1/3 Scale Sopwith Triplane

[Alan Bithrey]

My first contribution to the Dawn Patrol is to be a Sopwith Triplane. I'm building it from the Belair semi kit which has been enlarged from from Mike Booth's 1/4 scale design. I've registered it in the over 20kg scheme with Tony just in case it is. I'm hoping that it won't get to that weight but as it could end up with a version of my live cockpit video system installed it just might! Ken B is my inspector and we had our first get together a month or so back. I know of one other Triplane definitely being built and I think there might be a third in the offing (a Mike ) so who knows we could have a flight of 3 up together at some point in the future which would be impressive.

I'm modelling N5493 "Blymp" flown by Ace Captain R.A.Little, second only to Major R.Collishaw, with 24 Triplane victories and he ended the war with a grand total of 47. Here's the full-size performing beautifully as ever at OW.

[Alan Bithrey]

There is a full build thread on RCMF for those that are interested so I won't repeat it all here. Progress to date includes 12 Cyparis wing spars machined to an I section in the style of the prototype. The wood for the spars needed to be 17mm square and was supplied cut perfectly to size by Stuart at Solutions and they fit the beautifully cut Belair ribs and riblets perfectly. Two wing panels built as of today, together with some cockpit details like the rudder bar, joystick and seat. I also mocked up the cockpit a while ago to see how things would fit.

[stuart cotgrove]

Top work Alan, good to see a wing at RAF Tibenham, hope the other five can make it next year.

[Mike Booth]

Nicely done Alan, looks like riblet city as I recall.
I will do the Tripe but my contribution will be a 1/3 scale Bristol Scout which i am toodaling away on when i get the chance between Spitfires.
It will most definately be a 2010 flyer and i wish current team a great season.
If you are doing Dixie this is the machine i copied back in 1990.
I will try to dig out an old pic and upload it.
M

[Alan Bithrey]

Nicely done Alan, looks like riblet city as I recall.
....... i wish current team a great season.
M

Me too! There are some cracking aeroplanes about including a rather tasty DVI albeit needing a little TLC at the moment

Nicely done Alan, looks like riblet city as I recall.
If you are doing Dixie this is the machine i copied back in 1990.
I will try to dig out an old pic and upload it.
M

Thanks for the offer Mike but it's Blymp for me. I've been amassing photographs of the Tripe, particularly of Dixie 2. I will try and organise them into a collection at some point as they could be useful to other builders.

Alan

[stuart cotgrove]

Stunning job Alan, very impressed when I saw it at Tibenham last week. Can't wait to see that wing flying in formation with the other five sometime.

PS, watch out for the Fokker in the sun mate...

[Alan Bithrey]

Well I've just about built 4 basic wiing panels and almost ready to start on number 5. This is what it looks like at the moment:

Small Port Wings 4.JPG (43.76 KiB) Viewed 22252 times

That's a Chris Poyser cowl - fits the bulkhead a treat and looks rather good.

Alan

[Alan Bithrey]

Bit of an update on (slow) progress .........

I enhanced the fuselage mock-up which, along with a wing panel, sat on the Belair stand at Cosford as an example.

I've been fiddling around on my lathe and making a Rotherham pump for the beast.

I've also been building the fin and rudder with a structure reasonably close to scale. These have been built mainly from thick wall ali tube from B & Q which has the advantage of being easy to bend in to a tight radius without the tube collapsing. Only downside of course is that it is slightly heavier than thinner walled material. The total weight for both items as seen here is about 130gms. The components were joined using the Alutight aluminium solder (for want of a better description) that I bought from the Swedish chap at Cosford. Seems to work really well. Must go and see Mr Bones soon and make sure he's happy with it.

Just working up to building the last wing panel and the fuselage for real.

Alan

[Mike Booth]

Cor, love that fin and rudder.

M

[Alan Bithrey]

I took the fin and rudder over to Mr Bones last week. He thought they were OK so I've covered them with Solartex. Very tricky sticking Solartex to aluminium tube - you have to wait a good while until the ali gets hot. Still, a bit of perseverance and they turned out OK. Here are a couple of photographs and one of the real thing at OW for comparison.

