Sopwith Camel

Description

An icon of World War I aerial combat, the Sopwith Camel was a superb dogfighter in the hands of a pilot who could master its vicious idiosyncrasies. The first British fighter to be armed with twin machine guns, the Camel packed a considerable punch and was highly successful, notching up a considerable number of aerial victories. The Camel was a remarkable aircraft, and one that could perform in a variety of roles, including as a ground strafer, a night fighter and a carrier-based fighter. As newer, higher performance aircraft types were introduced and began to eclipse it, the dominance of the Camel declined and losses mounted. Nevertheless, Camels appeared over battlefields throughout the war and beyond, notably in the Russian Civil War.

Jon Guttman, a resident of Leesburg, Virginia, is currently research editor for Weider History Publications. Specializing in World War I aviation, he has written eleven titles for Osprey including the popular Aircraft of the Aces 66: Balloon-Busting Aces of World War I.

"Incisive writing supplemented by superb photos, color profiles and cut-aways -- you get the true story of a great airplane. This may sound over the top, but it is nothing short of inspirational." --Aviation History "Selling a Sopwith Camel book to a Dawn Patrol WWI gaming audience will be easier than pawning off mittens to Eskimos, especially when it's written by veteran author Jon Guttman ... The text of 'Sopwith Camel' contains all the usual treats including a full operation history, seaborne carrier operations, a description of the development process and the various contractors who built the Camel, and much more." --Indy Squadron Dispatch (November 2012) "As with other books in this series, author Jon Guttman covers the aircraft's initial design and development as well as its introduction into unit service. Much of the book is dedicated to its combat record, as well it should. In this part of the publication we get the majority of pilot stories. The book is full of period photos as well as profiles and other artwork to make for a well rounded title. In line with the previous title, this one has a back page foldout that provides a cutaway of the Camel, a nice feature of this series." --Scott Van Aken, Modeling Madness (November 2012) "Although the new series is technically focused, this book is not just a dry recitation of performance figures, but a good combination of need-to-know and nice-to-know information, with plenty of human element contained within its combat descriptions and personal anecdotes. Sopwith Camel is highly recommended." --Over the Front magazine (Summer 2013) "[The Sopwith Camel's] history is deftly charted here, with accompanying vintage blakc and white photos throughout." --The Midwest Book Review (February 2013)