Why?

A few years back I went through some personal changes, a nasty divorce for one thing. Shortly after that my son left for college making me an empty nester. I found myself having very little money (alimony and tuition) and lots of time on my hands. I cast about looking for something to do.

I am also approaching the age limit for a FAA First Class medical of 65. I have been flying since I was 16 and for a living since 18 as a flight instructor, charter pilot, commuter pilot and currently for a major airline. The idea of going cold turkey and giving up something that has been a major factor in my life for so long did not appeal to me.

With an eye to what works best for me and something that can be sustained on a retirement income I began research on how I can keep flying. Basically it comes down to rent, buy or build.

Factors such as per hour operating cost, type of airplane and freedom of use made me decide to build. I had a low amount of discretionary income and tons of time which also weighed toward building. Building opens a whole new world of experiences and challenges, it teaches new skills and makes new friends. And with all the choices out there you will always find something that fits.

What?

I am an avid history buff and was really hoping someday to own a war bird. But buying one was expensive and operating it out side my cost limits. The only WWII kits I could find were reduced scale and I wasn’t looking for a toy. Internet is great for these kinds of searches and I hit on a company out of Holden MO. called Aerodrome Airplanes.

Aerodrome offers a good selection of WWI aircraft reproductions in full and reduced scale. I liked the Fokker DR1 but it was very popular and I wanted different. At the time they had just started offering a full scale Sopwith Camel. I telephoned the owner Robert Baslee who was very forthcoming and helpful.

What I remembered of the Camel was it was almost as dangerous to it’s pilots as the Germans were. But modern materials and advances in technology have removed the major problems original Camel pilots dealt with. These include a thicker wing. Using 2” aluminum tube for wing spars gives the Aerodrome Camel better stall characteristics. No ammo bins allowed the fuel tank to be moved forward of the cockpit moving the center of gravity forward, important for a tail dragger. The modern radial engine (Rotec R3600) is not a rotary engine so no gyroscopic issues and is fitted with throttle control making power corrections finer adding to consistent airspeed control.

Please remember this a representation of a Camel not a replica or reproduction, that is a subtle but important point.

The kits are complete except for engines, instruments, tires and prop. Which is common practice in the kit world. They also come as complete kits or sub assemblies. I went the Sub assembly route to get started. This method will cost slightly more as you pay additional in packaging and shipping but with as low as a few hundred dollars you can get started right away.

I have found this to be a challenging build. Mostly because of my knowledge and skill level. Robert has been incredibly helpful of which you will see in future posts. He offers outstanding support.

How? Where? When?

That is for the building log. I had started a journal and have taken hundreds of pictures so far. My son has given me this site as a Christmas present and is helping me set it up. I intended to transfer all that I have done to date and any future efforts on my Camel build to this site. Including, I hope someday, video of it’s first flight.

I do this for two reasons. One to share with my friends and anyone interested. I will take email, but will not post anything offensive or derogatory. I welcome constructive criticisms and suggestions. But will block all trolls. Second to fulfill the FAA requirement to document and photograph the build.

Hope you enjoy.