Sopwith Snipe - Part 1 - Kermie Cam
Ойын-сауық
You Are There! We finally got things sorted out on the Sopwith Snipe, and it was time to take her up on her maiden flights at Fantasy of Flight. I figured why not throw a Kermie Cam on and take you along. Parts 1 and 2 feature an in depth pre-flight, warm up and taxi, including a singing wire to deal with... and then its up and away in Part 3. Hope you enjoy the ride. - Kermit Weeks (20130811)
For more information on Fantasy of Flight, and other aircraft in Kermit's collection, visit... www.fantasyofflight.com
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Пікірлер: 153
Kermie Cam has to be the greatest thing on the tube for vintage aircraft enthusiasts! Kermit is very engaging with his narrative and lets face it is just a very nice cool guy. Thanks Kermit for bringing these wonderful aircraft to life. we love ya man! :o)
The fuselage of Billy Barker's Snipe is on display at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Canada. It is probably the only relic in the world where you can actually see where someone won the Victoria Cross. Unfortunately, they have it positioned up so high that you would have to be 7' tall to see into the cockpit.
Man what a beautiful aircraft. Amazing thanks for the great video again!
I never realized what a primitive piece of machinery those were and how much there was to remember to do. I don't see how anyone survived even flying them let alone battling each other in the air.
@Axonteer
10 жыл бұрын
I like the chair, this looks so silly thinking of people sitting in those and going into combat... crazy
@CommissionerSleer
9 жыл бұрын
Very few did survive. Those that did were lauded with good reason.
@neil754
2 жыл бұрын
The speed of progress in aviation in the early days was amazing. This was made just 15 years after the Wright brothers first flight which lasted 12 seconds. The Snipe could do 120+mph, stay up for 3 hours and had 2 machine guns on it!
I suppose the Kermie Cam has been the best invention since dawn of aviation :DD
Holy Crap Batman. Sitting on that fuel tank, being shot at with tracer rounds, Talk about being ripped a new one has a whole new meaning. Those guys who flew these in combat were of a different breed to say the least. Always a great flight with the Kermie Cam. Just damn cool stuff.
Found this on accident, Time to binge watch a bunch of videos from you sir! Lovely plane, and very informative explanation about it's operation :D
The Sopwith Aviation Company It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very successful.
I don't know what's more intimidating. Having to memorize all of these procedures on how to manage the engine or sitting on a fuel tank.
It's amazing to see these aeroplanes close up, thanks for sharing them and your passionate knowledge. Lovely videos - will be making the 4,000 mile trip to Polk City again soon!
These videos represent some of the most effective use of this technology that I have seen - informative, clear, thorough. Well done!
Wonder what octane fuel is used....surely not what used in today's GA planes. Great video. Enjoyed the sun and fun fly in years ago with the group which displayed 3/4 scale built WW 1 planes. Thanx kermie for keeping this plane operational. 👍
As someone who was in the infantry and got shot at in Iraq, I cannot imagine going into combat sitting on a tank of gasoline. That scares the crap out of me just looking at it in this video. The men that came before us were truly brave warriors.
The awards in question: VC, DSO and Bar, MC and two bars...
Great series, Kermit! I agree with others that have mentioned what a pleasure it is to be able to see the cockpits of these great aircraft and fly along with you.
Thank you on all 3 parts of the video. Very interesting.
my dream job: flying all the planes
What a fantastic little fighter aircraft of WW1 this Sopwith Snipe is Kermit must be great to fly too I guess..................
Amazing briefing lesson, no detail is missing. Great videos, man!!!
Adding my thanks for these videos, Kermit. Absolutely fascinating and informative... I'm just in complete awe that you're able to master so many different kinds of airplane, some of which seem incredibly complex to me. I'm not sure I could successfully taxi one of those birds without getting into trouble.
Definitely far more complicated than I thought!
Kermit question: it occurred to me that flying aces of WWI would certainly have benefited from mirrors strategically placed in cockpit and maybe on the winds,so they may easily and quickly see around them in a dogfight. Did they not think of this? Remarkable videos and a heartfelt congratulations on a life where you made a passion a reality. You're living your dream. Not many have the courage and the wherewithal to do that. A symbolic slap in the back to you sir!
Can't wait for episode 2, great vid!
I just love these Kermie Cam videos.... you're a true legend for doing these ! :) You just HAVE to do a Kermie Cam of every aircraft you own....even if they aren't flyable - just the walk arounds and being "in the cockpit" is worth doing for as many aircraft as you can. Thanks again Kermit, you're a great guy and a true gentleman for letting us "be there" with you in all these beautiful aircraft.
