Sopwith Camel Revs-100 Years Later

[Okie Hog]

The Gnome rotary engine has one speed-wide open. Plane was controlled by blipping the kill switch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq78ZocOAkY

 

[Old Smoke]

Cool stuff.

 

[exMember]

Now that was awesome! They were plain crazy to fly those things.

 

[patocazador]

Hearing that engine sputter and backfire would certainly tighten my sphincter.

 

[BigAl52]

Im dissappointed. Here I thought I would see Snoopy and the Red Barron. It was cool though.

 

[Whokalouie]

That on and off switch would keep on hand too busy, I'll stick with the 65hp Champ.

John

 

[Muley Hunter]

Im dissappointed. Here I thought I would see Snoopy and the Red Barron. It was cool though.

Here you go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmm37Xeq0iI

 

[RonRC]

Those rotary engines were not radial engines. The crankshaft remains stationary and the entire engine rotates around the crankshaft. The prop is fixed to the engine and rotates with the engine.
What a way to cool your cylinders!
In the old days, castor oil was used as a lubricant, so the pilot would breathe caster oil during the flight.
Since the entire engine rotates, it creates a tremendous amount of torque and tries to turn the plane in the direction of the rotation. As a pilot, you would have to compensate constantly for the tendency to pulled to one side.
The Sopwith Camel used the LeRhone or Gnome rotary engine and so did the Fokker Dr1 triplane.
Oh, and once in a while the centrifugal force of the rotating engine would cause a cylinder to go flying off into space.
Ron

 

[Muley Hunter]

When you run out of ammo you can kill them with a cylinder.

 

[exMember]

that or jump into their plane and throw them over board.

Its funny how they used to throw bottles and other stuff at each other.

Cause of death:
Glass bottle

 

[BigAl52]

That was cool seeing that Thanks Pete

 

[Okie Hog]

Several years ago a French company reversed engineered the Gnome engine and manufactured new working engines. This New Zealand company also reverse engineered the Gnome engine:

http://www.cams.net.nz/Gnome%20Remanufacture.html

This New Zealand company manufactures lots of stuff for vintage aircraft and their engines.

 

[Whokalouie]

Great info and pictures, thanks falcon.

 

[RonRC]

Most replicas of WWI aircraft that originally had rotaries now use radial engines for safety and dependability. The radial is fixed and the crankshaft rotates like in modern engines.
Many years ago, more than 30, there was an aerodrome in Virginia that had flying condition WWI aircraft (mostly replicas) and some between war planes. They had an original Gnome rotary engine still new in the crate!
I flew in a few of the open cockpit, between war biplanes. I loved the wind through my hair.
Ron

 

[Muley Hunter]

I flew in a few of the open cockpit, between war biplanes. I loved the wind through my hair.
Ron

Must have been a long long time ago.

 

[patocazador]

that or jump into their plane and throw them over board.

Its funny how they used to throw bottles and other stuff at each other.

Cause of death:
Glass bottle

I read someplace that the first successful air-to-air combat happened when an Eastern European (Russian or Serb) crashed his plane into the enemy plane. It didn't say whether either survived.

WW1 bumper planes! :ss:


UPDATE:

I just looked it up:
<table class="wikitable"><tr><td style="width:15%;">Pyotr Nesterov</td><td style="text-align:center;">7 September 1914</td><td style="text-align:center;">Russia</td><td>First air-to-air victory, by ramming an Austrian aeroplane^[46]</td></tr></table>

 

[Smokin' Joe]

I'm sure it had to be done, but why does he have to keep feathering the throttle all the time?

 

[Okie Hog]

I'm sure it had to be done, but why does he have to keep feathering the throttle all the time?

There is no throttle, the engine runs wide open all the time.  The pilot blips the kill switch to control the aircraft.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

OK, thank you!