L.Opdyke French Aeroplanes Before the Great War (Schiffer)
Deleted by request of (c)Schiffer Publishing
Astra Triplane: Sponsored by Henri de la Meurthe, this marvelous large machine was built by Gabriel Voisin; it is described under Voisin.
In 1912, Astra took over Train, and former Train designs were then called Astra-Train. In 1913, Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe merged the heavier-than-air division of Astra with the Nieuport firm he had just bought; the merger was completed after the War, and gave rise to the later Nieuport-Astra designs. In 1915-1916 the firm designed a big twin-boom biplane with a span of 25.5 m; propellers were mounted at the nose of each boom, driven either by a single central engine or one in each boom. The machine was either not begun or not completed.
Voisin
Astra Triplane: Sponsored by Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe, Voisin was called to help the Astra firm design and build a huge armor-plated triplane made of steel tubing; even the wing bracing was steel tubing and not wire. 4 huge main wheels were centered on the lower wing leading edge, 2 on each side; 2 small wheels, one on each side, held up the rear end of the fuselage. One 75 hp Renault V8 was considered power enough to fly the huge machine; it did in fact fly, carrying its crew of 2. Big hanging ailerons were fitted to the 2 top wings; the long covered fuselage and neat single tail unit were remarkably modern-looking for 1911.
Журнал Flight
Flight, September 9, 1911.
FOREIGN AVIATION NEWS.
The Astra Triplane at Issy.
BOTH the new biplane and the triplane produced by the Astra Works have been tested nearly every day during the past week at Issy. Only straight flights have been made with the triplane, but the double-decker was taken round the ground several times on Monday by Goffin, who is conducting the tests.