Sopwith Camel Review

 

 

 The Sopwith Camel, built by Sopwith to support the British war effort in WWI, was an outstanding airplane for its day. They were used to great effect fighting the Germans, and could outrun, out climb, out turn, and out gun their German counterparts. 5490 Camels were built, a great number of which were lost in Combat, or, just as frequently, accidents. This aircraft was notoriously difficult to fly, as it flew crabbed sideways (a high P-Factor), and landing was a careful balancing act of speed, altitude, yaw, and pitch. Dives were also dangerous, especially to young pilots, because the high torque of the engine would sometimes be more than the pilot expected, thus letting himself get planted in the ground. Also, by the end of the war, the Germans had developed better airplanes, especially for high-altitude flight, and so the Camel started being used more as a night-fighter and a ground-attack aircraft.

 

 Released earlier this year, the Sopwith Camel by ClassicWings reflects all its characteristics well. They have made an outstanding model, VC, a 2D panel, texture set, and sound set.

 

 The Model

 

 

 The first thing you see when an aircraft is loaded in FSX is its model. This can give either a very good or not so good first impression. Fortunately, this impression was very good with the Camel. It is, in fact, one of the best models I've seen created for FSX. The model is native to FSX, meaning the prop shows up correctly, the framerate is good, and for those who use DX10, it will work. Many small details are present on the model, with my favorite being the pilot's goggles. As the throttle is advanced, the goggles on the pilot move down from his forehead to his face. Another nice feature is that along with the propeller, the engine turns too. Also included are 21 liveries, which cover many different squadrons, mostly British, but a few American.

 

 

 The Cockpit

 

 

 As with everything else in this package, the VC is amazing. There is also a 2D panel, though I can't imagine too many people wanting to use one on this kind of aircraft. That said, it is included, and it's very nicely done. Everything is animated, from the throttle and its cable, to the gun-jam levers, which are clickable. There are very few systems in the Camel, namely a few basic instruments, and a throttle quadrant. Nothing else. As such, it is very easy to operate, and there is no reason anyone would need to reference the manual to figure out what something does. The gauges are all done in top-notch 3D.

 

 

Flying the Thing

 

 

 As with the real Sopwith Camel, this son-of-gun doesn't want to be flown. It will fight you from the time you throttle up, all the way to the time the wings lose their lift. That's right, it's even a challenge keeping the thing going straight down the runway after landing. From the research I've done, it flies just like the real deal, and all the numbers match up. It won't do much above twelve-fourteen thousand, and is most comfortable at around five-eight thousand. Because of a very high P-Factor, you fly the thing crabbed to the side, with this being sometimes as much as 30 degrees or more during initial climb and landing. This is certainly one of the hardest airplanes I've flown. On the other hand, it won't stall easily, and almost never spins. This characteristic is common among biplanes, and is one reason they make such good trainers.

 

 

 Closing Remarks

 

 If ever you've wanted to try flying the Sopwith Camel, or even just want a new pretty model to look at, Classicwings' latest release is a great addition to your hangar. The sound pack is great, and sounds just like the real Sopwith Camel, with a very convincing start-up sound. The flight model is great, albeit very challenging. This great aircraft can be downloaded from our library, or directly from ClassicWings' website.

 

 Links:

Avsim

http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=&Name=Camel&FileName=&Author=&CatID=fsxac

 

ClassicWings

http://classicwings.net/sopwith_camel.html

 

Enjoy your flights,

I like this review - glad to have you on board our team and hope to work with you a lot!

 Thanks! I'm really looking forward to working with you and the team. Hopefully this forum will quickly "take off"!

 Thanks! I'm really looking forward to working with you and the team. Hopefully this forum will quickly "take off"!

:lmao:

 

I see what you did there 

Excellent review Adlai. I just downloaded the Sop, and am looking forward to ringing it out.

 Thanks! I find it a fun thing to fly, though my landings are still... uh, rough. I'm eagerly awaiting Classicwings' next release, whatever it may be. On another note, I think I'll have my next review up within a couple days.

 

 Have fun in the Sop'!

Does the model reproduce the peculiarities of the rotary engine and throttle behaviour with a great degree of accuracy?

Does the model reproduce the peculiarities of the rotary engine and throttle behaviour with a great degree of accuracy?

 To a certain degree, yes. That said, it doesn't model failures, and like any FSX aircraft, it's not the real thing, but it does feel very realistic. The best way to see if you like, which I'm sure you will, is to download it. Have fun!

Thanks for the review. I saw you even had details like DX10 compatibility in mind. Well done! I admit, I've missed this forum section so far. :blush:

As the throttle is advanced, the goggles on the pilot move down from his forehead to his face.

Hahaha. :lol:

 

What are your next targets, Adlai?

Thanks for the review. I saw you even had details like DX10 compatibility in mind. Well done! I admit, I've missed this forum section so far. :blush:

Hahaha. :lol:

 

What are your next targets, Adlai?

 Thanks!

 

 What with school starting and all, I've been pretty busy, but do hope to get a review out soon. I'm looking at reviewing the IL-86, Piaggio 180, Falcon 50, along with plenty of others. I'll also be doing scenery, and potentially some utilities.

 

 Thanks for checking out our corner!  B)

Wow, quite the lineup. And very good candidates indeed. Keep on going, means school and reviews. :biggrin: