Roden 1/72 Sopwith 2F1 'Ships Camel' Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

The successful Sopwith F1 Camel first flew in mid-1916 and made a serious step in improving allied aerial superiority. In the meantime, the Sopwith Pup had been adapted to operating from Royal Navy ships, and it didn't take long for the Camel to be adopted for sea duty as well.

In order to adapt the aircraft for shipborne operations, the aircraft had its wings clipped by a little over a foot, it received a new gun mount that allowed for the Lewis gun to be reloaded in flight, and floatation bags were added to the fuselage.

The aircraft was not only operated from cruisers, the HMS Furious was converted into an aircraft carrier. Camels from the HMS Furious attacked the Zeppelin hangars and destroyed L54 and L60 on July 19, 1918. On August 11, Zeppelin L53 was shot down by an HMS Furious Camel.

The kit is molded in brownish-gray styrene and features some nice detailing on the surface to represent the various construction techniques used on the aircraft. The rib detailing on the wings is nicely done. The kit comes on three trees. Three engines are provided in the kit, two of which are used in this release. Two propellers are also included, one of which is used.

Assembly begins with the engine and landing gear. The cockpit is next, all of which are installed into the fuselage halves. The lower wing, struts and tail feathers are installed next, followed by the upper wing, propeller, and Lewis gun.

A nice set of drawings illustrate the proper rigging of the aircraft.

The kit includes markings for four aircraft:

• Camel 2F1, N6603, HMS Pegasus, 1918
• Camel 2F1, N6602, HMS Furious, 1918
• Camel 2F1, N7149, Turnhouse Naval School, 1918
• Camel 2F1, N7120, HMS Queen Elizabeth, 1918

Roden has turned out another beauty with this kit. Seventy second scale aviators will enjoy the options in the kit as well as the simplicity of construction.

My sincere thanks to Squadron Mail Order for this review sample!