Hi all,
As The Salmson 2-A2 model will be finished in the next week, my mind turns to what model is next on the bench.
I have yet to build the many models in my stash, from such as Wingnut Wings, Copper State Models and the new releases from Lukgraph.
But I've fancied the idea of building the Sopwith 'Comic' night fighter conversion of the Camel.
However, there is no 1:32nd scale model of this aircraft.
So I've decided to use one of the Wingnut Wings Camel kits I have and attempt converting it to a 'Comic'.
The first attempt at converting an existing aircraft to a night fighter was carried out on the Sopwith 1 1/2 'Strutters.'
However when the aircraft were first used by No.78 Squadron, the poor performance and lack of fire power showed.
The pilot's referred to the aircraft as a night fighter as being comical.
Even though the Camel conversion proved more successful, the nickname stuck.
The design of the ‘Comic’ version of the Sopwith Camel involved replacing the standard twin Vickers machine guns on the fuselage to Lewis machine guns, located on the upper wing.
This was due to muzzle flash from the fuselage guns temporarily blinding the pilot when night flying.
Lewis machine guns mounted over the upper wing negated this.
Therefore, the forward fuselage Vickers machine guns and their famous ’hump’ were removed.
The forward decking 'hump' was eliminated and a lowered and rounded decking was extended from the cowling to the new cockpit position.
The new armament consisted of a pair of Lewis machine guns, which were fitted above the centre section of the upper wing and on ‘Foster’ type mounting.
This enabled the machine guns to be lowered for re-loading and removed the chances of muzzle flash affecting the pilot's sight.
Some ‘Comics’ had one of the Lewis guns, usually the starboard one, fixed to fire upward at 45 degrees.
Due to the location of the Lewis machine guns, the cockpit had to be moved rearwards by one bay, to allow the pilot to reach the weapons.
This modification required that the main pressure and gravity fuel tanks, which were behind the original cockpit, being removed and replaced by a smaller capacity fuel tank of 18 gallons.
This was the type fitted to the BE2e aircraft was fitted forward from the cockpit.
This tank held less fuel than the original standard fuel tank of 37 gallons and was located forward from the re-positioned cockpit.
The internal forward area of the fuselage, to the rear of the fuselage firewall, had the engine oil tank, then the main fuel tank and a smaller auxiliary tank, all located behind the instrument panel.
The conversion improved the aircraft's performance and the VI Brigade regarded it as the best of its night fighters.
No.44 Squadron (HD) was formed on the 24th of July, 1917 at Hainault Farm as Home Defence squadron for the London area.
This particular aircraft, Srial No.B2402, was flown by Capt. George Henry Hackwill, a former FE2b pilot with No.22 Sqn with two victories to his credit.
After time as a flight instructor he was assigned to No.44 (HD) Squadron as a flight commander.
On the night of 28th-29th of January 1918, Capt. Hackwill, flying ‘Comic’ B2402 and with Lt. Charles Chaplin Banks flying B3827, shot down Gotha GV, Serial No.938/16 at Wickford in Essex.
Hackwill, who was from Langtree in Devon, later flew more conventional Sopwith Camels in France as a flight leader in No.54 Squadron.
There he raised his victory count nine and received the Military Cross.
Mike
