Roe I Triplane
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008) |
| I Triplane | |
|---|---|
| Type | Experimental aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Alliott Verdon Roe |
| Designed by | Alliott Verdon Roe |
| Maiden flight | 5 June 1909 (but sources differ as to which attempt should first be regarded as a "flight") |
| Number built | 4 |
The Roe I Triplane (often later referred to as the Avro Triplane) was an early aircraft, the first all-British aircraft to fly (Roe's previous biplane had a French engine). It featured not only a triplane wing, but a triplane tail as well. It was of extremely flimsy construction; financial hardship compelled Roe to use wood for structural elements where he would have preferred steel, and the wings and fuselage were paper-covered. Roe nicknamed the aircraft The Blues after the braces manufactured by his brother's firm that had helped pay for it. Beginning on 5 June 1909, he made a series of short hops on the Walthamstow Marshes in Essex. The triplane's wings were damaged by crashes during these attempts, but Roe persevered.
On 13 July, he achieved a flight of 100 ft (30 m), and ten days later, one of 900 ft (275 m). With confidence building, he swapped the original 6 hp (5 kW) JAP motorcycle engine for a 24 hp (18 kW) Antoinette. With this engine, he piloted the aircraft on several short flights at the Blackpool Meeting in October before it was damaged beyond repair in a crash at Wembley on 24 December.
Roe constructed three more machines to this design, powering them with ever-larger JAP engines. One example is preserved at the Science Museum in London, and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester has a full-scale replica on display.
[edit] Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: one pilot
- Length: 23 ft 0 in (7 m)
- Wingspan: 20 ft 0 in (6 m)
- Wing area: 285 ft² (26.5 m²)
- Empty weight: 300 lb (140 kg)
- Gross weight: 450 lb (200 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × JAP, 20 hp (15 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 25 mph (40 km/h)
- Range: ⅓ miles (0.5 km)
[edit] References
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 90.
- World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing, File 889 Sheet 92.
- britishaircraft.co.uk
[edit] See also
|
||||||||||||||
