The first airship raids over Britain in 1915 found minimal and disorganised defences. When the Deutsche Luft-streitkrdfte (German Air Force) introduced its Gotha G V heavy bombers in the strategic night bombing role in 1917, various fighter and two-seat types were brought in to combat them. The Sopwith Camel was a "fierce little beast" (stated Captain Norman Macmillan) at the best of times, being famously "short-coupled" with the engine, pilot, guns and fuel tank all within a 7ft length of fuselage. With the gyroscopic precession and torque effects of the high-powered rotary engines, the Camel's "lightning" right-hand turn was an asset in dogfights in experienced hands, but was easily tightened into a fatal spin by a less skilled pilot.
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机译：1915年对英国的第一次飞艇突袭发现防御很少且混乱无序。 1917年，德国空军（Deutsche Luft-streitkrdfte）将其Gotha G V重型轰炸机引入战略夜间轰炸角色时，各种战斗机和两座类型的战斗机都加入了战斗。 Sopwith骆驼在最好的情况下是“凶猛的小野兽”（诺曼·麦克米伦上尉称），与发动机，飞行员，枪支和燃油箱的“短接”都在机身7英尺长内。凭借大功率旋转发动机的陀螺进动和扭矩效果，骆驼的“闪电”右转弯成为经验丰富的双手进行格斗的资产，但由于技术水平低下的飞行员，旋风很容易致命。
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