Triplane

CHRISTCHURCH AND DISTRICT MODEL FLYING CLUB

BMFA affiliation no. 2581

Do you know your Pups from your Strutters? The one on the left is Clive’s Pup, modified from the Flair Puppeteer kit, and the one on the right is his Strutter, made from a Dale Tattam free plan published in Silent Flight (I think) a few years ago. Both models have been winners in the club C&F competition. Photos by the Editor.

CLIVE SPENCER’S SOPWITH ENTHUSIASM CONTINUES...

I'm glad to see that your not wasting your time in that boat or garden but indulging in some worthwhile employment. I took yours & Trevor’s advice & enlarged Cyril Carr's plan of the Sopwith Triplane 20 %. I have reinforced the front end with light ply as the whole thing looked too flimsy at first. I've enclosed some photo's of the progress so far. I also looked on the net for some colour photos & found the following site, http://www.wwi-models.org/Photos/Bri/SopTripe/index.html. I now feel a new model Triplane coming on possibly 50" span for 3cell lipo or even a 60" for 6 lipos, who knows where this could end up?

Hope to see you all soon, Regards Clive.


	14 Jan 08. My you all have been busy. I never seem to have the time nowadays. What fool said I would have all the time in the world when I retired. Thank you all for the U/C input, you can see the hybrid result in the attached photos.






	The depron for all the details is 3mm except the wings which are 4mm. The proposed battery is a 800Ma Lipo. Motor is a C & K outrunner 500 Watt. Glue is CA foam friendly throughout except for the U/C assembly which is Epoxy. The hole in the St'd side is for the elevator servo.


	Clive’s workbench, with a good look at what keeps him going during those marathon Depron sessions!


	...where do you make the time for building? If you have got some secret method I wish you would tell me as I never seem to have any since retirement. The Triplane is progressing slowly, I'm in the painting stage at the moment prior to final assembly.

		WW1 colours (PC10 or PC12) are too complicated a subject to discuss here, as they varied so much, ranging from dark green through Kahki (whatever that means!) to a grubby brown. I much prefer Tamiya Kahki Drab which gives a very good impression of the “black mixed with yellow” camouflage that Sopwith aircraft have in museums. But Tamiya Flat Brown shows the other end of the WW1 spectrum, a very unattractive “sh*t brown” that is just as correct for the period. It would be interesting to know what Clive has used. The markings will of course make a big difference to the overall effect.

The finished model - flying report to come!


	5 May 08 The Tripe flies very nicely but is a no-wind aeroplane, very tricky being only rudder elevator control. I also managed to loose orientation at one time with it.


	[Home] [Contact Us] [Links] [Calendar] [Results] [Techniques] [Newsletter] [C&F Comp] [Projects] [Nietoperz] [Duchess] [Triplane] [DH Rapide] [Gallery] [For Sale] [Harry Spotter's]