Sopwith Camel
.jpg) Sopwith Camel. Photo: Airwolfhound, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Sopwith |
|---|---|
| Model | Sopwith Camel |
| Type | Biplane fighter |
| Country |  United Kingdom
|
| First flight | 22 December 1916
|
| Number built | 5,490 |
| Registered in the US | 15 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 1 |
| Engine | Clerget 9B, 130 hp |
| Range | 300 mi (F.1 Camel) |
| Service ceiling | 19,000 ft (F.1 Camel) |
| Max weight | 1,453 lb (F.1 Camel) |
| Developed from | Sopwith Pup |
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Sopwith Camel is a British World War I biplane fighter, introduced on the Western Front in 1917, and one of the best-known fighters of that war.[1] Camel pilots were credited with downing 1,294 enemy airplanes, more than any other Allied fighter. In all, 5,490 were built.[1] In the U.S. there are 15 with a valid registration under Camel model names.[2]
History
The Camel was designed by Herbert Smith as the successor to the Sopwith Pup and first flew on December 22, 1916.[1] It had a single rotary engine and two synchronized Vickers machine guns.[1] It was hard to fly, with 90% of its weight in the front seven feet of the airplane, but in skilled hands it was very maneuverable, which counted for a lot in the slow, low dogfights of the time.[1]
Versions included the 2F.1 Ship's Camel for aircraft carriers, the "Comic" night fighter and the armored T.F.1 "trench fighter". Late in the war it was used more for ground attack, and the RAF retired the last Camels in January 1920.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 15 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| SOPWITH CAMEL | 5 |
| CAMEL | 3 |
| SOPWITH CAMEL F1 | 2 |
| F.1 CAMEL | 2 |
| F1 CAMEL | 1 |
| SOPWITH CAMEL F-1 | 1 |
| PALENS SOPWITH CAMEL | 1 |
Specifications (F.1 Camel)
| Item | F.1 Camel |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
| Length | 18 ft 9 in |
| Wingspan | 28 ft |
| Height | 8 ft 6 in |
| Wing area | 231 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 930 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,453 lb |
| Engine | Clerget 9B, 130 hp (9-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine) |
| Propeller | fixed-pitch wooden propeller |
| Maximum speed | 113 mph |
| Stall speed | 48 mph |
| Range | 300 mi |
| Service ceiling | 19,000 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,085 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
-
A Sopwith Camel 2F1 bi-plane at the Imperial War Museum in London. Photo: Max Smith, Public domain -
DAYTON, Ohio -- Sopwith F-1 Camel at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: USAF, Public domain -
Sopwith Camel at the RAF Museum, London. Photo: Oxyman, CC BY 2.5 -
Sopwith Camel. Photo: Not stated, Public domain -
Sopwith Camel. Photo: Not stated, Public domain -
Sopwith Camel. Photo: Surgeon Oscar Parkes, Public domain -
Sopwith Camel at Air Service Production Center No. Photo: Air Service, United States Army, Public domain -
Sopwith Camel. Photo: Alan Wilson, CC BY-SA 2.0
_(12243203404).jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Sopwith Camel
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Wikipedia, "Sopwith Camel", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.