01/31/2020. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "The original version of the Quadruplane was built as a private venture and was completed early in August 1916. It was only the second landplane to have been built by White's, the first having been the landplane version of the 840 Seaplane, and was quite unlike any other White design.

The Quadruplane had three upper wings of narrow chord, with rounded tips and equal span, and each wing was fitted with ailerons. The bottom wing was without ailerons and of shorter span than the other three and, in fact, the machine had the appearance of a conventional triplane to which a fourth wing had been added as an afterthought. All four wings had the typical Wight double-camber airfoil section. Closely spaced double interplane and center sectionstruts were fitted, and in the upper and middle gaps and the upper center section, the struts were joined together with fabric. Single landing and flying wires were fitted on each side, and these were connected to the wing spars by means of metal Y-pieces.

The wheels were mounted on single landing gear struts and the leading edge of the lower wing was cut out to take the wheels. The lower wing was so close to the ground that an exceptionally tall tail skid, mounted on three struts, was needed. A small fin and rudder, very similar in appearance to that of the Fokker D.VII, was fitted on top of the fuselage. A small rectangular tail plane was mounted under the top longerons and a one-piece elevator was fitted. The fuselage was a conventional structure, similar to that of the Sopwith Triplane, and a fully cowled 110 hp Clerget nine-cylinder rotary engine drove a two-bladed propeller.

The Quadruplane commenced its trials during the second half of August 1916 and was piloted by Ralph Lashmar, White's test pilot at that time. The design was not a good one and the Quadruplane looked and was potentially dangerous. It did not survive long, as it was wrecked within a month when it turned over whilst Lashmar was attempting to make a hurried landing short of the airfield at Somerton.

The engine and certain other parts were salvaged and a complete revision of the design was made in an effort to improve its performance and to strengthen the structure. It appears that a large spinner was made for the Quadruplane, but was never fitted. Construction was quickly put in hand. The redesign incorporated a wider fuselage with deeper top decking and a slightly enlarged engine cowling. A much enlarged fin of typically 'Wight' design was fitted and extended well forward of the leading edge of the tail plane; the semi-circular rudder now extended from the bottom of the stern-post to the top of the fin. The tail plane was mounted on top of the upper longerons and the elevator had a cut-out to allow for rudder movement.

The wings were of greater span than those of the original version hut the chord of the three upper wings diminished progressively downwards, the bottom wing having the same chord as that of the upper middle wing. The double interplane and center sectionstruts were spaced slightly wider apart and had no fabric fairings. Double landing and flying wires were fitted and were arranged in a more normal fashion. The landing gear was lengthened and supported on conventional V-struts and the lower wing was now completely above the wheels. The tail-skid was shortened as the new landing gear gave ample clearance for the lower wing. Stressing was put in hand by the Admiralty Air Department on October 21, 1916.

By October 28 the second version of the Quadruplane was completed and ready for trials which were held up until the strength of the machine had finally been investigated. It was inspected by a member of the Air Department on 3rd November and was described as a purely experimental machine with very high performance expected and as being extremely handy. The view from the pilot's seat was criticized because it was not good in a downwards direction, as the two lower wings overlapped and gave the effect of one very wide chord wing.

By the time the Quadruplane was ready for its trials, White's test pilot, Ralph Lashmar, had been killed in the crash of the Landplane Bomber and it appears that an RNAS pilot, named Evans, was seconded to the firm to carry out the tests. Evans seems to have had confidence in the Quadruplane and in an early flight he gave a display of violent aerobatics. After its trials at Somerton airfield, the Quadruplane was sent to Martlesham for official tests in February 1917. Possibly as a result of an adverse report from the Martlesham test pilots, the machine was returned to the Somerton works for further modification.

By this time Marcus Manton had joined White's from the Grahame-White School at Hendon as Chief Test Pilot. Whilst flying the Quadruplane, he suddenly felt the whole wing cellule shift and he had to land in a hurry. It was possibly on this occasion that he was unable to reach the airfield and crash-landed on the edge of the reservoir next to the burial ground at Somerton. Manton was relatively unhurt, but the Quadruplane was quite badly damaged.

A new set of wings was designed and built and the little Wight was flying again in May 1917. The new wings were of progressively decreasing span and mounted a few inches further aft. Ailerons were fitted to the top two wings only and the interplane struts were raked. The three lower wings were of equal chord, whilst that of the upper wing was 6 inches greater. The landing gear wheels were moved a few inches further forward. The above pictured third version of the Quadruplane was also sent to Martlesham for official trials, but on July 7, 1917 it was awaiting official authority for removal by White's and by September 8, it had been dismantled for dispatch to Somerton.

The final rebuild attracted sufficient official interest for White's to be awarded a contract on November 13, 1917, and it was allocated the serial N546 in the Admiralty experimental maritime class (N1 to N499). However, its performance was not sufficiently good for the type to be given a production order and it remained purely a prototype. At some stage in its career, it was being flown at Brooklands and it was reported to have been finally written off at Martlesham on 2, February 1918."