Aviation Historian 22
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P.Jarrett - Sidney Camm's long-lost triplane
In 1911 Sydney and Fred, along with other enthusiastic local boys, formed the Windsor Model Aeroplane Club (WMAC), and Sydney became its secretary. Reports on the WMAC's activities, written by Fred, were published in British weekly magazine Flight, and in 1912 construction of a 32ft (9-8m)-span manned biplane glider (seen here) with weight-shift control was undertaken. This was completed late in the year and tests were made early in 1913.
The WMAC’s 25ft-span No 2 glider, bearing the legend “WMA & GC 2”, the initials presumably by this point standing for the Windsor Model Aeroplane & Glider Club. Little appears to be known about it, although we know that it was flown in May 1913 by Charles Camm, who was given strict instructions not to touch any of the controls.
In the issue of newsprint magazine entitled "Work: The Illustrated Weekly Journal of Handicrafts" for March 15,1919, I came upon the first part of a feature entitled Building a Triplane Glider. This includes a full-page general­arrangement drawing (see here) with added detail sketches. But it is not by Fred; it is signed "S. Camm". The second part, in the issue for March 22 the same year, completes the instructions for building the glider and provides a few more detail sketches.
Structural details of the Camm triplane glider as published in the second half of the two-part series published in two issues of Work during March 1919. This panel shows illustrations of fittings for the various components required to complete Sydney Camm’s previously unknown design.