Camel Pilot Supreme Captain D.V. Armstrong DFC

Armstrong was raised on a farm in South Africa and enlisted in the local defense forces following graduation in 1914 and the outbreak of World War I. He transferred to the newly created South African Aviation Corps and sailed to England in November 1915 to undergo flight training with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Carson relied on period accounts and post-war reminisces by fellow pilots to fill in the gaps and provide the reader with an intimate account of what Armstrong experienced during World War I. Of particular interest are the writings of Cecil Lewis, another RFC pilot, whose experiences often paralleled those of Armstrong. [...]the design characteristics that provided outstanding maneuverability (a rotary engine and the close placement of engine, fuel tank, guns and cockpit near the front of the fuselage) also made the Camel a difficult airplane to fly.