Curtiss T Wanamaker Triplane
The Wanamaker Triplane (also: Curtiss Model 3 and Curtiss Model T ) was a large four-engine experimental flying boat . Of the flying boat of the Curtiss Airplane and Motor Company one copy (No. 3073) was built. It was as a patrol aircraft for the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in the First World War meant. The first flight took place in 1916. An order for 19 machines for the Royal Naval Air Service has been canceled. The flying boat was one of the largest in the world at the time.
History and description
A first study envisioned a flying boat 17.9 m (68 ft) long and 40.5 m (133 ft) wide. The maximum takeoff weight should be 9,750 kg (21,450 lb). Six motors, each with an output of 104 kW (140 hp), were provided as drive.
The prototype was completed in July 1916 at the Curtiss plant in Buffalo . It had 4 Curtiss engines with an output of 187 kW (250 hp) each. It was the first four-engine aircraft built in the United States .
The flying boat was brought to Felixstowe by ship. The aircraft was rebuilt in Felixstowe; it got four engines from Renault with an output of 180 kW (240 hp) each. In a further modification, the flying boat got four Rolls-Royce Eagle engines with an output of 188 kW (250 hp) each.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Curtiss T Wanamaker Triplane data |
|---|---|
| crew | 6th |
| Passengers | no |
| length | 17.93 m (58 ft 10 in) |
| height | 9.55 m (31 ft 4 in) |
| Wingspan (upper wing) | 41.00 m (134 ft) |
| Wingspan (middle wing) | 30.00 m (100 ft) |
| Wingspan (lower wing) | 23.85 m (78 ft 3 in) |
| Main wing wing area | 261.50 m² (2,815 sqft) |
| Wing area auxiliary wing | |
| Empty mass | 7,096 kg (15,645 lb) |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 9,979 kg (22,000 lb) |
| Top speed | 161 km / h (100 mph; 87 kn) |
| Cruising speed | unknown |
| Landing speed | unknown |
| Fuel capacity | unknown |
| Range | 1,086 km (675 mi; 587 nmi) at a cruising speed of 120 km / h (75 mph) |
| Climb performance | 10 min to 1,220 m (4,000 ft) |
| Summit height | unknown |
| Engines | Renault 12F (water-cooled V-12 engine) |
