Sopwith Triplane vs. Fokker Dr1

[Angiolillo]

Ok, the plane we got in the drawings is N500: http://www.australianflyingcorps.org/mkiii..._10961.htmWhich was the two MGs one?
I'll write you... Thanks!

[MikeW]

Angiolillo,

N500 was the first prototype, fitted with a single gun, and was regularly flown by Dallas amongst others during the 2nd half of 1916. It started off in cleared doped linen finish and metamorphosed into a sequence of slightly different brown finishes - sometimes the serial colour changed, sometimes the fuselage cockade dissapeared!!

The twin gun triplanes that served on the Western front were:

N533 flown mostly by Collishaw, black cowl and metal panels, black wheel covers and black fin. Large letter "C" behind the fuselage cockade and on the starboard horizontal stabilizer, and "Black Maria" stencilled in white beneath the cockpit.

N534 flown by Maynard, and once by Dallas. White/red/white band aft of the fuselage cockade, red fin with a white "f" on it, and two longitudinal blue stripes on the horizontal stabilizer.

N536 flown usually by "Nick" Carter, possibly had red cowl, wheel covers, and fin. Almost certainly had a letter on the fuselage behind the cockade, but no idea what it was.



You have a problem with Little's triplane, it was brown body and wings (like all the others), natural aluminium cowl and metal panels, and the word "Blymp" in large white script below the cockpit. A thin white/thick red/thin white band around the fuselage aft of the cockade. Serial N5493.

The sword came later after Little stopped flying this machine, can't remeber who the pilot was off the top of my head, probably FCdr Arnold. At this stage the fin was painted white with a red heart.

[Angiolillo]

I made a mess, with my superficial memories. The twin MGs Triplane intended by our artist was Collishaw's.

Thanks a lot, really!

Andrea

[Dan_San_Abbott]

cspellman:
Recently I visited Chuck Wentworth at Paso Robles to view Javier Arango's new Fok.D.VI. While there I had a conversation with Chuck about the relative performance of the sopwith Tripe and the Fokker DR.I. He said he has flown both machines in Javier's collection and the Sopwith Tripe with it's 6 ailerons cannot turn as well or as fast as the Fokker Triplane with two ailerons. The difference is the the Sopwith Tripe has short span, wide ailerons, while the Fokker DR.I has long narrow aileron which are more effective. He further said the Fokker D.VII and the Fok.E.V also have long narrow ailerons and said they were equally effective. The long narrow ailerons produce an excellent role rate which is about twice as fast as the short and wide ailerons.
Chuck compared the Fokker D.VII with the S.E.5a and stated that with Fokker D.VII you could make aileron turns, but with the S.E.5a the ailerons would only produce a yaw until you applied the rudder.
He said, "If I was going to war, and I had to choose between the Sopwith Tripe and the Fokker Triplane, without a doubt, I would choose the Fokker Triplane! It is twice the airplane, than the Sopwith Tripe!"
While we were talking, I kept thinking of Werner Voss taking 6 S.E.5a machines from 56 Squadron.
The ceiling of the Sopwith Tripe was 20500 feet, the ceiling of the Fokker DR.I was, 7000 m,(22960 ft.)
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Kory_Clark]

It was probable that the Dr1 was a "significant" improvement over the tripe. It was made based on the tripe with many improvements.

It, like the FokD7 was equipped the better airfoil that improved lift drastically, esp. at low angles of attack.

Two guns is huge improvement by itself and it weighed LESS than the tripehound!

The Dr1's whole rudder could move and many pilots of the dr1 could turn inside many allied planes, using rudder alone. In a well co-ordinated turn it could probably give you 9 cents change on a dime.

The Tripe was faster however, by a very small margin.

It was a bad little b|tch, but not the plane you want to make an escape in.

[Rod_Filan]

Mike,

When is your book coming out? Will I be able to purchase it directly from you, or at least online?

VBR
Rod

[baldeagle]

The Dr.1 could not turn inside many allied airplanes using rudder alone.

[baldeagle]

Angiolillo,
There's a photo of a Belgian camoflaged Nieuport 11 in the Osprey Nieuport Aces of WW1 book, flown by Jan Olieslagers.

[Angiolillo]

Wow, Olieslagers again! Very interesting info, thanks. If anybody has time to scan and send it... Those books are not so easy to find, down there.
Is it something like the Ni11 attached here?

There was also one at http://mars.ark.com/~mdf/N_11.html , but no photos to be sure.

Bye and thanks!

Angiolillo

[Angiolillo]

I read in several places that "Collishaw's flight had black noses, so, in an effort to boost morale and solidarity they painted the rest of their Triplanes black". True or false?

Thanks!

Angiolillo