This 1:48 scale die-cast model release of the World War One Sopwith Camel plane replicates the beautiful livery of an early aviation ace. This Aviation Archive model features a rotating propeller and display stand.

We’ve only made 900 of these limited-edition Walter Hinchcliff Sopwith Camel F.1 die-cast models.

History

Liverpudlian Walter ‘Hinch’ Hinchliffe began his military career with a British Army artillery unit, but in 1916, joined the Royal Naval Air Service. After training, he was posted to Cranwell as an instructor, where he clocked up an impressive 1,250 flight hours in 13 months of flying.

In January 1918, he joined No.10 Squadron. RNAS at Téteghem near Dunkirk, and scored his first victory in a Sopwith Camel on 3rd February 1918. As the commander of ‘C’ Flight, Hinchliffe’s Sopwith Camel B7190 was one of the most distinctively presented aircraft of the squadron, with its blue and white detailing making it an attractive sight for Allied and Luftstreitkräfte pilots alike.

He used this aircraft to score his second and third victories in France, ending the war with six confirmed victories, confirming him as an ace pilot.

The spine of his aircraft carried a representation of the Liverpool coat of arms, and the wheel covers had little devils painted on them. The wording ‘Donner Wetter’ painted on either side of the fuselage is German for ‘thunderstorm’ – fitting for a pilot who enjoyed such a meteoric rise through service.

After the war, ‘Hinch’ was persuaded to fly a wealthy heiress across the Atlantic, as she wanted to become the first woman to do so. Tragically, both aircraft and passengers were lost without trace during the attempt.