AIRPLANE

Henry Botterell does not qualify as an air Ace – he had one accredited ‘kill’ whereas five are required for official recognition. However, he gained celebrity in his final years as the sole surviving Royal Naval Air Service pilot and the oldest First World War fighter pilot of any nation. When he died in January 2003, aged 106, there were none left. Born in Ottowa, Canada in 1896, he applied to be a civilian pilot and was sent to England for training in 1916. He enlisted with the Royal Naval Air Service No.8 squadron in May 1917 but on only his second flight he crash landed and sustained multiple injuries. He was discharged from service on medical grounds but en-route back to Canada he met some old chums from No.8 squadron and was persuaded to re-enlist. His old squadron had become No.208 squadron of the newly formed RAF and Botterell flew a variety of aircraft including a staggering 91 sorties in a Sopwith Camel in just 60 days between July and August 1918.


The Sopwith Camel is one of the most historically significant aircraft included in Corgi’s WWI aircraft series. WWI fighters were relatively small in comparison to their WWII counterparts and 1:48 scale captures significant details that would be lost in smaller scales. The model uses fine gauge wire to represent the structurally significant bracing wires found on the actual aircraft. Additionally, the mold faithfully replicates the complex contours of the entire aircraft, simulating a stretched fabric covering. A detailed pilot figure sits behind the twin Vickers machine guns while the top wing includes the inboard cut-outs, so essential to the pilot’s forward visibility in a dogfight. Up front, the propeller and engine are nicely detailed and free to rotate in unison behind the cowling, just as with the real aircraft. The model rests on rolling rubber tires that accurately reproduce the gray color vulcanized natural rubber takes on after prolonged exposure to sunlight.

Captain Arthur Roy Brown was the Canadian World War I Flying Ace who was officially credited by the RAF with bringing down Germany’s most successful Ace, the infamous ‘Red Baron’,Manfred von Richthofen. On the morning of April 21st, 1918 Brown’s 209 Squadron Sopwith Camels were set upon by von Richthofen’s infamous ‘Flying Circus’. At some point during the ensuing dog-fight Brown’s high-school friend, Wop May, broke away from the battle but was spotted and pursued by von Richthofen. Brown saw his friend in trouble and in turn took pursuit of von Richthofen. Soon all 3 aircraft were snaking around at tree-top height. What actually happened next has remained controversial to this day. Both Brown and ground based anti-aircraft gunners sent long bursts of fire at von Richthofen and he eventually crashed only a few hundred yards from the front line. Although Brown was accredited with bringing down the ‘Red Baron’ it is now largely believed that he was actually shot by an Australian gunner on the ground, probably Sergeant Cedric Popkin of the Australian 24th Machine.


The history of World War I aviation is a rich and varied story. It was marked by a period of rapid technological development, where aircraft evolved from slow-moving, fragilepowered kites, into quick, agile, sturdy, fighter crafts. The Great War consumed the world in a conflict that was unrivaled until that time. It was a kind of war far different than the one that was waged on the ground. The fight for control of the air was where the cunning and bravery of the individual could matter for much. Röth was badly wounded while serving with an artillery regiment. He transferred to the German Air Force after recovering from his wounds, but was injured in a flying accident during training. In and out of hospitals for nearly two years, Röth eventually scored his first three victories on January 25, 1918. On that day, he shot down three enemy balloons in less than ten minutes. On July 30, 1918, he scored his 17th victory, shooting down a Bristol Fighter flown by Irish ace John Cowell. Röth was wounded in action on October 14, 1918. By the end of the war, he was Germany’s highest-scoring balloon buster. Of his 28 confirmed victories, 20 of them were balloons. Extremely depressed that Germany had lost the war, Röth committed suicide. His Knight’s Cross of the Military Order of Max-Joseph was awarded posthumously in 1919.