane. especially because of that rotary torque and short nose. the camel was its own thing you gotta love them

[@franciscolopez3229]

A huge salute to all those pilots in that era. Just imagine going into a dogfight without any sophisticated electronic equiptment. Just a radio, a machine gun and pure guts of bravery.

[@railtrolley]

Not even a radio at that time.

[@franciscolopez3229]

@@railtrolley So I was wrong. Lol. Imagine that, unbelievable how they can do it. Truely great pilots.

[@hadrianopolis1968]

Great sound ! all that's missing is the sound of a twin Vickers .303 caliber.

[@presstodelete1165]

I remember back in the 1970's a friend of my fathers rebuilt one in his garden workshop in UK, when it was finnished he emegrated to Canada and flew it there himself. A very different time.

[@redryderaus]

Engine management with these rotary engines was an artform and was arguably as important as flying the aircraft.

[@danstrayer111]

do you mean "radial"? or not?

[@ZakWilson]

@@danstrayer111 These old rotary aircraft engines are not to be confused with the newer Wankel rotary made famous by Mazda. They're a radial configuration, but the crankcase and cylinders rotate around a stationary crankshaft. They were simple and lightweight, but had numerous limitations.

[@danstrayer111]

@@ZakWilson they were radial engines I believe. Big difference,huh?

[@danielklopp7007]

@@danstrayer111 @ZakWilson is correct, these type engines were referred to as "rotary engines". Although rotary engines look similar (when not running) to radial engines, they differ in which part of the engine spins (relative to the airframe). A radial engine has the crankcase-cylinder assembly bolted to the airframe and the propeller bolted to the crankshaft; by contrast, a rotary engine has the crankshaft bolted to the airframe and the crankcase-cylinder assembly bolted to the propeller (thus the cylinders spin with the propeller, while the crankshaft remains stationary). These WWI rotary engines were not "throttled" (using the engineering definition of "throttle" - which is to restrict airflow), thus engine speed was controlled by cutting spark (rather than restricting airflow)... which is what led to the classic sound of these engines at less than full power.

[@REALjohnmosesbrowning]

Jesus, the torque on that thing looks like it wants to pull the whole damn plane apart

[@nomadprod.6211]

That's why it was dubbed a pilot killer

[@Ashfielder]

Turns to the right much quicker than to the left when flying as well because of the torque, gave Camels quite an edge over other planes in combat… unless they went left.

[@planegaper]

@@Ashfielder That thing is so full of history it's crazy, Harry hawker had a hand in this thing, apparently he is the first to create a spin recovery technique, ever.. would certainly want that to be part of the sylabus on this plane.. imagine getting out if a nice docile 504 and into this thing lol..

[@cavecookie1]

@@Ashfielder HA HA! Can't turn left...just like Derek Zoolander!

[@maycuervo]

@@Ashfielder it’s not because of torque. It’s because angular momentum

[@JohnJohansen2]

Now, that is an amazing video. The plane, the weather, the sound and the footage, all was perfect.

[@RCGshakenbake]

The only thing better would be being in the cockpit! 😉

[@garygullikson6349]

Gyroscopic effects of rotary engine killed many a student Camel pilot. When understood, gyro effects were an advantage in certain maneuvers.

[@davidfarmer2049]

it would have been the end of my days

[@animalian01]

It always amazes me how my grandfather and his fellow RFC pilots managed to get any fighting done with these engines and the runs from all the caster oil they were ingesting all the time

[@johnbrookbank2969]

The drive to fly and win war , these pilots where true heroes each and every one of them ! Without question they learned to turn fear into Adrenalin to make it happen !

[@johanhorst3837]

the later Biggles books after ww2 are also very good!

[@sugarnads]

Theyre all wonderful

[@KieranMckean]

It's five-o-clock Charlie from MASH ! 😂

[@IO-zz2xy]

My grand father who died at 98 was in the engineering corps WW1. Told us that the guys all had piles of squares if fabric and a small bucket of glue (dope??). The plans landed, all shot up with holes in the fabric covering. The guys rushed over, slapped on the glue with big brushes, stuck a patch over the holes, the plane was refueled and off it went again. This was done in about 10/12 minutes, in a pit stop type system.

[@jgdooley2003]

Nitrocellulose varnish or dope was used because it shrank the fabric to a tight finish when dry making the flying surfaces and fuselage aerodynamic and sleek. The same method was use on the Hawker Hurricane in WW2 for its fuselage. This made it relatively easier to repair than the Spitfire.

[@adrianlarkins7259]

The guy flying it deserves a medal. The torque is so strong, he has to move the joy stick against his natural instinct and then add to that, no throttle.

