List of triplanes

Last updated December 22, 2024

This is a list of aircraft types having triplane wings.

Type	Country	Date	Role	Status	Notes
Albatros Dr.I	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Based on the Albatros D.V biplane.
Albatros Dr.II	Germany	1918	Fighter	Prototype	Based on the Albatros D.X biplane.
American Flea	USA	c. 1939	Private	Homebuilt	Triplane variant of the Mignet Pou du Ciel. Lower wing plane is all-moving ailerons.
Armstrong Whitworth F.K.5	United Kingdom	1915	Fighter	Prototype	Never flown. Middle wing longer span than the others.
Armstrong Whitworth F.K.6	United Kingdom	1916	Fighter	Prototype	Middle wing longer span than the others.
Astoux-Vedrines	France	c. 1916	Experimental	Prototype	Wing incidence could be varied in flight. ^[1]
Austin Osprey	United Kingdom	1918	Fighter	Prototype
Aviatik 30.24	Austria-Hungary	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Based on the Aviatik (Berg) D.I biplane.
Avro 547	United Kingdom	1920	Transport	Prototype	2 built. Based on the Avro 504, with a third wing added.
Battaille Triplane	Belgium	1911		Prototype	Designed by César Battaille [ nl ]. Several short flights or hops.
Bell Oionus I	Canada	1910	Experimental	Prototype	Triplane variant of Bell's octahedral wing. Flown once.
Berliner Helicopter No.5	USA	1923	Experimental	Prototype	In 1923, the Helicopter incorporated triplane wings to allow for gliding in case of an engine failure.
Besson H-3	France	1921	Private		^[2] or Besson MB.12 ^[3]
Besson H-5	France	1922	Transport flying boat	Prototype
Besson H-6	France	1921	Patrol		Mailplane. Lower wing the largest and top wing the smallest.
Besson LB	France	1919	Patrol		Flying boat
Besson HB.2	France
Besson MB-10	France
Besson MB-11	France
Besson Hydravion école	France	1919			Flying boat, exhibited at the 1919 Paris Aero Show.
Blackburn Triplane	United Kingdom	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Pusher propeller and boom-mounted empennage to allow an upwards-firing 2-pounder recoilless gun.
Boeing GA-1	USA	1920	Attack	Production	Heavily armoured twin. 10 ordered, not operational.
Bousson-Borgnis triplane	France	1908		Bomber	Canard. Failed to fly.
Bristol Braemar	United Kingdom	1918	Bomber	Prototype	Mk II flown in 1919.
Bristol Pullman	United Kingdom	1920	Transport	Prototype	The Bristol Pullman 14-seat transport variant flew in 1920.
Bristol Tramp	United Kingdom	1921	Transport	Prototype	2 built, never flown.
Caproni Ca.4	Italy	1914	Bomber	Production	Military designation of a line of bombers which would also see airliner variants. Types include the Ca.40,41,42,43,48,51,52,58,59.
Caproni Ca.40	Italy	1914	Bomber	Prototype	3 built.
Caproni Ca.41	Italy	1918	Bomber	Production	Re-engined Ca.40.
Caproni Ca.42	Italy	1918	Bomber	Production	Re-engined Ca.41.
Caproni Ca.43	Italy	1918	Bomber	Prototype	Floatplane variant of the Ca.4.
Caproni Ca.48	Italy	1919	Transport		Converted from surplus Ca.42.
Caproni Ca.49	Italy	1919	Transport	Project	Seaplane.^[4]
Caproni Ca.51	Italy		Bomber		Ca.42 variant with biplane tail and tail gun.
Caproni Ca.52	Italy	1918	Bomber	Production	Ca.42 built for the RNAS. Six built.
Caproni Ca 53	Italy	1917	Bomber	Prototype	1 completed, never flown. Preserved in the Gianni Caproni Museum of Aeronautics.^[5]
Caproni Ca.54	Italy	1919	Transport		Conversion of the Caproni Ca 53.^[4]
Caproni Ca.55	Italy	1920	Transport		Seaplane derived from the Caproni Ca 54.^[4]
Caproni Ca.58	Italy		Transport		Ca.48 re-engined with Fiat A.14 or Isotta Fraschini V.6.
Caproni Ca.59	Italy		Transport	Project	Designation of Ca.58 intended for customers outside Italy.
Caproni Ca.60	Italy	1921	Transport	Prototype	The "Noviplano" was a triple tandem triplane which crashed on its maiden flight.
Caproni-Pensuti triplane	Italy	1920	Private
Catron & Fisk CF-10	USA	c. 1925	Transport
Curtiss 18-T	USA	1918	Fighter	Production	Known variously as the "Wasp" and the "Kirkham".
Curtiss Autoplane	USA	1917	Private	Prototype	Flying car. Flew only short hops.
Curtiss BT	USA	1917	Utility	Prototype	Seaplane, referred to as the "Flying lifeboat" or "Baby T".
Curtiss Model FL	USA	1917		Prototype	Flying boat comprising Model F hull with Model L wings.
Curtiss GS-1	USA	1918	Fighter	Prototype	Floatplane.
Curtiss Model L	USA	1916	Trainer	Production	Landplane and floatplane variants.
Curtiss Model S	USA	1917	Fighter	Production	S-4 and S-5 were floatplanes.
Curtiss Model T	USA	1916	Patrol	Prototype	Flying boat. Known as the "Wanamaker"
Curtiss-Judson Triplane	USA	1917	Utility flying boat	Operational	Flying boat. Slightly enlarged triplane version of the standard Curtiss F-Boat.^[6]
Curiss-Cox racer	USA	1921	Private	Operational	Also called the "Cactus kitten", a one-off triplane conversion of Cox's "Texas wildcat".
Dorand 1908 triplane	France	1908		Prototype	Military triplane.
Dufaux triplane	Switzerland	1908	Experimental	Prototype	Tandem triplane with biplane tail and tiltrotor. Failed to fly.
Dunne-Huntington Triplane	UK	1910 or 1911	Experimental	Prototype	Not strictly a triplane but a three-surface aircraft, having a pair of tandem wings with a third set above and between them, but referred to as a "triplane" by its designer, J. W. Dunne.
DFW T.34 II	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype
Ellehammer triplane	Denmark	1907	Experimental	Prototype	First powered triplane to fly.
Euler Dreidecker Type 1	Germany	1916	Trainer	Prototype
Euler Dreidecker Type 2	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Later modified as a biplane.
