Triplan Bataille
Mister Bataille was a Belgian that build a splendid triplane aircraft before the First World War ; but he was also inventor of some bombs for the Belgian army, of a visor and, last but not least, was also sculptor…
The Triplan Bataille was an aircraft conceived in 1910 and that was build and flew in 1911. He had an engine of 40 CV (type unknown) and was innovator as he had a system that permitted to regulate the incidence of the upper wing during flight. Few informations exists for what concerns the capacities of that aircraft…
Long years ago, a Belgian officer, member of the Brussels Aircraft Museum, saw in a local paper that an aircraft was build at Basècles, before the WWI, by a certain mister Bataille. That officer was interested by that info and tried to find more about that aircraft. He discovered that there was in Basècles a factory “Bataille” and contacted that factory. The director was no less than the nephew of Bataille, and he said “Oh yes, our ancestor build an aircraft. A part of the fuselage is still existing here”!
The officer obtained that the fuselage was offered to the museum. There was no plans remaining; so to restore the aircraft, the team of the museum can only count on some, few photos. Calculations were made “on photos”, and the work started.
One day, the nephew of Bataille visited the museum and was impressed by the work made for the restoration. He said that “I think there is still in the factory one of the wings of the aircraft” and gived that wing to the museum…
Progressively, the restoration progressed. The only difference with the original aircraft is the engine: the original one was placed differently of the one on the restored aircraft; simply because the engine placed is the only one 40Cv that was available…
On Saturday 5 November, 2011 I was lucky enough to have as guide a member of the restoration team of the museum that authorized me to take photos of the aircraft from locations that are in principle not accessible to the public…
My thanks to the restoration team: mates, you made a great job!
Daniel Clamot