[@ddaymen11]

awesome! A tribute to the brave men who flew these things

[@rickmills4801]

I can't recommend more highly Frank Tallman's wonderful coffee-table book, "Flying the Old Planes"! He explains why the engines of this Era sounded like this: NO THROTTLE! The pilot controlled engine rpm via a "coupe'", or "cut-out" button, interrupting the spark, thereby limiting the rpms in such a way as to provide maneuvering power. No oil pumps either, so a total-loss lubrication system, but instead of Petroleum, they used castor oil. Now imagine the friction build-up of all that iron and steel moving. The whole ENGINE turned around a central pivot.

[@KMateri13]

Just Fantastic...Thanks for putting this up.

[@raghavendracm5348]

Such a lovely sound with that varying throttle!

[@keithallver2450]

0:42 I don't think I've ever seen a plane with such a short take-off distance.

[@HistAvFilmUnit]

It is impressively short, especially into a head wind!

[@Rob-vv5yn]

Watch a video of a Fokker Dr1 with a proper Rotary engine similarly leap into the air it breath taking.

[@FitzArias]

Was hoping to see more of that Dr1. For a minute it looked like Snoopy & The Red Baron.

[@mdhj67]

That little beast jumps into the air enthusiastically.

[@karlkingston2501]

My father was chief pilot at an air service in Boise Idaho in the late sixties where a collector bought a Camel. He asked my father to demonstrate it for him. 30,000 hour pilot and the one and only time I ever saw him refuse to fly a plane. Said the WWI pilots must have carried their junk around in wheelbarrows. LOL

[@HistAvFilmUnit]

Was a probably a sensible decision on his part (to refuse to fly it).

[@arthurpewtey]

I knew an old pilot (when I was a kid, many years ago) who said flying any WW1 machine was often close to terrifying in peacetime, and the very idea of doing it whilst under fire had given him enormous respect for any and all of the wartime pilots of the day. Your Dad's way of putting it probably means much the same, but it's MUCH more amusing - thank you.

[@False_Death]

Kinda fitting for those days of the Ace Pilots basically being celebrities. Now being a pilot is 100% easier so I'm kinda glad that status stopped after that era. Even though I'd say ww2 pilots had alot of guts as well. I have much respect to all of those people.

[@cowboywoodard2569]

Yes any aireal combat takes courage and guts, my Hat is off to all Friend or Foe!

[@StewartNicolasBILLYCONNOLLY]

The WWI pilots of the RFC and the RAF took to the air without parachutes because the powers that be in the British Army decreed that the option of baling out with a parachute would prevent the pilots from fighting to the death!

[@dennisleslie8962]

The RAF did not exist during WW1.

[@StewartNicolasBILLYCONNOLLY]

@@dennisleslie8962 RAF founded 1st April 1918.

[@dennisleslie8962]

@@StewartNicolasBILLYCONNOLLY April 1...All Fools day, of course.

[@iangarrett741]

Early parachutes were far too bulky to fit into aircraft and they opened by static line so wouldn’t be a lot of use anyway. Observation balloon observers had them. As soon as an enemy aircraft appeared, get the hell out of Dodge! The Germans had the same set up.

[@bruceparr1678]

Very smooth engines. No reciprocating parts.

[@thomashiggins9320]

The WWI aviators who flew these things into combat were a special kind of crazy.

[@Lechaim11]

Some years ago whilst holidaying in England, I went along to Duxford to watch planes of World War One ilk flying around. Planes from the Shuttleworth collection that is! One thing that struck me right away was how slow they were. When the war began, aircraft could barely reach speeds of 50mph - this was increased to 150mph by the war's end. Fighters of World War Two could do in excess of 400 mph and jets way beyond. Wars speed up technology if nothing else!

[@johnmcnatty1710]

Apparently the “ spitfire “ of its day

[@naiart82]

This thing is over 100 years old! And also nice camera work.

[@BritanniaPacific]

So this is snoopy’s plane. A damn good choice.

[@sugarnads]

Its bloody BIGGLES' aeroplane damnit.

[@alisonjones7747]

@@sugarnads Snoopy was 'ace of the base' too, don't be a spoil sport!

[@petersattler3454]

For true soundtrack watch a movie called Dawn Patrol. Made in 1938 starring Errol Flynn and using original aircraft. The sound of a squadron of rotary powered planes taking off and landing is awesome.

[@Alex462047]

It's a fairly manic little thing with that throttle control (on/off). I wonder how the spinning engine contributes to thrust yaw.

[@MichaelKunz-mt2oo]

Great place to see these in the US is Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome.