Euler Dreidecker Type 3	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Later modified as a biplane.
Euler Dreidecker Type 4	Germany	1918	Fighter	Prototype
Euler Dreidecker Type 5	Germany	1918	Fighter	Prototype	Triplane variant of the Euler Vierdecker quadruplane.
Faccioli Triplane	Italy	1909	Experimental	Prototype	Crashed after a short hop.^[7]
Farman Voisin	France	1908	Experimental	Prototype	Original Voisin machine modified to a triplane.
Felixstowe Fury	United Kingdom	1918	Long-range flying boat	Prototype	Flying boat. Also known as the Porte Super-Baby
Fokker Dr.1	Germany	1917	Fighter	Production	Braced variant of the V.4, first flown as the V.5
Fokker V.4	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Cantilever wings.
Fokker V.6	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype
Fokker V.8	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Tandem design, having a triplane fore wing, biplane rear wing and monoplane tail stabiliser.
Friedrichshafen FF.60	Germany	1918	Experimental	Prototype	Floatplane
Goupy No.1	France	1908	Experimental	Prototype
Grade triplane	Germany	1908	Experimental	Prototype	Hans Grade. first German-built aeroplane to fly
Groos triplane	France	1909	Experimental	Prototype	Alfred Groos' second design was a triplane which failed to fly.^[8]
Hansa-Brandenburg CC Triplane	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Seaplane. One-off triplane variant of production biplane.
Hansa-Brandenburg L.16	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype
Hansa-Brandenburg W.17	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Seaplane. Cantilever bottom wing.
Labourdette-Halbronn H.T.1	France	1918	Bomber	Prototype	1 flown. Twin-hulled flying boat.^[9]
Labourdette-Halbronn H.T.2	France	1919	Bomber	Prototype	2 flown. Development of the H.T.1 ^[9]
Levy-Besson Alerte	France	1917	Patrol	Production	Flying boat. Centre wing longer than the others. 100 built, used for patrol and ASW bombing rather than the "Alerte" role.^[10]
Levy-Besson 450-hp	France	1918			Flying boat ^[11]
Levy-Besson 300-hp	France	c. 1918			Flying boat. Under construction in 1918 ^[11]
Levy-Besson 500-hp	France	c. 1918			Flying boat never completed?^[11]
Levy-Besson High Seas	France	c. 1919		Production	Flying boat. Production batch of 100 was cancelled after some had been completed.^[12] Top and centre wings of equal span, bottom wing shorter.^[13]
Levy Besson HB.2	France	1919
LFG Roland D.IV	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Also known as the Dr. I.
Lloyd 40.08 Luftkreuzer	Austria-Hungary	1916	Bomber	Prototype
Lloyd 40.15	Austria-Hungary	1917	Fighter	Prototype
Lohner Typ A	Austria-Hungary	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Later redesignated the 111.04.
Mitsubishi 1MT	Japan	1922	Bomber	Production	Navy Type 10.
Morane-Saulnier TRK	France	1915	Bomber	Prototype	1 built.
Naval Aircraft Factory Giant Boat	USA	1919	Patrol	Prototype	Flying boat. Never completed.
Nieuport 10 Triplane	France	1915	Fighter	Prototype	Extreme backwards stagger of top plane.
Nieuport 17 Triplane	France	1916	Fighter	Prototype	Extreme backwards stagger of top plane.
Nieuport 17bis Triplane	France	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Extreme backwards stagger of top plane.
Nieuport London	UK	1920	Bomber	Prototype	Planned night bomber
Oeffag Type CF	Austria-Hungary	1918	Fighter	Prototype
Parnall Possum	UK	1923	Experimental	Prototype	Research into centrally-mounted engine.
Pfalz Dr-Typ	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Based on the Pfalz D.III biplane.
Pfalz Dr.I	Germany	1918	Fighter	Prototype	Pre-series batch of 10 delivered.
Pfalz Dr.II	Germany	1918	Fighter	Prototype
Richter triplane	Germany	1923	Private	Prototype	Hang-glider. One of several types flown by Hans Richter having varying numbers of planes.
Rodjestveisky triplane	Russia	1911	Experimental	Prototype
Roe I Triplane	United Kingdom	1909	Experimental	Prototype	Has been described as a tandem triplane due to its relatively large triplane aft plane.^[14]
Roe II Triplane	United Kingdom	1910	Experimental	Prototype	2 built.
Roe III Triplane	United Kingdom	1910	Private	Production	Small number sold.
Roe IV Triplane	United Kingdom	1910	Experimental	Prototype
Sablatnig SF.4Dr	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype	Floatplane. Redesigned triplane variant of the SF.4 biplane.
Schukowski KOMTA [ de ]	Soviet Union	1922	Bomber
Schütte-Lanz Dr.I	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype
Siemens-Schuckert Dr.I	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype
Siemens-Schuckert DDr.I	Germany	1917	Fighter	Prototype
Sopwith Cobham	United Kingdom	1919	Bomber	Prototype	3 flown
Sopwith Hispano-Suiza Triplane	United Kingdom	1916	Fighter	Prototype	2 flown.
Sopwith L.R.T.Tr.	United Kingdom	1916	Fighter	Prototype	Combined escort fighter and airship interceptor.
Sopwith Rhino	United Kingdom	1917	Bomber	Prototype	2 flown
Sopwith Snark	United Kingdom	1919	Fighter	Prototype	3 flown
Sopwith Triplane	United Kingdom	1916	Fighter	Production	First military triplane in service.
Stringfellow triplane	United Kingdom	1868	Experimental	Project	John Stringfellow showed his design at the world's first aeronautical exhibition, at the Crystal Palace, London.
Tarrant Tabor	United Kingdom	1919	Bomber	Prototype	Crashed on its maiden flight.
Voisin Triplane	France	1916	Bomber	Prototype	3 flown
Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1	USA	1923	Bomber	Prototype	Also known as "Barling Bomber". Same designer as Tabor.
W.K.F. 80.05	Austria-Hungary	1917	Fighter	Prototype