All of that castor oil means you need to land often ,or is that why they made that Wicker chair with a hole in it?
Beautiful stringbird kermie, love it!
Fuel tank under the seat, yeah, just like my old ex-army Land Rover.
@AshleyPomeroy
3 жыл бұрын
The BF-109 was like that - the fuselage tank was an L-shape that sat under and behind the pilot's seat.
Eagerly looking forward to the next part!
Love these kind of vids.
I have read that WW1 pilots often suffered from diahrrea from breathing in castor oil. That is the reason they wore silk scarves. If true it is not often mentioned. May I also recommend what has been described as the finest book on the air war in the RFC.. It is called " Winged Victory " by V.M. Yeates. I came across it when I read that Battle of Britain pilots thought it excellent. T.E. Lawrence called it 'One of the most distinguished histories of the war...an imperishable pleasure'.
@richardcovello5367
6 жыл бұрын
Hey funky; The reason they wore silk scarves was to prevent the neck skin getting chafed from the constant checking up, down side to side & behind to make sure the weren't about to get bounced. Winged Victory (VM Yeates) is a great read, so is Bishop's Winged Victory. Lots of good WW1 air biographies out there- Saggitarius Rising (Cecil Lewis), Up & At 'Em (Harold Hartney) anything by Arch. Whitehouse, list goes on & on.
wonderful videos! They are like my dreams flying these warbirds! thanks Kermit!
Oh Man that is SWEET! Thanks for Sharing!
Holy moly people were fuckin HARD back in the day! Flying into battle sitting in wicker chair on top of a fuel tank, in a plane with bungee cords as suspension and no brakes. Not to mention the tail has no wheel, drag your ass to stop! AWESOME!
@bill605able
6 жыл бұрын
Totally
Kermit is King !! Keep these videos coming Kermit, I love ´em :-)
this is just amazing
Thank you so much for making such Videos, please never Stop it ; )
Fantastic vid, beautiful aircraft
@kleeman343fire4
9 жыл бұрын
WA GOB
Awesome wife phone call.. that's how it should be done, in less than 3 seconds! :)
It's 1am and me Missus is cranky. It's all Kermie's fault. : /
Love all your work, Kermie Cam too.! But puzzle me this.. Why did you remove the strainer in the neck of the tank as you added fuel? How's it suppose to strain anything when it's sitting on the seat??
Awesome 😎
Great video as usual! (:
the Castro oil is doing wonders for you kermie love the planes. you a great pilot
These videos are wonderful, thank you Kermit. Would love to see similar for any Mk of Spitfire..or a Hawker Hurricane. :)
I fly model aircraft and can say all this caster oil stuff is true.... love the videos.
I add a bit of Castrol to the fuel tank (1oz to 5 gal) of my BMW motorcycle. Lubes the upper end and smells GREAT!
You've made Snoopy very happy...........lol
Best job in the world. You mean you actually sit on top of the fuel tank? I'll bet that's comforting in combat.
@burlatsdemontaigne6147
6 жыл бұрын
Jim H _ BF109 also has the tank underneath the seat in WW2. Not many places to put a tank in a small aeroplane.
Muito bom seus voos com esse aviao.
Great work Kermit as all way's
Thank you, Kermit. I must say I was quite surprised with the complexity of the aircraft. I expected them to be a bit more simple when it came to the systems on those WW1 aircraft.
He doesn’t mention that the Castor Oil gave the pilots the runs, so they took Kaolin to block up their intestines, then Laudanum to relieve the head
(No funnel?) Sharing the fun like this is so fine and greatly appreciated! My grandfather sold castor oil to the Army in World War One. Also, there's an outfit in Germany making Bentley radials now (also a 5 cyl.1920's BMW radial for lightplanes like the Kiebitz ,) and the videos are up here somewhere on youtube.
A real ground school. Awaiting to episode 2. Alexandre - Brazil.
Looks good.
😃 Espectacular muy bien 😃👍👍
Cool plane!! :)
The original death trap.
The very old brand name of the Wakefield Oil Company- Castrol is from the use of castor oil. The company is now called Castrol although it is now a part of BP.
One of my grandads was a rigger in WW1 and he used to tell me when I objected to being dosed by my mum with castor oil that fighter pilots took it regularly. He didn't explain how at the time, but I guess they weren't taking it with a spoon.
This is a flying work-of-art. I want one...So how much would one of these cost?
I am curous how You¨ll handle this aircraft with that big rotary engine :) Good luck Kermit!
