Sopwith Triplane - Shuttleworth Vintage Airshow 2022

The Shuttleworth Collection’s Sopwith Triplane, displaying at old Warden Airfield during the Shuttleworth Vintage Airshow 2022. The Sopwith Triplane was a follow on development of the Sopwith Scout (nicknamed the Pup). The 110hp Clerget powered Sopwith Triplane prototype N500 was approved on 28 May 1916, only 4 months after the Pup prototype. It had a fuselage and tail unit similar to those of the pup, a more powerful engine and the addition of an extra wing which retained the manoeuvrability of the Pup, but made the Triplane faster with a better rate of climb. Later aircraft also received a more powerful 130hp Clerget engine, further improving performance. The Sopwith Triplane was sent to Dunkirk, France in mid June 1916 for evaluation by A Squadron (later 1 Naval Squadron) Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and was sent into action as soon as it arrived. A 2nd prototype, the 130hp Clerget 9b powered N504, was flying by August 1916 and was similarly dispatched to France for trials. Even more powerful and maneuverable than the highly respected Pup, Sopwith’s new Triplane or ‘Tripehound’ (often shortened to ‘Tripe’) as it became known, was an instant hit with the young RNAS pilots lucky enough to fly them. Although superficially similar to the Sopwith Pup, the Tripe fuselage was designed from the outset for the larger 110hp & 130hp Clerget engines. The wingspan was the same but the triple ‘short chord’ wings afforded greater visibility, more maneuverability and a phenomenal rate of climb. Although initially armed only with a relatively slow firing single Vickers machine gun like the Pup, the Tripe could out-climb and out-manouevre the best German fighters of the time, the twin gun Albatros & (and later D.V), and it was faster too. So promising was the new Sopwith design that the Royal Flying corps (RFC) had an order “under consideration” for 50 aircraft a mere 10 days after the prototype was unveiled, although ultimately the RFC would only receive 1 aircraft with the vast majority going to the RNAS. Eventually, on the Western Front, three RNAS squadrons (1, 8 and 10) were fully equipped with Sopwith Triplanes (15 machines plus 3 spares) and three more squadrons (9,11 and 12) received some. A few Triplanes were also sent to the Middle East. A handful were operated by the French Centre d’Aviation Maritime and at least one served with the Imperial Russian Air Service (and remarkably remains in existence today). The performance of the Tripe so impressed the Germans that they put much time and expense into attempts to develop their own Triplane. Ultimately their only successful design was the famous Fokker Dr.1 which started to appear towards the end of 1917, about the time that Sopwith’s design was being phased out of front line service in favour of the Sopwith Camel. The arrival of the superior Camel meant that only 150 Triplanes were built by Sopwith, Clayton & Shuttleworth and an inexperienced company of shopfitters at Oakley & Co who had their contract cancelled after completing only 3 aircraft (one of which also still survives). The Triplane was the first aircraft of its configuration to be used on the Western Front and gained almost complete ascendancy over enemy fighters for about 7 months, until superseded by the Sopwith camel in November 1917. The most famous Triplane unit was ’Black Flight’ of Squadron, RNAS, led by Canadian Flight Sub-Lieutenant Raymond Collishaw, who eventually destroyed 60 enemy aircraft. The aircraft seen here is a reproduction aircraft which was built entirely by volunteer members of Northern Aeroplane Workshops to original plans and delivered to the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden in June 1990. It flies with the UK civil aviation registration of G-BOCK. On seeing the quality and accuracy of the workmanship Sir Thomas Sopwith declared it to be a late production aircraft rather than a replica. It’s powered by an original Clerget Rotary 9B, 130hp engine. The aeroplane first flew on 10th April 1992 and, following a full testing programme, made its first public display appearance at Old Warden on 27th June 1992. It suffered a minor landing accident in 2014 and was repaired during 2015. On Monday 13 March 2017 the Sopwith Triplane underwent both engine run and successful test flights and returned to the air. The aeroplane is marked as ’Dixie II’ and represents the original ’Dixie’ serial N6290 of No. 8 and 10 Naval Squadron RNAS. Video and Audio content is Copyright © High Flight T his video and audio material may not be reproduced in any form (except as the videos Youtube embedded video option on any other website), without written permission.