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constructed a steam-powered flying machine which he ran on rails as a test rig. It began as a biplane and later more lifting and control surfaces were added to create a bizarre multiplane. On one occasion the lift force was so great that the rail was damaged. Maxim did not allow the rig to take off
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had 20 stacked wings in an otherwise fairly conventional layout. It proved too unstable for sustained flight. By 1907 his third model was able to fly 500 ft, achieving the first successful powered flight in Great
Britain. However the disappointing performance compared to more conventional
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scout fighter, which featured narrow-chord second and third wings, with struts connecting only the upper pair and lower pair of planes. The prototype proved unacceptable in the air and was later modified as an equally unsuccessful triplane, again with a short-chord intermediate plane.
251:-configuration featuring multiple wing planes. The wing planes may be stacked one above another, or one behind another, or both in combination. Types having a small number of planes have specific names and are not usually described as multiplanes:
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transport. It was unusual in having two braced biplane wing stacks deeply staggered and vertically offset such that the four wing planes were stacked in an overall zig-zag arrangement. The only example was damaged and development was abandoned.
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of 1917 unusually featured a standard triplane arrangement of fixed wings with a fourth uppermost wing comprising left and right hand articulated surfaces which acted as full-span ailerons. Two examples were built, with different engines.
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Any fixed-wing aircraft with more than four wing planes may be referred to as a multiplane. Planes may be stacked vertically as with a biplane, or placed one in front of another as with a tandem wing. Both principles may be combined.
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made a series of flights in a quadruplane, progressively fitted with powerplants of decreasing power, in order to investigate low-powered flight. He eventually achieved flight on only 5 to 6 hp at a speed of 20 mph.
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and stacking them to allow a compact and light weight design. During the pioneer years of aviation and World War I, a few designers sought these potential benefits for a variety of reasons, mostly with little success.
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triplane. It featured a tandem arrangement of five wing planes, grouped as a stacked triplane fore wing and a biplane rear wing. Unlike its successful cousin, it barely flew and was soon abandoned.
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with seven sets of wings which made a single short hop under human power alone. Its flimsy construction and subsequent collapse was filmed, and this is often used as
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Standard triplane arrangement of fixed wings with a fourth uppermost wing comprising left and right hand articulated surfaces which acted as full-span ailerons.
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While triplane, quadruplane and tandem designs are relatively uncommon, aircraft with more than four sets of wings rarely occur - none have proven successful.
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with two braced biplane wing stacks deeply staggered and vertically offset such that the four wing planes were stacked in an overall zig-zag arrangement.
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quadruplane fighter of 1918 featured a standard triplane arrangement with a smaller fourth wing attached below the main assembly, somewhat analogous to a
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and
Pemberton-Billing P.B.31E, respectively in 1915 and 1917. They were comparatively large, twin-engined fighters. After the company changed its name to
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35:
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Narrow-chord second and third wings, with struts connecting only the upper pair and lower pair of planes. Later modified to triplane configuration.
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provided the country's first native design in the form of a tandem pair of stacked triplane wings with a smaller biplane horizontal stabiliser.
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270:- two main planes, one behind the other. The tandem triple or tandem triplet configuration has three lifting surfaces one behind another.
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Planes mostly stacked. Various configurations investigated. Held down on rails, it lifted but was never allowed to fly free.
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in
America, featured a cellular multiplane formed by hundreds of tetrahedral shapes. Neither of these was capable of flight.
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Tandem pair of stacked triplane wings with a smaller biplane horizontal stabiliser. First Swiss aircraft. Failed to fly.
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373:. It participated in Germany's second D-type contest in 1918, and was praised for its construction and workmanship.
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Standard triplane arrangement with a smaller fourth wing attached below the main assembly, analogous to a
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In 1908 John
William Roshon in America and D'Equevilly in France produced typical multiplane designs. The
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Tandem arrangement, grouped as a stacked triplane fore wing and a biplane rear wing.
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4 tandem stacks of 50 planes each. First successful powered flight in Great
Britain.
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series to a single fuselage in tandem triple arrangement, to create the nine-winged
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prototype long-range airliner. It proved unstable and crashed on its first flight.
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quadruplane reconnaissance fighters were produced, but none saw combat action.
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Planes of repeat tetrahedral form, stacked. Cellular multiplane designed by
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1422:, Sampson Low, 1913, facsimile reprint David & Charles, 1969.