How does the fuel in the lower seat tank get to the higher header tank for the engine..?
Maybe the best fighter of WWI... just too bad it came out so late in the war. What a beauty! Thanks for the video. (Also, there's something about an iPhone in a 1918 biplane that tickles me.)
@honeydew5022
7 жыл бұрын
Dana Hess I think the Fokker Dr1 was the best
@jedimasterjoe5386
7 жыл бұрын
its a close one but not the best
why did you remove the fuel screen and fuel, instead of leaving it in and allowing it to screen the fuel?
@traceyk6541
6 жыл бұрын
Yeah...
how do the spark plugs wires rotate with the engine?
I wonder if the original Snipes had that nice seat cushion that flips in place over the fuel cap?! 😅
5 жыл бұрын
They wore very heavy flying suits to stay warm, it's cold up there.
Just give me five. Reminds me of my younger days when I could scrap together a few bucks for gas(for the car of course). Didn't see a full take of gas except for on a rare occasion.
I've read that castor oil also makes you a "regular" guy. Have you had any experience with it?
The pilot sits on the fuel tank. Scary!!!
@joylunn3445
4 жыл бұрын
Same as my old army Land Rover. The seats come out to fill the tanks.
@mr.thiemo1406
3 жыл бұрын
Its More Common than you think
...you deserve the 'Blue Max' for that documentary.........captured technology of the sub-human Englisher fascinates us.....please keep Sopwith in one piece....for us to poop on..........MvR
@diamonddog257
10 жыл бұрын
***** .....tri-planes are even cooler....and ICON-ic for WW1; ....did you pay attention to the operation of this !!....no wonder most pilots died Gloriously horrible.....hmmmm...I know what to get myself for my 65th B-Day ;}
@diamonddog257
10 жыл бұрын
***** ....Nice [?] to visit....but you don't wanna live there..... ....we are in a great age right now......I could build anything from WW1 Fighter to amphibious jet in my backyard.....-and don't have to rely on them..... ..suggest you explore other WW1 aircraft.....the concept of Fighting in them at 20,000 feet is ' A Ride'., all right......
Where do I get the hood ornament?
Where is the rest of this series?
"biggest rotary ever made" Actually the Bentley BR 2 wasn't the biggest in terms of size. The Siemens Halske SH.III was 11 cylinders (160-240 HP), the Gnome Delta-Delta was a two row rotary of 18 cylinders (200 hp) and there were a few scary experimental four row rotaries.
That would be Billy Bishop. Billy Barker was a famous English Canadian prospector.
@belaboured
4 жыл бұрын
I stand corrected. Wasn't aware of this William Barker.
@richardcarnahan5184
3 жыл бұрын
Barker had 50 confirmed kills. Bishop had 72. Both these Canadians were VC recipients. And both won it non-posthumously, ...although Barker barely did so. 😬
when the metalfilter is in you can use it as toilet too right ? :P
Congatuations on another great video! A word or two about rotary radials. The very first weren't airpane engines at all, they were motorcycle engines adapted by early aero experimenters in the 1880's. Clerget in France for instance. Use your imagination and picture a wheel and tire on the outside circumference of the engine with the cylinders becoming spokes of a wheel. Now capture the crankshaft in the rear frame... Voila! Now imagine you're an enterprizing early aeroplane inventor and you need a lightweight powerplant for your creation. Of course! Just like today, you can adapt almost any engine to a homebuilt airplane, so did many early experimenters in Europe. Not so much in this country where the Wright Brothers were engaged in trying to profit from their contraption by patenting the airplane and were forced by patent laws to produce their own engine. At the same time, Glen Curtiss was using his own Curtiss OX V8 liquid cooled motorcycle engine toward the same end. I find it difficult to credit the Wright's wholly with the invention of the airplane after they followed in the footsteps of other great inventors like the German Otto Lillienthal, Brazillian Santoz Dumont in France and others. Although plagued by the inherant drawbacks of the Rotory, it was pretty much all there was without desgning an engine from scratch. Specfically, the relatively heavy spinning crankcase caused dangerous gyroscopic precession to occur in the control inputs for instance, plus the difficulty in throttling the beast with only a rudementry carburator. Now, WWI comes along with a pressing need for military aircraft... more power, better range and reliability. What do you do, but re-invent the rotory engine with more power, range and reliability. Bigger and bigger rotories with even worse inherant problems. The reason the Bentley was the last in the line was because it reached the limit of the technology and was soon surpassed by fixed radial and liquid cooled engines untill turbojets came along. And the castor oil? On the total loss oil systems of the early engines, it proved to be far less combustable thereby providing better lubrication and less of a fire danger when pumped directly into the induction manifold, combustion chambers and out the exhaust. We had to use plenty of turpentine and elbow grease on our Neuport 24bis replica powered by a Le Rhone 80hp from a Thomas-Morse Scout to remove the gunk. peace-out..Tc
I know I know a lot about the British aircraft and I really miss the chance of ever being up close to one again I really like to shop with I even like the camel is well someone has to spin the propeller to get started They didn't start the automatic ignition until after 1900 And it was a really automatic admitting ignition that hoping you have a safe flight and I really wish I was there with you bye
😃👍👍👍👍👍😃
@ 8.00 MINS , MY MOTHER USE TO SAY ITS GOOD FOR THE STOMACH TOO
the castor oil also gave the pilots loose stools ;)
@cameronjenkins6748
9 жыл бұрын
redeyeracing2 I suppose the fuel filler hole in the middle of the seat would come in handy in that scenario.
