The Sopwith Camel was a British WWI single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult to handle, to an experienced pilot it provided unmatched maneuverability. The Camel was credited with shooting down 1,294 enemy aircraft, more than any other Allied fighter of the war. Agility in combat made the Camel one of the best-remembered Allied aircraft of tWWI. RFC crew used to joke that it offered the choice between "a wooden cross, the Red Cross, or a Victoria Cross". Together with the S.E.5a and the SPAD S.XIII, the Camel helped to establish the Allied aerial superiority that lasted well into 1918.