Sopwith F.1/2F.1 Camel (Haynes Manual)

Once Haynes only did car manuals, intended for car owners to keep their vehicles on the road without needing to call on the professionals, but a number of years ago decided opened their horizons much further afield and cover topics ranging from outer space to submarines... and aviation. 

So, here is a Haynes manual for the iconic Sopwith Camel, the first truly famous British aeroplane. It could, of course, be of use for owners of the World War 1 icon but the vast majority of readers will never own the plane, so is the book worth having?

Haynes manuals are very good value for the money, very readable and very well presented. These manuals for historic vehicles usually include a potted history of the type in question and then go on to technical details as to how it was built and how it can be maintained. The Camel book is no exception. The history of the Camel also includes a brief history of the origins of the RAF. Its a good read but maybe should have been gone in to a little more depth.

The technical portion of the manual does goes into depth on how the Camel was built. I find with these manuals there tend to be sections of interest and others which i skip over. The section on starting the engine for example is very good.

So yet again a good Haynes manual, and if ever i manage to get myself a Sopwith Camel (which isn't in 1:72 scale) i'll know how keep it all together!

Two views of F6314 at the RAF Museum, London

F6314 is an F.1 variant built by Boulton & Paul