The Sopwith Camel

[andron234]

I just came across two (New to me) variations Sopwith Camel, the first is a two man trainer, the second is of a "navalised" machine with floats



I'm going to construct Sopwith Camel with floats, anyone got ideas on a paint job?

[BwanaJoe]

No ideas about a paint job but I’m curious where you came across the print?

[andron234]

I found it in a copy of 1973 book "War Birds: Military Aircraft of the First World War in Colour (Color)

No ideas about a paint job but I’m curious where you came across the print?

[flash]

The float plane looks to be a Sopwith ‘FS1 Improved Baby’ - check out under 23rd, 24th Feb & 6th March entries on this link. Seems the N.4 looks based on the Camel prototype, says the FS1 N.5 had 13" shorter wings than the Camel F.1.
https://www.kingstonaviation.org/sop...-day/1917.html
There are some great images in this doc - some fascinating types including captured Sopwiths.

The Sopwith ‘FS1 Improved Baby’ floatplane N4 is almost ready to go to RNAS Grain for testing. In Sopwith’s re-traced General Arrangement Drawing (below) it is much like the wheeled ‘FS1’ N5 but with pontoon floats, jettisonable wheels and a circular section tail float with a tiny rear wheel or bumper. Like N5 the single Vickers gun is on the port side and the Lewis gun is inverted to aid re-loading through a Vee cutout in the three part top wing. The rear fuselage is attached by turnbuckles at the bulkhead just behind the trailing edge of the wing.
It now seems unlikely that ‘FS1’ floatplanes will be needed. The recent decision to use wheeled landplanes not floatplanes from the decks of naval ships is already being implemented.