Sopwith Camel engine

[rjdelisi]

Greetings all,

I'm building the Guillows Camel for display and am a little disappointed with the plastic engine face, especially part P2 that is visible thru the bottom cut out in the cowl(it actually appears to be from a different engine entirely). Does anyone know of a 1/16 scale Clerget or LeRhone engine?

Thanks!

[Mitch]

Your kit is 1/12 scale not 1/16. Williams Bros. Makes an engine kit in that scale. Williams Bros. retired but I believe someone else is making there kits. I expect that engine kit costs about 30.00. But I am not sure. I have the Camel and the engine. When I get home I can check to see if they are a good fit. I believe the engine is a Le Rhone. But all those radial engines are very similar.
Mitch

[Bill Gaylord]

I remember that little bottom engine part, as it was stashed away when I built mine so I never checked the fit. There's a speed control occupying that space on mine. The visibility in that area is not high however, unless the model is hanging from the ceiling and viewed from the rear. One of the reasons for the simplistic engine is that the average builder does not want to spend time fabricating precision plastic parts. That may be one reason that the Stearman is seemingly not built often, as the engine requires a good deal of fabrication, from experience building both of these kits. In general the kit does have molded front side and upper fuse panels as well as guns, wheel covers, pilot, and fuse side fabric stitching, which are parts I haven't seen included in most other kits in this approximate scale.

[Mitch]

I just did a search and looks like Williams makes the cylinders but does not make the entire engine kit at this time in 1/12 scale. The cylinders are 3.50 each. You could buy those to enhance your model. Look for the entire kit on ebay or just do as I did and enhance what you have. Do a search on this site for my Orberssal Factory.

[Wildpig]

Shorty's Basement used to sell scale radial engines for free flight models. Shorty's no longer exists but, I think all that stuff went to Volare' Products.

[42swing]

Just FYI, the engine in the Camel is a rotary engine, not a radial. The engine spins on the crank with the prop attached to it, which generates the incredible torque that made these planes so tricky to fly. On a radial the engine is fixed and the prop turns.

[BillParker]

http://volareproducts.com/BUY/index.php ... ucts_id=90

[rjdelisi]

Thanks for all the help!

[Coloradoken]

the pix of the stages of construction are really good

[BillParker]

Thank you!

Note... The Camel Rotary motor is a nine cylinder engine. I however, am a whole lot better at 8 cylinder engines. So in fairness I made a ninth cylinder, and then left it out. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.


bp

[dirk gently]

I'm not sure if even-cylindered radial engines are even technically feasible, I have never seen any. But that's really not an issue here, I haven't even noticed it before you pointed it out.

[Chris A.]

Actually neither a 1/12 Le Rhone or Clerget rotary engine is correct. Camels had a Bentley rotary engine as did the Sopwith Snipe. Although the Camel is better known, Guillows' did a nice kit of the Snipe. I still have the plans and part patterns and will be building another for display. So very British.

[Mitch]

UPDATE on my Williams Bros Kits:

I have 2 kits, they are 1/8 scale and 1/6 scale, of the Le Rhone Rotary. So both are too large for this Guillows kit. I do not think Williams ever made a complete kit in 1/12 scale but they do make the cylinder heads if that helps.

Mitch

[Bill Gaylord]

The small WB clyinders may work if cut down, but they would still probably be too wide. I just remembered years ago gluing the WB halves to a foamy Sopwith Camel. They look a hair better than the sticker dummy engine that came with the kit, lol. Short a few cylinders, of course.