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Voisin Triplane
	1916 version of the Voisin Triplane
Role	Bomber
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Société Anonyme des Aéroplanes G. Voisin
First flight	1915 (E.28 1919?)
Number built	2

The Voisin Triplanes were large experimental bombers built by Voisin in 1915 and 1916. After unsuccessful trials of the 1915 prototype a modified version with more powerful engines was built in 1916, as the Voisin E.28, but the type did not enter production.^[1]^[2]

Design and development

The Voisin 1915 Triplane had an unorthodox configuration, the tail surfaces being supported between the fuselage and an upper boom attached to the centre section of the upper wing. The four engines were installed in tandem in two nacelles on the centre wing. Two gun positions were provided, one the nose and second behind the trailing edge of the wings, firing downwards through an aperture in the fuselage.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The first aircraft built was powered by four 150 hp (110 kW) engines but performance was unsatisfactory, and a second aircraft was built, designated E.28, powered by four 200 hp (150 kW) Hispano-Suiza engines, and a redesigned circular section fuselage.^[1]^[3]

Specifications (Voisin E.28)

Data from French aircraft of the First World War,^[1] Flight^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: 4
Length: 21.8 m (71 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 35.4 m (116 ft 2 in)
Height: 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 200 m² (2,200 sq ft)
Empty weight: 4,500 kg (9,921 lb) approximately
Gross weight: 6,985 kg (15,399 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × Hispano-Suiza 8Bc V-8 water-cooled piston engines, 160 kW (220 hp) each
Propellers: 2-bladed pusher and tractor fixed-pitch propellers

Performance

Maximum speed: 125 km/h (78 mph, 67 kn) at 2,000 m (6,600 ft)
Service ceiling: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) approximately
Time to altitude: 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 25 minutes 30 seconds
Wing loading: 34.925 kg/m² (7.153 lb/sq ft)

Armament

Guns: 2 x 37 mm (1.46 in) Hotchkiss cannon

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Davilla, Dr. James J.; Soltan, Arthur M. (January 2002). French aircraft of the First World War. Flying Machines Press. p. 552. ISBN 1891268090.
^ ^a ^b ^c "The Voisin Experimental Bombing Triplane". Flight. XI (47). London: St. Martin's Publishing Co. (Limited): 1496–1497. November 20, 1919. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Bowers, Peter M.; McDowall, Ernest R. (1993). Triplanes: A Pictorial History of the World's Triplanes and Multiplanes. St. Paul, MN: Motorbooks International. pp. 100–103. ISBN 0879386142.