EXPERIMENTS IN LANDING A SOPWITH CAMEL ON WATER USING INTERNAL AIRBAGS ONLY [Main Title]

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  • Title: EXPERIMENTS IN LANDING A SOPWITH CAMEL ON WATER USING INTERNAL AIRBAGS ONLY [Main Title]
  • Film Number: IWM 629
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Tests used to modify two Sopwith Camels for emergency landings in the water at the Royal Navy base on the Isle of Grain between 20th July and 28th August 1918.
  • Description: The first test on 20th July is carried out with a Camel without hydrovanes or external air bags. Flying straight and level the machine glides out over the harbour and tries to belly-land on the water. As soon as the wheels touch it turns nose-up and sinks past the cockpit, although not completely. It is recovered by a launch and examined. The impact has twisted the leading edges of the wings and crushed the engine cowling. The second test on 9th August is carried out with another machine, fitted with front and rear hydrovanes - the front set is like a small third wing between the wheels, the rear fits to the tail skid. Again the machine glides in to land and noses-up the instant the wheels touch the water. The launch recovers the plane, which shows similar damage to that done on the earlier test. If anything the damage is worse, with the front hydrovane completely buckled. The third test on 28th August uses the same machine but smaller landing wheels to try and cure the problem. This time the front hydrovane is thinner and set forward of the landing wheels by means of two braces. The machine again glides in to land in the bay, and this time it lands safely, although as soon as it comes to rest the weight of the engine tilts it nose down and it begins to sink, so that the pilot has to crawl up onto the tail. The machine is stable in this position until the launch arrives to tow it back. (Part of the towing sequence shows B3878, the plane from the first test, also being recovered.) A final test is made using a Sopwith Snipe, also fitted with the thinner hydrovane and no external air bags, which has a device to enable it to jettison its wheels before landing. It comes in over the bay, drops its wheels, and lands in the water successfully without nosing up. It is towed back by the launch as dusk falls across the bay, throwing it into silhouette on the very calm water.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: IWM 629
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1914-1918
  • Production Date: 1918
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Admiralty (Production sponsor) Royal Air Force (Production sponsor) Royal Air Force (Production company) London Photo Centre (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Air Force (regiment/service) Royal Navy (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: aircraft, British - combat: Sopwith Camel & [R and D] (object name) aircraft, British - combat: Sopwith Snipe & [R and D] (object name) training, British naval air - specialist: water landing (object name) equipment, British naval air - engineering: hydrovane (object name) 31/3(41) (event) 12/3(261.2).8 (event) Isle of Grain, Kent, England, UK (geography) Thames (River Estuary), England, UK (geography) Instruction (concept) half-light (concept) Calm (concept)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 546 ft; Running time: 9 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    IWM 629

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