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Three tandem stacks of triplane wings, nine in all. Flying boat.
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Stacked planes. Hops but too unstable for sustained flight.
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Also in 1917, Friedrichshafen created the even more unusual
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Zeppelin killer. Previously the
Pemberton-Billing P.B.31E.
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The Maxim Flying
Machine with additional surfaces attached.
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This list includes types having four or more wing planes.
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contemporary types caused
Phillips to abandon his ideas.
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approach a step further, using efficient wings of high
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Stacked planes. Tethered to rails, lifted 3 ft.
960:Zeppelin killer. Became the Supermarine Nighthawk.
479:of 1908 had six. The same year, in Switzerland the
87:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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451:One of the most infamous multiplanes was the 1923
428:built a series of multiplane types from 1904. His
509:mated three stacks of triplane wings from his
8:
463:mocking early impractical aircraft designs.
50:Learn how and when to remove these messages
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331:Following test flights with the prototype
475:featured four planes in tandem while the
227:Learn how and when to remove this message
209:Learn how and when to remove this message
147:Learn how and when to remove this message
289:The quadruplane configuration takes the
172:This article includes a list of general
1446:Lists of aircraft by wing configuration
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264:- three wings stacked one above another
258:- two wings stacked one above the other
1151:Unable to maintain controlled flight.
422:because it had no effective controls.
858:Investigation of low-powered flight.
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1406:World Aircraft - Origins-World War 1
690:Tandem stacks of 13. Failed to fly.
85:adding citations to reliable sources
1404:Angelucci, E. and Matricardi, P.;
1314:Angelucci & Matricardi (1977).
498:about the same time as his famous
324:, the P.B.31E became known as the
178:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
1325:"Gale Overturns Roshon's Airship"
346:scout fighter was flown in 1917.
301:From 1908, the American inventor
31:This article has multiple issues.
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61:
20:
1411:Green, W. and Swanborough, G.;
1391:Green & Swanborough (1994).
446:Aerial Experimental Association
376:In 1922 Besson constructed the
72:needs additional citations for
39:or discuss these issues on the
1:
1420:All the world's aircraft 1913
1413:The complete book of fighters
1357:. 29 November 1907. p. 1
1301:15 February 1923, Pages 89-90
505:As late as 1921, the Italian
96:"Multiplane" aeronautics
1331:. 29 October 1907. p. 1
521:List of multiplane aircraft
481:Dufaux 1908 Tandem Triplane
335:in 1916, a small number of
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915:Armstrong Whitworth F.K.10
380:, a prototype quadruplane
337:Armstrong Whitworth F.K.10
1179:Crashed on first flight.
940:Pemberton-Billing P.B.31E
889:Armstrong Whitworth F.K.9
863:Pemberton-Billing P.B.29E
333:Armstrong Whitworth F.K.9
318:Pemberton-Billing P.B.29E
303:Matthew Bacon Sellers Jr.
836:Sellers 1908 Quadruplane
695:Williams 1908 Multiplane
473:Williams 1908 Multiplane
312:Ltd. made two prototype
1185:Caproni Ca.60 Noviplano
515:Caproni Ca.60 Noviplano
444:and constructed by the
193:more precise citations.
1375:Jane (1913), page 19b.
925:Reconnaissance fighter
899:Reconnaissance fighter
777:D'Equevilly multiplane
642:Phillips Multiplane II
457:human-powered aircraft
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966:Supermarine Nighthawk
828:Alexander Graham Bell
614:Phillips Multiplane I
494:designed his bizarre
442:Alexander Graham Bell
430:Phillips Multiplane I
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389:More than four planes
326:Supermarine Nighthawk
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1408:, Sampson Low, 1977.
1355:Harrisburg Telegraph
1351:"Roshon Fails Again"
1329:Harrisburg Telegraph
1045:Friedrichshafen FF54
558:Maxim Flying machine
359:Friedrichshafen FF54
342:The private-venture
81:improve this article
1441:Multiplane aircraft
1436:Wing configurations
1415:, Salamander, 1994.
1243:Gerhardt Cycleplane
453:Gerhardt Cycleplane
405:Stacked multiplanes
249:fixed-wing aircraft
467:Tandem multiplanes
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993:Wight quadruplane
883:Zeppelin killer.