6:07 What is the purpose of that round horn like object on the small strut right there in the middle?
@georgiaflyer8702
9 жыл бұрын
I think it controls the suction for the gauges
@georgiaflyer8702
9 жыл бұрын
Well for the gauges that are powered by suction
@vikramDvampire
9 жыл бұрын
13megaprime it is explained at 15:00.... it's a venturi suction to pump the fuel up to the gravity feed tank.
@13megaprime
9 жыл бұрын
vikramDvampire As it turns out, I found that it was a venturi through research i made on aircraft instrument systems long before you commented. Thanks anyway.
In Pt 2, During the Pre Flight Checks, point out the "Landing and Flying wires".
awesome videos - hehe, beauty secret, castor oil on your face. Love your videos.
@kelvint9268
10 жыл бұрын
Makes me wonder how free we will be to do these things in the future - www.newmessage.org/the-freedom-to-move-with-knowledge
Great plane for constipation ;)
If that was me I'd have had a extension tube made to fuel it up easier.
Ah Yeah? I love airplanes,however, I am no so sure you would get me into one of those things or not? It's a kite with an engine. A Stearman is about the only thing you could get me into that has 2 wings and an open coclpit. Sorry Kermit. Cool video though.
love the devil on the gun
Flatulence assist ?
Does a Snoopy Sopwith camel exist?
WWII Invasion stripes? Good luck with that.
Where's the red Baron?
So how does a rotary engine gets its fuel?
@MyFabian94
8 жыл бұрын
+ZerokillerOppel1 Carburettor into the Crankcase though fixed crankshaft.
@ZerokillerOppel1
8 жыл бұрын
+MyFabian94 ok thanks!
@MyFabian94
8 жыл бұрын
You're Welcome.
@richardcarnahan5184
3 жыл бұрын
Great question! Never thought of how that might work until now. Thanks for the answer Fabian! Would have kept me awake all night.
Kermit; Did you mean to say Billy Bishop instead of Barker?.....Hal
@rodparsons521
7 жыл бұрын
That would be the fight in October of 1918 where after downing one aircraft Major Barker was bounced by 15 plus, downed two or three more taking 4 wounds, one very serious, in a running fight, for which he was awarded the VC.
@richardcovello5367
6 жыл бұрын
Hal Edmondson; Nope, he meant William George Barker, VC, DSO & bar, MC & 2 bars, Croix de Guerre, 2 Italian Silver Medals for Valour 3 mentions in dispatches. Canada's most decorated soldier/airman. On the morning of Oct 27, 1918, he shot down a German observation plane at 22,000 ft, was jumped by a D-7 & wounded, then attacked by one or more large formations of fighters, possible totaling 60 enemy aircraft (estimates I've read vary between 35 & 60). In the running battle that ended at ground level, he was wounded twice more, but shot down 3 more Germans before crash landing on our side of the lines. Great biography by Wayne Ralph: William Barker VC- 1997, 2007.
is that a reproduction or an original?
@TheSkipjack95
9 жыл бұрын
+andrew donohue Airframe is a reproduction, engine is original though
Methane booster system?
That thing looks hairy dude.
Oh lordy they didn't care about their pilots did they. Sat them on top of a Molotov cocktail.
So you sit on the fuel tank? So if it catches fire, you're basically stuffed right away I guess lol.
It's amazing a bucket of bolts (and I mean this in the most loving, respectful way possible) like that can even get down the runway, let alone fly, LET ALONE take on the Germans!