Sopwith Triplane

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sopwith Triplane

Sopwith Triplane in the Aero Space Museum of Calgary. 2005

The Sopwith Triplane was a single seater triplane fighter aircraft used by the British in World War I. It was manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company and was nicknamed the Tripe or the Tripehound.

Designed, like the Sopwith Pup, by Herbert Smith the Triplane possessed a fuselage similar to that of the Pup, although the disposition of spacers, formers and stringers differed. Likewise the tailplane, elevators, rudder and fin resembled those of the Pup. Initially powered by a 110 hp Clerget 9Z nine-cylinder rotary engine, however most planes were fitted with a 130 hp Clerget 9B rotary. At least one Triplane was tested with 110 hp Le Rhône rotary engine.

Introduced in November 1916 the Sopwith Triplane was flown by the Royal Naval Air Service and the French Navy. A total 152 were built. By almost all accounts, the Triplane was a very pleasant and easy airplane to fly, with effective, well-harmonised controls. In sharp contrast to the Sopwith Camel, the Triplane could be trimmed to fly hands-off. While the Triplane was more agile and a faster climber than most contemporary scouts, it was slower in a dive than German aircraft of the time. In a steep dive, the wings sometimes collapsed due to inadequate wire bracing.

Most Triplanes were armed with a single fixed Vickers machine gun that fired, using an interrupter gear, through the propeller. However, six of the planes were fitted with twin Vickers guns.

Originally a batch of aircraft were also destined for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), but these were swapped for the French SPAD VII and the Tripe served exclusively with the RNAS. Had the Triplane been in RFC service through early 1917, it might have reduced significantly the huge losses sustained during Bloody April.

The Tripe was famously flown by the "Black Flight" (of No. 10 Naval Squadron) which was commanded by the Canadian ace Raymond Collishaw. The unit claimed 87 German aircraft in three months while equipped with the Sopwith Triplane. Collishaw himself scored 33 victories in the aircraft, more than any other pilot.

After less than a year, the Triplane was withdrawn from service and replaced by the Sopwith Camel. The Germans were so impressed by the performance of the Triplane that it spawned a brief triplane craze among German aircraft manufacturers. Almost all of the German triplanes were unsuccessful, with the notable exception of the Fokker Dr.I.