Sopwith Camel Engine Management

[Gringo6]

I've always heard that the Camel, with its rotary engine, had a really weird engine
control system. Sometimes the reference might give some small bit of information
but never a really complete detailed account.

Does anybody know where I can find full account of this system ?

Thanks,

[wifesaysno]

I cannot remember the terminology, but there is no throttle. You turn the mags on and off. In other words, its 100% throttle or nothing.
There were a few other birds around that time that had this awkward control system.

[C]

Google "blip switch".

iIRC In simple terms, you turn the fuel on, set the mixture and then the ignition, swing the prop and off you go. Essentially you then control the engine power by turning the ignition on and off using said switch... In theory as long as the prop is turning you can keep getting power when you need it.

[Capt_Cronic]

you can hear it in this video clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnYxK83C6A4

[Fozzer]

you can hear it in this video clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnYxK83C6A4

An excellent example, illustrating the point!.... ....!

Paul....Wind in the hair...flies in the teeth... ....!

[Gringo6]

This what I thought too, until I started looking at the Video on the Camel in the Shuttleworth Collection
where they were also talking about it having two throttles, one for air and one for petrol. It seems that
they too have to be juggled. Quite an armful if you ask me !

[Flacke]

Hello Gringo, the Rotary aircraft engines had no throttling of any kind.
What they had was the blip switch to turn the ignition on and off to allow the aircraft to descend with engine off and on as necessary . Its difficult to approach and land with an engine running at full power.
The air and the fuel valves were to adjust the fuel/air mixture to compensate for altitude. To be efficient, the engine must not run too rich or too lean. It was an early crude "mixture control". That is not throttling.
Actual "throttles" came later and allowed the Pilot to throttle the engine up or down to increase or decrease power and run the engine at the chosen power setting. Once that came along the precise engine power was available for the realm of flight that the Pilot was actually in. Flying became much easier.