White Triplex
Encyclopedia
The White Triplex was a land speed record
car built for J. H. White and driven by Ray Keech
. It was powered by three 27-litre Liberty
aero-engine
s, for a total of 36 cylinders, 81 litre displacement and a claimed 1500 bhp.
A wealthy American, J. H. White of Philadelphia (unrelated to the White Motor Company
), wanted to take the land speed record
from the British, then shared in a duel between Henry Segrave
and Malcolm Campbell
.
No suitable engines were available to give a sufficient advantage over the British Napier Lion
, so the simplest possible chassis was constructed and three war-surplus Liberty
aero engines were squeezed into it. The vehicle was so simple it had no clutch or gearbox and only a single fixed ratio. Once started by a push start, it had to keep rolling. Driver comforts were minimal: the forward engine was sheathed in a crude attempt at streamlining, the two side-by-side behind were bare, with the driver perched between them.
An established motor-racing driver, Ray Keech
, was engaged to drive. First trial runs were hazardous, Keech being injured by burns during both: first from a burst radiator hose, then by exhaust flames from the front engine.
The simplicity of the design also led to a farcical situation with the official scrutineers. The regulations required "means for reversing", which the White Triplex didn't have. Mechanics first jury-rigged an electric motor and roller drive onto a tyre, but this was unable to rotate against the compression of the three large engines, which could not be un-clutched. An even more Rube Goldberg
contrivance was tried, an entire separate rear axle was fitted, held above ground until dropped by a release lever and then driven by a separate driveshaft. The device was ridiculous, and isn't believed to have been fitted during the record attempt itself, but it satisfied the scrutineers.
On April 22, 1928, Keech set a new land speed record of 207.55 mph (334.02 km/h) at Daytona
.
This record was raised to over 230 mph by Henry Segrave
in Golden Arrow
on March 11, 1929. Keech was asked by J. M. White to drive again, this time at Ormond Beach, and to re-break the record in the Triplex. Keech wisely declined, considering the car to be too dangerous. White then hired their team mechanic Lee Bible
, a garage owner and with no experience driving at these speeds.
On his first two runs, Bible was timed at first 186 mi/h and then 202 mi/h, both below the Triplex Specials previous best and well short of Golden Arrows standing record. At the end of this second pass, Triplex ran off the track and into the sand dunes, causing it to roll over, finally coming to a stop 200 foot further on. Bible was thrown from the car, killing him instantly. A Pathé newsreel cinema photographer spectator, Charles Traub, was also killed. Some blame Bible's driving and excessively fast deceleration, others Triplexs lack of stability. There is controversy about both of those deaths, as it's also unclear whether the photographer was in an area expected to be safe, or if he approached the running line too closely to get more dramatic footage.
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
car built for J. H. White and driven by Ray Keech
Ray Keech
Ray Keech was a board track and brick track racer in the 1920s. He is best remembered for winning the 1929 Indianapolis 500, and for setting a land speed record.-Land speed record:...
. It was powered by three 27-litre Liberty
Liberty L-12
The Liberty L-12 was a 27 litre water-cooled 45° V-12 aircraft engine of 400 horsepower designed both for a high power-to-weight ratio and for ease of mass production.-History:...
aero-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
s, for a total of 36 cylinders, 81 litre displacement and a claimed 1500 bhp.
A wealthy American, J. H. White of Philadelphia (unrelated to the White Motor Company
White Motor Company
White Motor Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer from 1900 until 1980. The company also produced bicycles, roller skates, automatic lathes, and sewing machines. Before World War II, the company was based in Cleveland, Ohio.-History:...
), wanted to take the land speed record
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
from the British, then shared in a duel between Henry Segrave
Henry Segrave
-External links:* * * * *...
and Malcolm Campbell
Malcolm Campbell
Sir Malcolm Campbell was an English racing motorist and motoring journalist. He gained the world speed record on land and on water at various times during the 1920s and 1930s using vehicles called Blue Bird...
.
Napier Lion
The Napier Lion was a 12-cylinder broad arrow configuration aircraft engine built by Napier & Son starting in 1917, and ending in the 1930s. A number of advanced features made it the most powerful engine of its day, and kept it in production long after contemporary designs had stopped production...
, so the simplest possible chassis was constructed and three war-surplus Liberty
Liberty L-12
The Liberty L-12 was a 27 litre water-cooled 45° V-12 aircraft engine of 400 horsepower designed both for a high power-to-weight ratio and for ease of mass production.-History:...
aero engines were squeezed into it. The vehicle was so simple it had no clutch or gearbox and only a single fixed ratio. Once started by a push start, it had to keep rolling. Driver comforts were minimal: the forward engine was sheathed in a crude attempt at streamlining, the two side-by-side behind were bare, with the driver perched between them.
Keech record attempt
Ray Keech
Ray Keech was a board track and brick track racer in the 1920s. He is best remembered for winning the 1929 Indianapolis 500, and for setting a land speed record.-Land speed record:...
, was engaged to drive. First trial runs were hazardous, Keech being injured by burns during both: first from a burst radiator hose, then by exhaust flames from the front engine.
The simplicity of the design also led to a farcical situation with the official scrutineers. The regulations required "means for reversing", which the White Triplex didn't have. Mechanics first jury-rigged an electric motor and roller drive onto a tyre, but this was unable to rotate against the compression of the three large engines, which could not be un-clutched. An even more Rube Goldberg
Rube Goldberg
Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor.He is best known for a series of popular cartoons depicting complex gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. These devices, now known as Rube Goldberg machines, are similar to...
contrivance was tried, an entire separate rear axle was fitted, held above ground until dropped by a release lever and then driven by a separate driveshaft. The device was ridiculous, and isn't believed to have been fitted during the record attempt itself, but it satisfied the scrutineers.
On April 22, 1928, Keech set a new land speed record of 207.55 mph (334.02 km/h) at Daytona
Daytona Beach Road Course
Daytona Beach Road Course was a race track that was instrumental in the formation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR. It originally became famous as the location where fifteen world land speed records were set...
.
Death of Lee Bible
Henry Segrave
-External links:* * * * *...
in Golden Arrow
Golden Arrow (land speed racer)
Golden Arrow was a land speed record racer. Built for Major Henry Segrave to take the LSR from Ray Keech, Golden Arrow was one of the first streamlined land speed racers, with a pointed nose and tight cowling...
on March 11, 1929. Keech was asked by J. M. White to drive again, this time at Ormond Beach, and to re-break the record in the Triplex. Keech wisely declined, considering the car to be too dangerous. White then hired their team mechanic Lee Bible
Lee Bible
Lee Bible was a garage operator and a land speed record attemptee. He was killed attempting to break the land speed record on March 13, 1929 at Ormond Beach.- Pre-record attempt :On 11 March, Briton Major Henry O. D...
, a garage owner and with no experience driving at these speeds.
On his first two runs, Bible was timed at first 186 mi/h and then 202 mi/h, both below the Triplex Specials previous best and well short of Golden Arrows standing record. At the end of this second pass, Triplex ran off the track and into the sand dunes, causing it to roll over, finally coming to a stop 200 foot further on. Bible was thrown from the car, killing him instantly. A Pathé newsreel cinema photographer spectator, Charles Traub, was also killed. Some blame Bible's driving and excessively fast deceleration, others Triplexs lack of stability. There is controversy about both of those deaths, as it's also unclear whether the photographer was in an area expected to be safe, or if he approached the running line too closely to get more dramatic footage.