Responsible for destroying 1294 enemy aircraft between June 1917 and November 1918, the Camel was the most successful fighting scout employed by either side in terms of the sheer number of victories that it scored. The Camel was renowned for its sensitivity and need for skill and experience, and casualties amongst pilots undergoing training on the type were very high. More than 5490 examples were constructed, and this book covers its combat use on the Western Front, in Palestine, on the Italian front, in the Home Defence role in the UK and in Russia.
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With Fokker Dr I Aces of World War I and Fokker D.Vii Aces of World War I (Part One):"The prolific Norman Franks is the author of all three of these books, though he shares the credit with color expert Greg Van Wyngarden for the two German tomes. Franks is a highly regarded aviation historian, and Van Wyngarden is recognized as one of the top authorities on World War I aviation markings, so you can bet that what you see is a fair representation of historical hues. I recommend these books, and you will find the entire series to be worthwhile additions to your library." -Mike Corr, Aerodrome
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Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series combines full colour artwork, the best archival contemporary photography, and first hand accounts from aces to bring history's greatest airborne conflicts to life.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dogfighting in a Camel...Jolly, Good Fun!,
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This review is from: Sopwith Camel Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces) (Paperback)
To my mind, the Sopwith Camel was the ultimate British dogfighter of WWI. If novice RAF pilots survived their first flights in the squat, humpbacked Camel - and many didn't - they found the biplane a dogfighter par excellence, possessing tremendous turning capability.
Noted author Norman Franks chronicles Camel aces in this Osprey 'Aircraft of the Aces' book, #52 in the series. Dozens of RAF pilots claimed five or more kills, Camel pilots eventually being credited with over 1,200 victories following its service introduction in May 1917. Some names in Franks' book - 'Billy' Barker, Arthur Cobby, Donald MacLaren and Roy Brown - are well-known; others less so. Dozens of black & white photos illustrate the text, including some wonderfully atmospheric shots, along with 14 pages of unusually crisp color profiles by Harry Dempsey. The Camel instilled great confidence in its pilots. You have to smile reading accounts in the book wherein outnumbered Camel pilots fearlessly pitch into gaggles of German fighters, later recalling "we had quite good fun...while it lasted." If anything, Franks' book could have used a few more pages to tell the Camel story. Given the large number of Camel aces, Osprey would have been well advised to add a few more pages to the book for more combat accounts. Another delightful title from Norman Franks and from Osprey!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Better than counting sheep?,
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This review is from: Sopwith Camel Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces) (Paperback)
Reading this book is somewhat similar to reading a stack of baseball cards. The text consists almost entirely of short paragraphs recording the names of pilots and numbers of aircraft they shot down, organized by units. Here and there you will find bits of information about where the pilot was born, when he joined the military services etc, but it is all too brief to place into context. As a book to read for gaining insight into WW1 air combat this is a letdown. It does well as collection of trivia and will probably be very interesting for those who have read enough about WW1 to provide their own context for the facts. On the positive side, there are some unique descriptions of air battles based on what appears to be interviews with the actual pilots involved(but again it is generally too brief to do full justice to the material and it often left me frustrated with too many unanswered questions). There are also a generous number of photographs depicting aircraft and pilots, as well as a number of color plates showing the color schemes and insignia of notable Sopwith Camels. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy trivia, it is not good as a first read for those who seek a deeper understanding of WW1 air combat and the Sopwith Camel's role in that great saga.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
While it is well known that the Sopwith F 1 Camel fighter appeared in operational squadrons after the Pup and Triplane in sequence, and before the Snipe, it is not so well known that the F 1 prototype had in fact arrived on the scene as early as December 1916. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
fuselage roundel, ground attack sorties, flight commander, seventh victory, top decking, eight victories, ten victories, five victories, flying accident, five kills, four kills, fuselage sides, six victories, nine victories, other aces, two victories, three victories Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Naval Squadron, World War, South Africa, Home Defence, Italian Bronze Medal, Aero Squadron, British Columbia, Ray Collishaw, Sqn Camel, Sqn Formed, Albatros Scouts, South Russia, Nieuport Scouts, Coastal Command, German March, Italian Silver Medal, Middle East, Naval Wing, New Jersey, New York, North London, North Sea, Staff College, Bomber Command, Bray Dunes New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
While it is well known that the Sopwith F 1 Camel fighter appeared in operational squadrons after the Pup and Triplane in sequence, and before the Snipe, it is not so well known that the F 1 prototype had in fact arrived on the scene as early as December 1916. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
fuselage roundel, ground attack sorties, flight commander, seventh victory, top decking, eight victories, ten victories, five victories, flying accident, five kills, four kills, fuselage sides, six victories, nine victories, other aces, two victories, three victories Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Naval Squadron, World War, South Africa, Home Defence, Italian Bronze Medal, Aero Squadron, British Columbia, Ray Collishaw, Sqn Camel, Sqn Formed, Albatros Scouts, South Russia, Nieuport Scouts, Coastal Command, German March, Italian Silver Medal, Middle East, Naval Wing, New Jersey, New York, North London, North Sea, Staff College, Bomber Command, Bray Dunes New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 4
books:
- Winged Victory by V Yeates on page 53, and page 60
- The Air Force (Defending the Nation) by John Hamilton on page 75
- Amelia Earhart: Daring Aviator (Junior World Biographies) by Leigh Wood Wood on page 27
- Great Britain (Discovering Cultures) by Sharon Gordon in Front Matter
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