Sopwith F.1 Camel Replica project

[Jerry O'Neill]

Very neat project!
I love the Camel.
I may have missed it in the thread, but is Airdrome Aeroplanes going to make the Camel available in their stable of offerings or was this a one-off replica?
Good luck with the flight testing!
Blue skies,
Jerry

[snj5]

The Camel FLIES!!!!
More details later - did great.
Am exhausted and going to bed.

First take off above.

This is a dream come true. The Sopwith Camel was always an ICONIC fighter, on the same level as a Spitfire or Mustang, and now on my vastly unremarkable retirement one can realize the dream. Thanks to Robert Baslee and all the Airdrome Aeroplane folks.

100mph pass down the runway:

[adflyer]

Awesome! Congrats! Great looking airplane

[Pogo]

Holy cow, I'm whistling out loud at your pretty girl there! No question about it, that's the most beautiful sight I've seen ALL DAY!!!

Congrats indeed! I think a bunch of guys should sneak up and dump an Igloo cooler full of iced Gatorade on you!!

[snj5]

Although my new Flip video camera crapped out, we did have antique aviation author/pilot Eric Preston there in a camera ship.




For all you fellow military aviation history guys of constrained resources, this WW1 thing is inexpensive and the most smiles per dollar anywhere. I'll never own a Corsair, but now I don't want to - this is waaay better.



Will be looking for you guys to join me on Dawn Patrol.
Best to all,
Russ

[RyanShort1]

Those powerlines would have to get in the picture!

Ryan

[Jerry O'Neill]

Fantastic!
Where can I get one???
Jerry

[snj5]

Fantastic!
Where can I get one???
Jerry

www.airdromeaeroplanes.com

Call up and ask for Robert. Most kits typically run about $15K less engine, don't know if he has priced the Camel as this was a prototype. He actually has a Sopwith Pup and one of the Flyboys movie flying Nieuport 17s already built and for sale as well.
THESE ARE ALL LSA ELIGIBLE!!!!!!! If you know what that means, you'll understand why these are such a great great great deal for us old guys.

[snj5]

Whilst my new video camera on the ground pooped out, the test pilot took some video with his iPhone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpmIu0rl0Sc

[bdk]

A test flight with no helmet or shoes?

[snj5]

Now for fellow builders, the nitty gritty.

The Rotec R-3600 swinging a 90 x 48 Culver propeller, static rpm of 1750 rpm prop and 2650 engine - BIG CAVEAT - tachometer has not been double checked. While well down the 3600 rpm range, this produced a healthy 550 - 570 pounds of thrust. I feel pretty strongly that once broken in, and perhaps other tweaking, it will easily reach 600 pounds of thrust.
With two electronic ignitions, it starts instantly. The throttle body injector is its own entity, and we are learning how to best use it. I STRONGLY feel it is superior to the stock supplied 40mm Bing carb. based on my limited experience so far. One trhing you do notice is that the Rotec 9 cylinder is much quieter than you expect, and very smooth. From the ground, vintage aviation author Eric Preston said it sounded much like a 80 hp LeRhone in the air.

The Sopwith currently has provisions for brakes, but not hooked up. At just over 1100 pounds test AUW, it is no little light airplane and has some serious inertia to be managed on the ground. This test was on grass, but it will absolutely need brakes on any prepared surface. The steering tailwheel was wonderfully positive, and at least for us frequent flyers, a very neccesary compromise.

On take off roll, not pushing the plane at all, the tail comes up smartly and the plane unsticks in about 400 feet. Climb out seems happy at 60 or so mph. We did not push the climb, but a normal climb rate of about 900 or so feet a minute was what it seemed. All of the controls were not neck jerking, but positive. One thing that impressed the test pilot the was the wide speed envelope of the airplane where no trim was needed; you just put it there and it stayed. I personally think this is probably attributable to the original Sopwith designers' mass concentration. For you technical folks, we have 1.5 degree wing AOI with 0 degree horizontal stab AOI, lower wing dihedral of 5 degrees and zero degrees for the top wing. The engine has a down thrust of 2 degrees. The test CG was about 24% MAC. Controls were described a sweetly harmonized and normal stick pressures - seems Sopwith got their control surface areas dead nuts on. Slips wonderfully. Did not do a full stall series this first flight.

At reduced power settings, the airplane would fly happily loafing between 80 - 90 mph at 1650 rpm indicated Lower the nose wee bit at same settings and it would easily pick up to 100 mph indicated. Again - these are indicated and not verified against an external source, but it was a new ASI.

Approach was tried at 70 and 80 mph, both worked fine. When the power is pulled, the plane does not slow as fast as you think it might (inertia), bur settles gently down to the runway conventionally. Without brakes or skid, it had a loooong roll out (inertia) of about 1000 feet.

Alas, weather, job and airline schedules intervened and we had to pack it up for OSH. Will continue testing after July.

[Enemy Ace]

Very neat project. Excellent job SNJ-5!!
I emailed Robert Baslee, it's impressive how much you get for the money. I am interested in the Rotec engines, personally one of the things that has kept me from getting enthused about the WW1 stuff was all the VW engines.
Baslee said there were no plans to make SPAD's. Do you know why not?
I can see selling my Cherokee 28-161 and turning the money into one of these soon.....

[snj5]

Yes - these full size WW1 aircraft are amazing values for the dollar.
The reason Robert has not done a full size Spad, SE5 or DVII is lack of a proven, suitable engine. I am sure if some suitable engine with redrive were found, he'd be happy to do it with two deposits.

I am thinking about talking him into doing an LSA full size one seat or side-by-side two seat Sopwith Tabloid/Baby, which could be done inexpensively and quickly with a large choice of engines.
If anyone is no kidding interested let me know, as he would start with two deposits.

[Pogo]

Holy scha-moly, I did a double take on that one! Looky that ma, a Sopwith Tabloid, I can't believe it!! That's the first photo I have ever seen of one!!!

The only reason I know of it is because I built a stick and tissue rubber-powered flying model of one from a three-view in a magazine to meet Peanut Scale rules (13" span). Still have it on a shelf in my shop office. Same colors and everything! How cool to see that photo -- where is it located again?

[snj5]

How cool to see that photo -- where is it located again?

Google image search on Sopwith Tabloid...