Sopwith Triplane | |
|---|---|
| Pays | Royaume-uni |
| Rôle | Combattant |
| Première mouche | 28 mai 1916 |
| Construit | 147 |
Lla Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War. It has the distinction of being the first military triplane to see operational service. The Triplane was developed by the firm’En tant qu’entreprise privée, le projet était dirigé par le designer Herbert Smith. Outre sa différence évidente dans la configuration des ailes, l’avion partageait de nombreuses similitudes avec la société.’chasseur biplan à succès, le Sopwith Pup. Le prototype Triplane effectua son vol inaugural le 28 mai 1916 et fut envoyé au théâtre Français deux mois plus tard, où il reçut de nombreux éloges pour son taux de montée exceptionnel et sa grande manœuvrabilité. À la fin de 1916, la production en quantité de ce type a commencé en réponse aux commandes reçues de l’Amirauté. Au début de 1917, des exemplaires de production du Triplane sont arrivés avec les escadrons du Royal Naval Air Service.
Source: Sopwith Triplane sur Wikipédia
| Sopwith Triplane Se promener | |
|---|---|
| Photographe | Inconnu |
| Localisation | Inconnu |
| Photos | 19 |
Voir aussi :
The Vertical Revolution
Lla Sopwith Triplane was a British fighter aircraft of the First World War that stunned the German Luftstreitkräfte upon its arrival in early 1917. Designed by Herbert Smith, its three-wing configuration was intended to provide a high rate of climb and exceptional pilot visibility. It was so successful that it directly inspired the creation of the famous Fokker Dr.I. Despite its short frontline career, the Triplane earned a reputation as a pilot’s airplane, favored for its agility and « hang-on-the-prop » climbing ability.
| Attribute | Technical Specification (Sopwith Triplane) |
|---|---|
| Rôle | Fighter Aircraft / Scout |
| Crew | 1 (Pilot) |
| First Flight | May 28, 1916 |
| Groupe motopropulseur | 1 × Clerget 9B 9-cylinder rotary engine |
| Horsepower | 130 hp (97 kW) |
| Vitesse maximale | 187 km/h (116 mph) at 6,000 ft |
| Armement | 1 × .303 Vickers machine gun (synchronized) |
| Service Ceiling | 6,250 meters (20,500 ft) |
| Endurance | 2 hours 45 minutes |
The Three-Wing Advantage
- High Aspect Ratio: By using three wings instead of two, Sopwith could use a very narrow « chord » (the width of the wing from front to back). This gave the pilot a much better field of view than in a traditional biplane, where wide wings often blocked vision during a dogfight.
- Unmatched Climb Rate: The extra lift generated by the three surfaces allowed the Triplane to out-climb almost every contemporary German fighter. In the era of « energy fighting, » having the altitude advantage was often the difference between life and death.
- Aileron Authority: The Triplane featured ailerons on all three wings, giving it an incredibly crisp and rapid roll rate for the time.
- The Clerget Rotary: Like many Sopwith designs, it used a rotary engine where the entire engine block spun with the propeller. While this provided a good power-to-weight ratio, the gyroscopic effect meant the plane turned much faster in one direction than the other.
Lla « Black Flight » Héritage
- Naval 10 Squadron: The Triplane’s most famous unit was No. 10 Squadron RNAS, specifically the « Black Flight » led by Canadian ace Raymond Collishaw. Their aircraft, named Black Maria, Black Sheep, Prince Noir, Chevalier noiret Peste noire, claimed 87 German aircraft in just three months.
- Psychological Impact: The Triplane was so superior to the Albatros D.III that it caused a near-panic in the German High Command, leading to a « triplane craze » that resulted in over 30 German triplane prototypes.
- Short Service Life: Because the Triplane was difficult to repair in the field and its armament (a single gun) was seen as inadequate compared to the twin-gun Albatros, it was quickly replaced by the legendary Chameau de Sopwith.
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