830:. Failed to fly.
669:Roshon multiplane
586:Phillips test rig
344:Wight Quadruplane
310:Pemberton-Billing
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477:Zerbe Sextuplane
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351:Euler Vierdecker
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804:AEA Cygnet II
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471:The American
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461:stock footage
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438:AEA Cygnet II
434:
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417:In the 1890s
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98: –
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92:Find sources:
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70:This article
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38:
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1419:
1418:Jane, F.T.;
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1399:Bibliography
1371:
1359:. Retrieved
1354:
1345:
1333:. Retrieved
1328:
1319:
1298:
1253:Experimental
1167:Experimental
1139:Experimental
846:Experimental
814:Experimental
786:Experimental
760:Experimental
732:Experimental
704:Experimental
678:Experimental
652:Experimental
624:Experimental
596:Experimental
568:Experimental
524:
511:Caproni Ca.4
504:
490:
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295:aspect ratio
288:
278:Quadruplanes
273:
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79:Please help
74:verification
71:
47:
40:
34:
33:Please help
30:
1235:Flying boat
1094:sesquiplane
754:Switzerland
500:Fokker Dr.I
419:Hiram Maxim
382:flying boat
371:sesquiplane
322:Supermarine
268:Tandem wing
191:introducing
1430:Categories
1275:References
1213:Besson H-5
1102:Fokker V.8
1071:Naglo D.II
931:Production
649:200 planes
496:Fokker V.8
367:Naglo D.II
245:multiplane
199:April 2023
174:references
137:April 2023
107:newspapers
36:improve it
1259:Prototype
1229:Prototype
1223:Transport
1201:Prototype
1195:Transport
1173:Prototype
1145:Prototype
1118:Prototype
1087:Prototype
1060:Prototype
1034:Prototype
1009:Prototype
982:Prototype
955:Prototype
905:Prototype
878:Prototype
852:Prototype
820:Prototype
811:16 planes
792:Prototype
766:Prototype
738:Prototype
710:Prototype
684:Prototype
675:26 planes
658:Prototype
630:Prototype
621:20 planes
593:41 planes
42:talk page
1361:27 April
1335:27 April
1250:7 planes
1220:4 planes
1192:9 planes
1164:4 planes
1136:7 planes
1109:5 planes
1078:4 planes
1051:4 planes
1025:4 planes
1000:4 planes
973:4 planes
946:4 planes
922:4 planes
896:4 planes
869:4 planes
843:4 planes
783:7 planes
757:8 planes
729:6 planes
701:4 planes
602:Test rig
574:Test rig
314:Zeppelin
291:triplane
262:Triplane
241:aviation
1112:Fighter
1106:Germany
1081:Fighter
1075:Germany
1054:Fighter
1048:Germany
1028:Fighter
1022:Germany
1003:Fighter
976:Fighter
949:Fighter
872:Fighter
552:Notes
534:Country
256:Biplane
187:improve
121:scholar
1299:Flight
1217:France
780:France
546:Status
176:, but
123:
116:
109:
102:
94:
1280:Notes
1189:Italy
571:1890s
537:Class
247:is a
128:JSTOR
114:books
1363:2023
1337:2023
1256:1923
1226:1922
1198:1921
1170:1919
1142:1919
1115:1917
1084:1918
1057:1917
1031:1917
1006:1917
979:1917
952:1917
928:1917
902:1916
875:1915
849:1908
817:1908
789:1908
763:1908
735:1908
707:1908
681:1907
655:1907
627:1904
599:1893
543:Date
540:Role
531:Type
455:, a
365:The
349:The
243:, a
100:news
549:No.
378:H-5
239:In
83:by
1432::
1380:^
1353:.
1327:.
1307:^
1288:^
1247:US
1161:US
1133:US
1096:.
997:UK
970:UK
943:UK
919:UK
893:UK
866:UK
840:US
808:US
726:US
698:US
672:US
646:UK
618:UK
590:UK
562:UK
328:.
45:.
1365:.
1339:.
1262:1
1204:1
1176:1
1148:1
1037:2
1012:1
855:1
823:1
795:1
769:1
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713:1
687:1
661:1
633:1
605:0
577:0
230:)
224:(
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197:(
183:.
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135:(
125:·
118:·
111:·
104:·
77:.
52:)
48:(
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