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References

Citations

↑ Davilla 1997, p. 46.
↑ "Besson canard". www.aviafrance.com. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
↑ "Besson mb12". www.aviafrance.com. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
1 2 3 Mulder, R.; (2009), The civilian transport aircraft of Caproni (1918-1939) Retrieved 29 October 2013.
↑ "Caproni Ca.53" (in Italian). Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
↑ Johnson, E. R. (2009); American Flying Boats and Amphibious Aircraft: An Illustrated History, Page 304.
↑ Angelucci & Matricardi 1977, p. 68.
↑ Bretagne Aviation
1 2 Davilla 1997, p. 287.
↑ Davilla 1997, p. 301.
1 2 3 Davilla 1997, p. 302.
↑ Davilla 1997, p. 303.
↑ Murphy, J.; Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918: An Illustrated History of Their Impact (2005), ABC-CLIO Ltd, Page 192.
↑ "A. V. Goes Back" Flight, 2 July 1954, p.2

Bibliography

Angelucci, E.; Matricardi, P. (1977). World Aircraft - Origins-World War 1. London: Sampson Low.
Davilla, James (1997). French aircraft of the first World War. Flying Machines Press.
Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The complete book of fighters. Salamander. ISBN 978-0-8317-3939-3.
Jane, F.T. All the World's Aircraft 1913 (1913). London: Sampson Low, facsimile reprint David & Charles, 1969.

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[FOOTNOTEDavilla199746-1] Davilla 1997, p. 46.

[2] "Besson canard". www.aviafrance.com. Retrieved 2011-01-27.

[Aviafrance_Besson_mb12-3] "Besson mb12". www.aviafrance.com. Retrieved 2011-01-27.

[mulder-4] 1 2 3 Mulder, R.; (2009), The civilian transport aircraft of Caproni (1918-1939) Retrieved 29 October 2013.

[5] "Caproni Ca.53" (in Italian). Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012.

[6] Johnson, E. R. (2009); American Flying Boats and Amphibious Aircraft: An Illustrated History, Page 304.

[FOOTNOTEAngelucciMatricardi197768-7] Angelucci & Matricardi 1977, p. 68.

[8] Bretagne Aviation

[FOOTNOTEDavilla1997287-9] 1 2 Davilla 1997, p. 287.

[FOOTNOTEDavilla1997301-10] Davilla 1997, p. 301.

[FOOTNOTEDavilla1997302-11] 1 2 3 Davilla 1997, p. 302.

[FOOTNOTEDavilla1997303-12] Davilla 1997, p. 303.

[13] Murphy, J.; Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918: An Illustrated History of Their Impact (2005), ABC-CLIO Ltd, Page 192.

[14] "A. V. Goes Back" Flight, 2 July 1954, p.2

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