Sperry Land and Sea Triplane
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Sperry Land and Sea Triplane | image=Sperry amphibious triplane samf4u.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Bomber, Reconnaissance | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Sperry Aircraft | designer=Alfred Verville | first flight=November 1918{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=E.R.|title=American Flying Boats and Amphibious Aircraft: An Illustrated History|year=2009|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, North Carolina and London|isbn=978-0-7864-3974-4|page=75}} | introduced= | retired= | status= | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=2 | unit cost= | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Sperry Land and Sea Triplane was an American three seat amphibious aircraft designed as a coastal reconnaissance/bomber. Two examples were built and tested for the U.S. Navy towards the end of the First World War. The machine performed well on land and water, but no orders were placed.{{cite book |last=Stoff |first=Joshua|title=Long Island Aircraft Manufacturers|year=2010|publisher=Arcaidia Publishing|location=Charleston SC, Chicago IL, Portsmouth NH, San Francisco CA|isbn=978-0-7385-7336-6|page=126}}
==Design and development==
Aircraft designer and aviation pioneer Alfred Verville working with Lawrence Sperry, conceived the aircraft to perform a similar role as the Curtiss HS series of flying boats, with the added ability to operate from land bases. The machine was an equal span two bay triplane with N-type interplane struts of all wood construction.
Power was provided by a {{convert|400|hp|abbr=on}} Liberty L-12 water cooled engine turning a four bladed fixed wooden propeller in a pusher configuration.
The outrigger style empennage consisted of a single large vertical stabilizer and tailplane connected to the center main wing with two horizontal tubular spars. Two vertical struts were attached to the aft end of each tube spar and met at the extreme rear of the fuselage forming a very robust triangular structure.
The high mounting of the tail was designed to prevent damage in heavy seas. When operating on the water with the engine off, the craft was much more seaworthy running "backwards" into the wind due to its hull design. Because of this, a unique tailskid could be folded down into a vertical drag position to make the machine lie tail into the wind.
The retractable hand-operated main landing gear pivoted upward to allow take offs and landings on water and the {{convert|360|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} wheel assemblies could also be jettisoned after takeoff, increasing range and performance, but necessitating a water landing.{{cite journal |author= |title=The Sperry Amphibious Triplane|journal=Aviation and Aircraft Journal|location=Highland N.Y. |publisher=The Gardner, Moffat Co. Inc. |date=1 November 1920}} The Sperry Land and Sea Triplane was one of the first American aircraft to make use of retractable landing gear, developed by Sperry in 1915.{{cite book |last=Pattillo |first= Donald |title=Pushing the Envelope: The American Aircraft Industry|year=2000|publisher=The University of Michigan Press |location=Michigan|isbn=0-472-10869-7|page=46}}
Specifications
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Aviation and Aircraft Journal
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=Three
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=31
|length in=6
|span m=
|span ft=48
|span in=0
|height m=
|height ft=15
|height in=4
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=678
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=3711
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=5976
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity=135 gal.
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name= Liberty L-12
|eng1 type=V 12 water cooled
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=400
|prop blade number=
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|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
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|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=91
|max speed kts=
|max speed mach=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=85
|cruise speed kts=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
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|range nmi=
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|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
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|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=8.8
|wing loading note=max load
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
See also
{{Portal|Aviation}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://historylink101.com/bw/e_plane/tri-plane/slides/IMG_7180_e2a.html Sperry Amphibious Triplane images]