Roe IV Triplane
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation, Aircraft manufacturing |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Founder | Alliott Verdon Roe |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Aircraft |
The Roe IV Triplane was an early British aircraft developed by Alliott Verdon Roe and constructed by A.V. Roe and Company. Its maiden flight took place in September 1910.
Design and development
Similar in appearance to Roe's earlier Type III, the Roe IV Triplane featured a tractor configuration triplane layout with the lower wing having a smaller span than the upper two wings. The fuselage had a triangular cross-section reinforced with wire bracing and was left uncovered behind the pilot's cockpit. The middle wing was positioned directly above the upper longerons, while a gap separated the single lower longeron from the bottom wing. Wing connection was achieved through four pairs of interplane struts on each side, spaced unevenly; the innermost pair was located just outside the upper longerons, whereas the outermost pair linked only the upper two wings due to the reduced span of the lower wing. Though previous models employed ailerons effectively, Roe reverted to using wing warping for lateral control in this design. The earlier lifting triplane tailplanes were replaced by a single non-lifting triangular tailplane equipped with a split elevator and a small unbalanced rudder. The undercarriage included two skids extending forward beyond the propeller, each fitted with a pair of wheels, complemented by a sprung tailskid. Propulsion came from a 35 horsepower (26 kW) Green water-cooled four-cylinder inline engine, with its radiator mounted above the fuselage between the front inner interplane struts.
Service history
Only one unit was produced, serving primarily as a trainer at the Avro Flying School located at Brooklands. This aircraft helped train several pilots who later gained prominence, including Howard Pixton, who earned his Aero Club certificate flying it on 24 January 1911. Throughout its training tenure, it experienced multiple crashes, notably at least two incidents involving the infamous Brooklands sewage farm. Following a crash on 14 February, the aircraft underwent reconstruction that extended its fuselage by 4 ft (1.2 m). It remained in use for pilot instruction until August 1911, when it was ultimately dismantled.
A full-scale flying reproduction was created for the 1965 movie Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines and subsequently donated to the Shuttleworth Collection, where it continues to be maintained in flyable condition as of 2022.
Specifications (initial flight)
References
Bibliography
- Jackson, A.J. Avro Aircraft Since 1908 London: Putnam, 1965.
- Taylor, M.J.H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation London: Studio Editions, 1989, p. 91
- World Aircraft Information Files London: Bright Star. File 889, Sheet 92