Sopwith F.1 Camel
role : fighter
first flight : 22 December 1916 operational : July 1917
country : United-Kingdom
design : Herbert Smith
production : 5490 aircraft
general information : The famous fighter of WOI who accounted for 1294 shot down enemy aircraft, more than any other WWI fighter. Due to the gyroscopic forces of the rotary engine and the inherent instability it was not easy to fly. It was a pilotīs aircraft and needed attention al the time but in the hands of a good pilot it was a superb fighting aircraft.
Gap : max 1.52m min : 1.25m > gem 1.39m chord : 1.37m
petrol : 26 imp.gallon = 118 litre oil : 5.75 imp. Gallon = 26,1 litre,
Climb to 1524m : 5 min , climb to 3048m : 12 min
The weight of the two Vickers machine guns was 70 lb = 31.75 kg
users : RFC, Belgium, Greece, USA, Australia
crew : 1
armament : 2 synchronized 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) Vickers machine-guns
engine : 1 Clerget 9B air-cooled 9 -cylinder two-valve rotary engine 130 [hp](95.6 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 8.53 [m], length : 5.72 [m], height : 2.59[m]
wing area : 21.35 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 672 [kg]
empty weight operational : 420 [kg] bombload : 36 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 185 [km/u] op 1981 [m]
climbing speed : 330 [m/min]
service ceiling : 5791 [m]
endurance : 2.79 [hours]
estimated action radius : 232 [km]
description :
1-bay biplane with fixed landing gear and tail strut
two spar upper and lower wing
engines, landing gear, fuel and bombs in or attached to the fuselage
airscrew :
fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.67 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 2.58 [m]
angle of attack prop : 22.09 [ ]
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1250 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 2.47 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 177 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.25 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.42 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 6.82 []
gap : 1.39 [m]
gap/chord : 1.11 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 126 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 6.0 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 27.3 [kg/hr] (37.3 [litre/hr]) at 60 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 6.10 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 118 [litre] (86 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 173.0 [kg] = 1.81 [kg/KW]
weight 25 litre oil tank : 2.1 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.7 litre oil : 0.6 [kg]
oil in engine 1 litre oil : 0.5 [kg]
fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.5 [kg]
weight 16 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 2.4 [kg]
weight cowling 3.8 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 19.0 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 200 [kg](29.7 [%])
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fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 4.50 [cm]): 30 [kg]
bracing : 1.2 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 6.2 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 2.0 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 5.2 [kg]
weight seats : 3.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 2.5 [kg]
weight 102 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 8.2 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 5 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 62 [kg](9.2 [%])
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weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 14 [kg]
total weight ribs (44 ribs) : 40 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 467.9 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 226.8 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 20 [kg]
weight wings : 73 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 3.42 [kg]
weight 4 interplane struts & cabane : 6.6 [kg]
weight cables (43 [m]) : 1.3 [kg] (= 31 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 2.2 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (0.8 [m2]) : 3.0 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (2.4 [m2]): 8.4 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 92 [kg] (13.8 [%])
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weight machine-gun(s) : 31.8 [kg]
weight ammunition magazine(s) :2.2 [kg]
weight synchronizing system : 2.0 [kg]
weight Aldis gunsight : 0.8 [kg]
weight armament : 37 [kg]
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wheel pressure : 336.0 [kg]
weight 2 wheels (710 [mm] by 79 [mm]) : 15.4 [kg]
weight tailskid : 2.2 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 10.9 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 28.4 [kg] (4.2 [%]
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Canadian ace William Barker
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calculated empty weight : 419 [kg](62.3 [%])
weight oil for 3.3 hours flying : 20.2 [kg]
Vickers gun using 250 round Prideaux dis-integrating-link belts
weight ammunition (500 rounds) : 14.1 [kg]
weight Very pistol with cartridges : 3.6 [kg]
weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]
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calculated operational weight empty : 458 [kg] (68.2 [%])
published operational weight empty : 420 [kg] (62.5 [%])
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weight crew : 81 [kg]
weight fuel for 1.5 hours flying : 41 [kg]
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operational weight : 580 [kg](86.3 [%])
bomb load : 36 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 616 [kg]
fuel reserve : 46 [kg] enough for 1.67 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 10 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 672 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 672 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 6.07 [kg/kW]
total power : 95.6 [kW] at 1250 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 4.0 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 4.5 [g] ultimate load : 6.8 [g] load factor : 1.5 [g]
design flight time : 2.23 [hours]
design cycles : 134 sorties, design hours : 300 [hours]
operational wing loading : 266 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 233 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.46 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 12.47 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 0.98 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.14 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.20 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0033 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0333 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0300 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 70 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 84 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 112 [km/hr] at 2896 [m](power :32 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 118 [km/hr] at 2896 [m] (power:33 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 113.0 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 166 [km/hr] op 2896 [m] (power:55 [%])
design speed prop : 179 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 185 [km/hr] op 1981 [m] (power:76 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 384 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 140 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 10.02 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 6350 [m] with flying weight :534 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 5925 [m] with flying weight :580 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 5375 [m] with flying weight :645 [kg]
published ceiling (5791 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 4.31 [min]
climb to 3000m (without bombload) : 10.29 [min]
max. dive speed : 414.1 [km/hr] at 4375 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 2.41 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 45 [m]
Longitudinal section of Mk VII ammunition circa 1915, showing the "tail heavy" design
time needed for 360* turn 9.1 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 3.17 [hours] with 1 crew and 46 [kg] useful (bomb)load and 100.0 [%] fuel
published endurance : 2.79 [hours] with 1 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 57 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 344 [km] with 1 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 207 [litre] fuel : 926 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 70 [kg]
production : 11.63 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 2.87 [kg]
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Literature :
oorlogsvliegtuigen 14-18
praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1
Janes fighting aircraft WWI
jachtvliegtuigen
Jagdflugzeuge WWI
Warplanes WWI
Armament of British Aircraft 1909-1939 page 330,332
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program.
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(c) B van der Zalm 15 September 2019 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4