Two first-line fighters

[barit1]

...only 23 years apart. Taken at AirVenture this week. Wonder if the Dreidecker's Vmax is above a P-51D's Vso?

[henry crun]

Lovely photo barit; what is that object at the tip of the lower right wing of the Tripe ?

[alanmt]

Object under wingtip

There is one under both lower wingtips they are supposed to protect the wing if it goes a little wrong on takeoff or landing.

[henry crun]

I did consider that reason, but the ones on the Tripe appear to be rectangular in section and blunt nosed, just right for digging in if a wingtip should touch the ground.

[Entaxei]

Could be early JATO - but no sign of any fuses to light.

[SomeGuyOnTheDeck]

I did consider that reason, but the ones on the Tripe appear to be rectangular in section and blunt nosed, just right for digging in if a wingtip should touch the ground.

I think with a short-coupled and 'torque-y' aircraft like that, you are most likely to catch a wingtip in a groundloop, when the nose is well up, so the front of the skid shouldn't make contact. Or perhaps that was the thinking, anyway. There are one or two other WW I vintage aircraft with wingtip skids - I'll see if I can find a photo.

Edit ----
Curtiss Jenny:

If the Microsoft Flight Simulator version is anything like correct (a big if), landing a Jenny without a skid touching in any sort of wind was an achievement.

[Noyade]

Item 59

Aviagraphica call then "Wing tip skids" but they look different (less bulky) than in the replica aircraft.

[treadigraph]

'Ere, that Tripe's got a tailwheel!

Lovely pic though, is that Vlado Lenoch's Mustang?

[SomeGuyOnTheDeck]

Ere, that Tripe's got a tailwheel!

Yeah, and a radial engine too. Far too easy to fly without having the nose going at right angles to the way you want it to in a turn, and no castor oil in your face (and ultimately, your digestive system). Pilots these days don't know how lucky they are...

Only kidding, I'd imagine it is still a bit of a handful.

[India Four Two]

Judging by this EAA page 2010 - 06/18 - Fokker Dr.1 Triplane, the Dr. I in the photo is from the Vintage Aero Flying Museum in Colorado Lafayette Foundation

Looking at the photos on their website, you will see that the wingtip skid is exactly like the one in Noyade's post. It must be just a trick of the light that makes it look so bulky in the P51 photo.

Surprisingly, it has an IO-360 rather than a radial. The range is quoted as 125 miles, which must have made for an interesting cross country (871 miles).