Sopwith Triplane I have three wings and I am quite tall. But few have heard of me-- Wore roundels instead of a cross-- Fought for Democracy My pilots had a bit of a climb-- When they went to take their seat-- With bracing wires both fore and aft-- "Duck", "pull" and shuffle feet. With my tail up on the take-off run-- My cockpit view quite good-- My rate of climb would take your breath-- (My make-up--wire and wood). My Clerget makes a certain roar-- As it whirls us through the air-- Some thought my bracing might be weak-- So diving took some care. Of ailerons--I had six-- (To facilitate my roll)-- When someone did fly me right--- My Vickers took a toll. my owners were the Navy-- Airspeed by the Knot-- Ceiling "twenty two angels" Army-my services sought. Much is made(in later times)-- Of the so-called "flying tail"-- My design-- utilized that too-- (Should circumstance prevail). My given name was "Tripehound"-- (I came from the Sopwith clan)-- My family itself (though very small)-- We've had a long life span. One of us in England, Another in Moscow-- A few repros have now been built-- (Might see one at a show). Far less known than the "CAMEL"-- (Another in my line)-- Far less known than the FOKKER-- [Who copied of my design]. But I'm content with being first-- And the performance that I had-- Could hold my own in most any scrap-- If my pilot wasn't bad. So I have a place in history-- Not something all can say-- And though my time was very brief-- I was SOMETHING in my day! Bill Woodall