Sopwith Triplane

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Image:Sopwith Triplane in Russland.jpg de:Sopwith Triplane Image:SopTriplane.jpg

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. The planes were more agile and faster climbers than early biplanes but they were slower in a dive than German aircraft of the time. 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.

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 swopped for the French SPAD VII and the Tripe served exclusively with the RNAS. Had the Triplane been in RFC service through early 1917 it may 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After less than a year, the triplanes were withdrawn from service and replaced by Sopwith Camels. The Germans were impressed by the performance of the Triplane and a captured specimen inspired the development of the more famous Fokker Dr.I.

1 Specifications (130 hp Clerget-engined variant)
- 1.1 General characteristics
- 1.2 Performance
2 Operators

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Specifications (130 hp Clerget-engined variant)

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General characteristics

Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 5.73 m (18 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 8 m (26 ft 6 in)
Height: 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 21,46 m² (231 ft²)
Weight Empty: 450 kg (993 lb)
Weight Loaded: 642 kg (1,415 lb)
Powerplant:
- Clerget 9Z, 9 cylinder, rotary, 110 hp [82 kw] or Clerget 9B, rotary, 130 hp [96 kw] or Le Rhône, 9 cylinder, 110 hp [82 kw]