[@MarcosRoberto-pm8on]

I love old planes!!!! Amazing!!!!

[@onmyworkbench7000]

Along with the Nieuport 11, 17 and 28, the Camel was one of my dad's favorite airplanes.

[@leifcatt]

This engine sound has been and is used in radio, TV and movies. Very famous and very real. My Dad was a history buff and he showed me this at one of my first airshows. It's so cool to hear in person.

[@JeriGillam]

It's that coupez button... The engine is full on, or off.. No throttle, just a spark cutoff.. And what a beauty this bird is...

[@HistAvFilmUnit]

We have lots like this (and even more coming soon) on our new streaming service: www.historicalmachines.tv

[@lollipopjuggs]

What was the approach speed?

[@HistAvFilmUnit]

Slow. Sorry can't tell you more than that ;-)

[@meofnz2320]

I watched this thing do a display many years ago. I was surprised at how visceral the experience was. Very loud, very physical and surprising performance. At one point the engine cowl came loose, got wrapped around the rotating mass of the engine and that log of a propeller and was flung out to wrap itself around the outer struts. So that was good.

[@williammckenzie1941]

Snoopy would be proud. Great video!

[@TheZxman]

What a flight and that landing was perfect

[@TeachFK_Gaming]

LOL the side of the aircraft says "BOI"

[@danielceo9233]

BOI = Balls Of Iron

[@barrywinslow9798]

That blipping engine torque had to be a nightmare....well done. God bless

[@user-lr9ok1pd7d]

I love those old "farting" engines, sound real mechanic

[@JeriGillam]

Sounds like a lot of the cars around here.. ;)

[@jekylthorn8969]

The stuttering is because they didn't really have throttles. Instead they had a blip switch that would bypass the plugs. Basically the engine was either fully on or off. They could turn off some of the cylinders as well.

[@danielsmith2447]

Snoopy would be in heaven

[@carlobo5647]

Stupendo il sopwith camel...il motore rumoroso libera la potenza, un aereo di altri tempi, che odora di cuoio e legno, tutto vibra nell'aria...il sogno di ogni pilota....saluti dall'Italia

[@Tubesmaney]

The sound of that motor is amazing. I've never heard one before and am loving it!

[@chardtomp]

Those rotary engines had an enormous torque effect on the very light airframes that gave those plane rather unusual handling characteristics. It could be very treacherous for inexperienced pilots and there were a lot of accidents, especially on takeoff and landing.

[@tristanholland6445]

A rotary powered WWI fighter could be as deadly to an unskilled pilot as an enemy aircraft could.

[@TrulyUnfortunate]

Wow!! I've never heard the Sopwith camel engine and I'd never expect it to sound like it was ready to die any second!!

[@kkhagerty6315]

It’s hard enough taking off and landing these things on the ground but I feel sorry for the poor bastards who had to try and land these on carriers during the post war test period

[@cooperthompson4850]

that crosswind landing was so satisfying.

[@Scioneer]

Something odd about seeing how graceful this plane flies yet hearing that blipping from the engine. Cool old aircraft.

[@julianroffman3921]

That STOL was something else!

[@corwinchristensen260]

Gives me a whole new respect for "5 O'Clock Charlie."

[@davidelliott5843]

The engine cylinders have an exhaust valve but they operates as a two stroke via an atmospheric valve pulling in air/fuel on the downstroke. There is no cylinder porting as found on later two strokes.

[@Bluenose352]

Hands and feet, constantly at work to keep control. Now, this is flying.

[@johnmoulton9728]

Thank you a wonderful piece of aviation history

[@HistAvFilmUnit]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jameswebb4593]

When the Americans entered the war the British offered them Camels , many refused to fly them as being too dangerous . others did and at least two squadrons were thus equipped . The Camels also served as night fighters both at home defense and in France and were surprisingly successful . Many of the accidents among green pilots was due to the weight of the petrol causing a nose down attitude when taking off , fitting a smaller fuel tank permitted the fitting of another seat which resulted in Trainer which reduced the deaths.

[@theblytonian3906]

Wow! I knew about the engine blipping, but not about the selectable cylinders power. Gives a fresh perspective to my "Biggles of the Camel Squadron" imaginitive reading of a long bygone childhood.

[@MaartenVHelden]

wow 50 mtrs of runway was enough for these guys? That's incredible!

[@SeamusOR]

There is just something about the ww1 airplanes. They're beautiful machines.

[@nightlightabcd]

I'm very impressed that they could jump into the air in only about ten feet!

[@bt6850]

Aircraft have certainly come a long long way!!!!!