Main Pagina Aircombat International

Sopwith-Triplane

In their search for an outstanding fighting aeroplane the Sopwith experimental department decided in early 1916 to build an entirely new design--a triplane. The completed machine had three narrow-chord wings. The combined wing area of the three mainplanes gave the aircraft plenty of lift. Ailerons were fitted to all three wings; the interplane struts were plain but strong and few bracing wires were needed. The fuselage was a typical Sopwith wooden box girder. Tail- plane, elevators, rudder and fin resembled those of the Pup, but later production models had a tail-plane of reduced area. The handling qualities of the Triplane were excellent. It is now regarded as only slightly less maneuverable than the Pup, but many pilots preferred it to the little biplane. The triplane layout was adopted in order to give the pilot the widest possible field of vision, and to ensure maneuverability. The central wing was level with the pilot's eyes and obscured very little of his view, and the narrow chord of all the mainplanes ensured that the top and bottom wings interfered less with his outlook than the wings of a biplane. The narrow chord aided maneuverability, for the shift of the center of pressure with changes of incidence was comparatively small; this permitted the use of a short fuselage. At the same time, the distribution of the wing area over three mainplanes kept the span short and conferred a high rate of roll.