Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia

FAA Aircraft - Sopwith Camel 2F1

In 1918, the battlecruiser HMAS Australia and the light cruisers Sydney and Melbourne each were equipped with a Sopwith Camel while on station during World War One. The Camel was the first aircraft from an Australian warship to meet the enemy in actual combat. After the war, in early 1919, the aircraft were returned to the Royal Air Force.

Manufacturer: Wm Beardmore & Co Ltd
Type: ship-borne fighting scout
Delivered: 7 aircraft, 1917
Crew: one
Engine: one 150 hp BRI Bentley
Speed: 124 mph
Armament: 1 x Vickers machine gun, 1 x Lewis machine gun, 2 x 50 lb bombs
Service: embarked in HMA Ships Australia, Sydney and Melbourne
Withdrawn: 1919

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