Sopwith Triplanes in French Air Service

[Soderbaum]

I have followed the discussion on Triplanes in
this Forum, and it certainly increase your knowledge... Thanks Boys(and Girls)
Now to my question. I have noticed a few times
statements that some Sopwith Triplanes were used
by the French, and that there also exist photos
of Sopwith Triplanes with french Cocades.
Can anyone verify this ?
And If, in what units did they serve ?, Naval units, escadrilas..or possible other units..
And also how long did the French used them in
operational service...?
Gunnar

From "British Aeroplanes 1914-1918" by J.M. Bruce:P.565. "...the Sopwith triplane was used operationally by the RNAS only."
P.567. "Thr battles of Ypres were therefore the last actions over which Sopwith triplanes flew."
Frankly, I wonder how photos from the black and white only era can be translated to colors. Same book, pages 570 and 567. Cockades are similar, but rendition is different. Could lead to translation problems.
Author notes, p. 568, "...despite its distinguished record it (the Sopwith triplane) has always been neglected by historians."
Same book, p.563, read and decide for yourself who originated the layout (3 wings, rotary engine} and who "imitated." There were many.
I'm happy to see so many of you interested in the tripe. To all of you, don't be satisfied with a single quote in somebody's book. FOLLOW THE PAPER TRAIL. Cheers.

J.M Bruce also says in War Planes of the first
world war that N5385 and N5388 were supplied to the French with the Germans claiming N5388 as shot down September 1917. This book dates from 1968 and it is possible that J.M.B no longer holds this view.

[PeterL]

If I may put the Jack Bruce quote intO context. The point he makes is that the triplane only served with RNAS in British service. The French aircraft are documented.[b]
hope this helps

Peter L

[Paul Forster]

In "Above The Lines" I remember seeing a French triplane on one of the aces victory lists.I believe it was from a naval squadron.

[stephen]

"The Fighting Triplanes" by Haddingham also has the specific serial numbers of the planes (less than five as I recall) sent to french service for evaluation. If they were used in combat it was experimentally, but I'd say its nearly certain that the french did indeed have a few tripes to play with.

THis is from Bob Pearsons page where there is a picture of a French Tripe. From the page :

"18 Sopwith Triplanes were transferred to the French Naval Air Service and these aircraft were then based at Dunkerque. Little is known about the French usage of these aircraft or what the pilot's opinion of them was. No.4 is seen here in a somewhat undignified attitude.

The French Triplanes were painted in French markings and featured, unusually for a French aircraft, fuselage roundels. Additionally they had the rudder stripes reversed from the usual sequence. "


The photo is at :

http://members.xoom.com/_XOOM/Sopwith_5F1/...


The photo page also has a nice shot of an interior of a Sopwith Triplane.




cam

The photo on Bob Pearsons home page appears to
be the same aircraft as that on page 60 of Sopwith the man and his aircraft by Bruce Robertson 1970. Although the aircraft is in a more dignified pose. In this book the a/c is also identified as going to the French. The doubt I have is whether the Pearson photo shows French markings. I seem to remember a number of articles in modelling magazines years ago in which the apparent colour reversal of roundels etc in period photographs was discussed. Maybe an aeromodeller could advise.
The caption with the Pearson photo says that the tail stripes are reversed from the normal French pattern and the aircraft unusually has fuselage roundels. I suspect that this aircraft is in standard British colours.
"the camera never lies" or does it?

At the risk of stretching a point the Triplane did see active service with the R.F.C.
N5430 the only triplane allocated to the army took off engaging Gothas attacking England on several occasions from Orfordness in June/July 1917.

Further to the Pearson photo another possibility is that the aircraft is in French markings but was painted in the UK prior to shipment. If a painter who had never seen a French aircraft was told that French markings were the reverse of British then the effect would be as per this photo. Does anyone know of any other extant photographs of aircraft other than "4" .
As a side issue the impressive French Aircraft of the First World War makes no mention of the Sopwith Triplane although it does include a Short bomber and the Sopwith Dolphin, single copies of each which were obtained by the French. Do the authors know something we don't or is this an oversight?