How a Sopwith Camel rotary engine is controlled

This is a short cut from a very good video made by Andy Lambert. Please watch his full video of "The Brooklands Sopwith Camel engine runs" • The Brooklands Sopwith... , and other of his videos. The reason for taking this liberty is to share this short cut-out for discussion in another context with others interested in the working of rotary engines.

[@stanleybest8833]

Downthrottling was very important for dogfights. My grandmother watched planes on her way to school. The Nieuports always won and the brass 303's bounced off the rooves. Kids picked them up and took them to class.

[@paulazemeckis7835]

I'm a girl and I get this. More oxygen = more combustion = increase is speed. Conversely, when throttling back the oxygen the combustion decreases, hence the speed. Clear as can be!

[@stever4181]

You're no airhead! 😜

[@arnoldj.gerdsnerter2662]

Well, that's clear as mud.

[@davidhull1481]

@BritishempirewillneverdieThe British Empire is dead, thicko.

[@No.10_SopwithMan]

Well well well now I know

[@barryflick54]

Amazing....rotary engines are really weird!!!

[@alecboyyes]

Is this a Clerget?

[@davidhull1481]

Huh? Probably have to know how it works before you can understand this video, by which time you don’t need the video.

[@davesnothereman7250]

I always this engine configuration was referred to as "radial". Whereas a rotary was more like the wankel engines use by Mazda, NSU etc. No?

[@JohnyG29]

No, this is a rotary engine. Radial engines were a later development and widely used in WW2.

[@mikelove6502]

Both radial and rotary engines have the same cylinder layout, but in rotary engines the whole engine rotates (hence the name!) whereas in radial engines its just the crankshaft.