Sopwith Camel & Spitfire flying formation | FerrariChat

Sopwith Camel & Spitfire flying formation

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by ylshih, Jan 17, 2007.

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  1. ylshih

    ylshih Shogun Assassin
    Honorary Owner

    Mar 21, 2004
    20,408
    Northern CA
    Full Name:
    Yin
  2. SWITCHESOFF

    SWITCHESOFF Formula Junior

    Nov 9, 2005
    582
    Thank you so much for posting that video ! It choked me up a bit because I helped to operate a bunch of rotary powered airplanes from the Ontario museum that were in the Abbotsford Bi-Centennial Air Show in 1967. They had brought down a Sopwith Pup, an Avro 504K, a Nieuport 17, and a Sopwith Tri-plane. There weren't enough people handy who knew how to hand prop an airplane and nobody other than the Canadian crew who new how to start a rotary. My partner and I not only did our clown act and flew our antique but spent a lot of our time cranking up the rotary powered airplanes when they had to fly their routines. What a kick ! The sequence was a bit different than what was shown on the video in that the pilot came up to full throttle to get things working right ( mixture, etc.), then signalled for chocks away after going to "off throttle". We pulled the chocks and dove under the wings when he came up to full power and launched in about 30 yards. I couldn't believe the thrust and torque produced by those old engines. Our rewards for helping to run those old birds was an hour of wipe-down after the flight to remove the thick gooey layer of castor oil from the whole airplane.
    For those of you who don't know how the rotary's work, the fuel is fed into the back of the crankcase through a pipe that protrudes back into the cockpit where it tees off to each side to intake air to feed the " carburetor' with benzine( gasoline ) AND castor oil. Castor oil was used because it went into the crankcase with the combustable fuel but it was not combustable and did its job of lubricating the engine and then it was ejected over board at the top of the cylinders with exhaust. The rotary engine was needed so that the cylinders were twirled through the air to keep them cool. The machining capabilities weren't as refined as they became in the early twenties so that the heat could be dispersed by many small fins on the barrel as they are today. The open or cut away lower cowl was needed to vent fuel away from the airplane when the blip button shut off the firing during decelaration. The full cowl trapped fuel in there and when the pilot came back on the ignition there was a great big fire when the pool of fuel ignited. Bill Ross had his Spifire there at that show and what a sound that made !
    Fun stuff.
    Switches
     
  3. sparky p-51

    sparky p-51 Formula 3

    Aug 8, 2004
    1,375
    klamath falls, Or.
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    steve
    Great story Switches. I can almost taste the castor oil. I knew Bill Ross for a long time. One of the old orginal EAA Warbird group.
     
  4. SWITCHESOFF

    SWITCHESOFF Formula Junior

    Nov 9, 2005
    582
    That was a great experience and I will never forget the fun that we had then. Ross was a bit apprehensive about the planned formation of WW2 birds for the fly-in the first day. He didn't want to be hemmed in by anybody and he voiced his concern during the pilot's briefing in the morning. They wanted him to fly point in the vic formation and he said that he couldn't do that. Chuck Lyford (P-38) asked him why and Ross said that his airplane turned faster than eveybody elses and Lyford looked at him and said," Then don't turn, Godammit!" That afternoon as the flight came in from the Frazier River Valley with Ross on the outside damned if the formation didn't change and he got boxed in by the P-38 and a Corsair and everybody else , if I remeber, and he ended up on the point anyway. It was a beautiful flyby with about 8 WW2 fighters and the sound was enough for a guy to wet his pants. I talked to Ross's pilot who also flew the Spitfire and he said compared to the P-51 the Spit was nothing but an all metal Cub.
    Those air shows in the old days were wonderful and I am fortunate to have been a part of them.
    Switches
     
  5. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    This is really great.
    Many many thanks.
     
  6. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    8,017
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    Re the Abottsford show in '67. We arrived a day early and helped the Canadians assemble the WW1 stuff after it was off loaded from their C-130. That evening they flew the Avro 504K and what a sight that was to see the pilot perform a falling leaf to lose altitude right over us. The low evening light painted the airplane in a rosy golden glow and every time the throttle was opened we could see a burst of castor oil and exhaust. He did some loops and before that. What a beautiful old machine! Early the next morning they flew the Nieuport 17 , Pup, and a tripe.
    Greatest weekend ever !
    Switches
     
  7. Chupacabra

    Chupacabra F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 30, 2005
    3,523
    Behind a drum kit
    Full Name:
    Mr. Chupacabra
    Geeze, the Sopwith seems like it is quite the handfull.
     
  8. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    8,017
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    The Sopwith Camel was a handful with 400 pounds of prop and engine spinning around at 1100 RPM there were many times when the tail wagged the dog. Killed a lot of low time pilots when too much throttle was applied at low speeds.
     
  9. Spasso

    Spasso F1 World Champ

    Feb 16, 2003
    14,656
    The fabulous PNW
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    Han Solo
    #9 Spasso, Jun 29, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Switches, second from left with Sopwith Pup at Abottsford B.C. Canada, back in the 60's. Owned by Bob Cansdale.
    Pilot is Ernie Gann.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  10. rfking

    rfking Formula Junior

    Nov 16, 2003
    785
    Italy
    Great Photo - hold onto that one!
     

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