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Bracing Hole.JPG (37.84 KiB) Viewed 21108 times

Fullsize Bracing Hole.jpg (65.13 KiB) Viewed 21108 times

Alan

[Alan Bithrey]

Both the fin and rudder are finished and painted now. Just need the rest of it!

Fin & Rudder 9.JPG (15.04 KiB) Viewed 20795 times

Fin & Rudder 10.JPG (11.08 KiB) Viewed 20795 times

Fin & Rudder 11.JPG (10.73 KiB) Viewed 20795 times

Rudder Bracing .JPG (14.96 KiB) Viewed 20795 times

Alan

[Alan Bithrey]

A progress update .........

Six basic wing panels now complete

Wing Assy 2-1.JPG (49.57 KiB) Viewed 20240 times

Wing Assy 2-2.JPG (53.24 KiB) Viewed 20240 times

There seems to be a large gap behind those wings so time for the fus!

Having built the basic fuselage sides it was time to fabricate the metal work for the back end. Using B and Q's finest steel tube, silver solder and a bit of hard work.

Tailpost Components 2.JPG (36.99 KiB) Viewed 20240 times

Once the metal work was finished the basic fuselage was assembled

Fus & Fin 1.JPG (62.6 KiB) Viewed 20240 times

Fus & Fin2.JPG (49.32 KiB) Viewed 20240 times

Still a long way to go!

Alan

[Alan Bithrey]

Bit of an update:

The fus is coming along nicely now. I have wire braced it as Mike suggests on the plan although I've added internal cross bracing as well, attaching this to wire clips epoxied to the longerons. The main bracing sits proud of the longerons and cap strips have been added as per the full size to keep the covering off of the bracing

Fus Bracing 1.JPG (12.1 KiB) Viewed 18630 times

Bracing Clips.JPG (9.66 KiB) Viewed 18630 times

Fus Internal Bracing.JPG (13.79 KiB) Viewed 18630 times

As I'm getting close to "First Rig" I've fashioned an incidence gauge from some steel tube and a cheap spirit level. I rather like the look of that digital inclinometer that was mentioned on another thread and IIRC it was about £20 which seems very reasonable so I might "Go Digital"

Incidence Gauge.JPG (21.21 KiB) Viewed 18630 times

[Alan Bithrey]

I've spent a lot of time re-drawing and making the side cheek formers so that the stringers are nice and straight and that the whole thing captures the lightweight structure of the real thing.
1/8 ply formers were fretted out and Obechi stringers added. Curved cap strips were then fitted between the stringers which was extremely tedious to do!

The rear fuselage stringers have been added complete with intermediate hoop supports and the locker area again, as per the real thing. I've also started to stain the structure but that's very fiddly too so is being done in easy stages. Still along way to go but it is looking more like an aeroplane. I hope to do a full assembly in the garden to help the inspiration!

Cockpit.jpg (19.44 KiB) Viewed 18628 times

Side Stringers.JPG (20.24 KiB) Viewed 18628 times

Rear Fus.jpg (20.46 KiB) Viewed 18628 times

Rear View.jpg (20.14 KiB) Viewed 18628 times

The rear gun mounting ring is being made in the same way as the fin and rudder - aluminium tube "soldered" together using Alutight from the chap at Cosford a year or so back. Gun mounting brackets have still to be added to the ring and a similar one for the front mounting has also to be made.

Rear Gun Mtg Ring.jpg (8.41 KiB) Viewed 18628 times

Back in a while - but don't hold your breath!

Alan

[Mike Booth]

Thank God a real aeroplane.
Looking good Alan well done mate.
I remember having the 1/4 scale prototype assembled in the workshop back in 1989 and i couldnt believe the space it took up!!
I only needed a few clicks of throttle in a 5 knot wind and it was aloft.
Sometime soon the Dawn Patrol will have the most incredible line up of aircraft to date.

[Ken Bones]

Sometime soon Alan!

Bonzey

[Mike Booth]

[Dave Wood]

Great to see your getting on with the build, inspiring.

[Mike Booth]

Love those clips for the bracing wires, nice idea, as there is no way, even at third scale that the structure would need adjustable turnbuckles.

[Shaun Gilbert]

Great now I can hassle you here to How is the build coming along Alan