Such was the immediate success of the British Sopwith Triplane fighter in World War 1 that the Germans brought about their own triple-wing counter - embodied in the Fokker Dr.I Triplane.
The Sopwith Triplane (dubbed "Triplehound" by her pilots) was a three-wing fighter design built by the Sopwith Aviation concern of Britain and based on the strengths of the successful Sopwith "Pup" biplane fighter (detailed elsewhere on this site). The aircraft strayed from conventional aviation design of the time, where biplanes proved the accepted norm for most major air services, and sought to combine additional lift and maneuverability by the addition of a third wing element. This resulted in the first-ever operational deployment of a triplane fighter in the Sopwith Triplane. For a short time in World War 1 (1914-1918), the Triplane had no equal though its eventual end came with the arrival of the Sopwith Camel biplane - the classic fighter aircraft of the war. Triplanes continued to see second-line service as trainers from mid-1917 onward.
First prototypes were developed during the early part of 1916 and a first-flight was recorded on May 28th, 1916. Such was the promise of the aircraft design that it was rushed to the frontlines, seeing formal service introduction as soon as December of 1916. Initial operational use was outstanding enough to warrant serial manufacture and some 147 were ultimately delivered - the primary operator being the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS).
Beyond its triplane wing arrangement, the aircraft exhibited traditional qualities of fighters of the period - a slab-sided, tapering fuselage with open-air cockpit for one, a fixed, twin-wheeled undercarriage for ground-running, and a single-finned tail unit. To brace the three wing pattern, a thick, large strut joined the planes outboard and shorter struts connected the upper wing assembly to the upper fuselage ahead of the pilot. The pilot sat just behind the wing assemblies which did hinder visibility. However it was in maneuverability and rate-of-climb that the Triplane excelled - giving the pilot a considerable advantage in aerial firefights that were close-ranged.
Armament was typically a single 7.7mm Vickers machine gun firing through the spinning propeller blades by way of a synchronizer. There were some attempts to field a twin-gunned version but it was found that a single gun approach was more effective - the weight gained from the addition of a second machine gun, along with its ammunition supply, degraded overall performance of the fighter.
Power stemmed from a single Clerget 9Z series, 9cylinder rotary piston engine driving a two-bladed wooden propeller at the nose. This allowed for speeds to reach 117 miles per hour as well as a service ceiling up to 20,500 feet. The aircraft held a mission endurance window of 2.75 hours and time to 6,000 feet was nearly six minutes.
Results for the Triplane were exceptional in the early-going - for a period in 1917 the series racked up over 100 enemy kills. However, the machines proved complicated to maintain and repair and steep diving actions often resulted in the wing elements giving way. Its single machine gun also lacked the firepower seen in other twin-gunned contemporaries. These inherent deficiencies ultimately led the Triplane to see a very short operational career over the battlefields of Europe in the war.
Nevertheless, for its time, there proved few equals. Indeed, the Germans respected the Triplane enough to put forth a reward to any German aircraft-maker that could deliver a similar fighter. Anthony Fokker responded with what would become the Fokker Dr.I Triplane (detailed elsewhere on this site). There were many other "multi-winged" creations (some simply aerial monstrosities as aircraft go) seen during this period as well though few ever saw the light of day.
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France; Greece; Russia; Soviet Union; United Kingdom
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
✓Training (General)
Developed ability to be used as a dedicated trainer for student pilots (typically under the supervision of an instructor).
MULTI-WINGED
Addition of more mainplanes to enhance inherent agility, providing a tactical edge in tight engagements.
RUGGED AIRFRAME
Inherent ability of airframe to take considerable damage.
MARITIME OPERATION
Ability to operate over ocean in addition to surviving the special rigors of the maritime environment.
Length
18.8 ft (5.74 m)
Width/Span
26.5 ft (8.08 m)
Height
10.5 ft (3.20 m)
Empty Wgt
1,100 lb (499 kg)
MTOW
1,541 lb (699 kg)
Wgt Diff
+441 lb (+200 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Sopwith Triplane production variant)
Installed:
1 x Clerget 9B rotary piston engine developing 130 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller at the nose.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Sopwith Triplane production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
STANDARD:
1 OR 2 x 0.303 caliber (7.7mm) Vickers machine gun(s) in fixed, forward-firing position over the nose, synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 0
Sopwith Triplane - Base Series Designation
General Assessment
Firepower
Performance
Survivability
Versatility
Impact
Values are derrived from a variety of categories related to the design, overall function, and historical influence of this aircraft in aviation history.
Overall Rating
The overall rating takes into account over 60 individual factors related to this aircraft entry.
56
Rating is out of a possible 100 points.
Relative Maximum Speed
Hi: 120mph
Lo: 60mph
This entry's maximum listed speed (117mph).
Graph average of 90 miles-per-hour.
City-to-City Ranges
NYC
LON
LON
PAR
PAR
BER
BER
MOS
MOS
TOK
TOK
SYD
SYD
LAX
LAX
NYC
Sopwith Triplane operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).
Max Altitude Visualization
Design Balance
The three qualities reflected above are altitude, speed, and range.
Aviation Era Span
Showcasing era cross-over of this aircraft design.
Unit Production (147)
147
36183
44000
Compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian).
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Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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France; Greece; Russia; Soviet Union; United Kingdom
