![Nieuport 23 C](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Nieuport_23_C.1_%28colour%29.jpg)
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French
aeroplane
An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spectr ...
company that primarily built racing aircraft before
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
![Nieuport Monoplane Catalogue](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Nieuport_Monoplane_Catalogue.jpg)
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in 1902 for the manufacture of engine components the company was reformed in 1909 as the Société Générale d'Aéro-locomotion, and its products were marketed to the aviation industry, including ignition components. During this time they built their first aircraft, a small single-seat pod and boom monoplane. This was destroyed shortly after having been flown successfully, during the
Great Flood of Paris in 1909 . A second design flew before the end of 1909 and had the essential form of modern aircraft, including an enclosed fuselage with the pilot protected from the slipstream and a horizontal tail whose
aerodynamic force
In fluid mechanics, an aerodynamic force is a force exerted on a body by the air (or other gas) in which the body is immersed, and is due to the relative motion between the body and the gas.
Force
There are two causes of aerodynamic force:
...
acted downwards, balancing the weight of the engine ahead of the centre of gravity, as opposed to upwards as on contemporaries such as the
Blériot XI
The Blériot XI is a French aircraft of the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most fam ...
.
Nieuport had trouble obtaining suitable engines for their early designs and resorted to making their own. In 1910 a twin-cylinder horizontally-opposed type producing was fitted to the
Nieuport II
The Nieuport II was a mid-wing monoplane racing or sport aircraft built by the Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport between 1910 and 1914 and was noted for its high performance using a small twin-cylinder engine, and winning many ra ...
and proved successful.
In 1911, the company was reformed specifically to build aircraft while continuing to build components including propellers under the name Nieuport et Deplante. In 1911, Edouard Nieuport (1875–1911), who was one of several aviation minded brothers, died after being thrown from his aircraft, and the company was taken over by
Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe
Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe (; 25 September 1846 – 24 November 1919), born Salomon Henry Deutsch, was a successful French petroleum businessman (known as the "Oil King of Europe"Howard, Fred, ''Wilbur & Orville: A Biography'', Dover Publicati ...
, a famous supporter of aviation development. With his financing, the name was changed to Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport, and development of existing designs was continued. A second of the brothers, Charles Nieuport, died in another accident January 24, 1913 after he
stalled and spun in, and the position of chief designer was taken over by the Swiss engineer
Franz Schneider, better known for his work for his next employer,
L.V.G.
Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. (L.V.G. or LVG) was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin- Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman-type aircraft. The company constructed many reconnaissance and light bombe ...
, and his long-running fight with
Anthony Fokker
Anton Herman Gerard "Anthony" Fokker (6 April 1890 – 23 December 1939) was a Dutch aviation pioneer, aviation entrepreneur, aircraft designer, and aircraft manufacturer. He produced fighter aircraft in Germany during the First World War such ...
over
machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
interrupter / synchronizer patents. Schneider left Nieuport in late 1913.
Gustave Delage and World War I
![Nieuport 21 Scout French WW1 fighter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Nieuport_21_Scout_French_WW1_fighter.jpg)
With Schneider's departure, Gustave Delage (no connection to the
Delage
Delage was a French luxury automobile and racecar company founded in 1905 by Louis Delâge in Levallois-Perret near Paris; it was acquired by Delahaye in 1935 and ceased operation in 1953.
On 7 November 2019, the association "Les Amis de Dela ...
automobile company) took over as chief designer in January 1914. He began work on a
sesquiplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a ...
racer – a type of
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
whose lower wing was much narrower in
chord than its top wing. This aircraft was not ready to fly until after World War I had begun but, as the
Nieuport 10
The Nieuport 10 (or Nieuport XB in contemporary sources) was a French First World War sesquiplane that filled a wide variety of roles, including reconnaissance, fighter and trainer.
Design and development
In January 1914, designer Gustave Delag ...
, the type saw extensive service with the
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...
(R.N.A.S.) of the United Kingdom and with the French and Russian Flying Services. The performance of the Nieuport 10, and the more powerful
Nieuport 12
The Nieuport 12 (or Nieuport XII in contemporary sources) was a French Biplane#Sesquiplane, sesquiplane reconnaissance, fighter aircraft and trainer used by France, Russia, United Kingdom, Great Britain and the United States during World War I. ...
, which also served with the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
(R.F.C.) was such that they were used as fighters. Nieuport developed an improved design specifically intended as a fighter – the
Nieuport 11
The Nieuport 11 (or Nieuport XI C.1 in contemporary sources), nicknamed the ''Bébé'', was a French World War I single seat sesquiplane fighter aircraft, designed by Gustave Delage. It was the primary aircraft that ended the Fokker Scourge in ...
, which was regarded as the "baby" (''bébé'') of the 10, which it closely resembled, except in size.
Until the end of 1917, most of the company's output would consist of successive developments of this one design, with more powerful engines, modest increases in overall dimensions, and refined aerodynamics, until the line ended with the
Nieuport 27
The Nieuport 27 (or Nieuport XXVII C.1 in contemporary sources) was a World War I French sesquiplane fighter aircraft designed by Gustave Delage. The 27 was the last of the line of Nieuport "V-strut" single seat fighters that began with the Ni ...
. As horsepower increased, the "V-strut" Nieuports began to reach their
maximum safe flying speed (VNE) more readily and discovered the limitations of the three spars sesquiplane wing form, which then required they avoid sustained power-on dives to avoid the risk of wing failures. By the spring of 1917 the design was being surpassed by the new twin-gun
Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service ('' Luftstreitkräfte'') during World War I. A modified licence model was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service ( ''Luftfahrtruppen''). ...
, and although the process of replacement had begun, Nieuport 27's would still be in front line service in the spring of 1918. Even while still in frontline service, Nieuports of all types were being used at French and American flight training facilities, with the bulk of production from 1917 onwards going to flying schools.
Some pilots, notably
Albert Ball
Albert Ball, (14 August 1896 – 7 May 1917) was a British fighter pilot during the First World War. At the time of his death he was the United Kingdom's leading flying ace, with 44 victories, and remained its fourth-highest scorer b ...
and
Charles Nungesser
Charles Eugène Jules Marie Nungesser (15 March 1892 – presumably on or after 8 May 1927) was a French ace pilot and adventurer. Nungesser was a renowned ace in France, ranking third highest in the country with 43 air combat victories during Wo ...
, preferred the Nieuport due to its sensitive controls and maneuverability. Pilots
Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker or Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient.[Billy Bishop
Air Marshal William Avery Bishop, (8 February 1894 – 11 September 1956) was a Canadian flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial com ...]
flew Nieuport aircraft to some of their first victories.
The first major break from the sesquiplane design, the
Nieuport 28
The Nieuport 28 C.1, a French biplane fighter aircraft flown during World War I, was built by Nieuport and designed by Gustave Delage. Owing its lineage to the successful line of sesquiplane fighters that included the Nieuport 17, the Nieu ...
was the first production Nieuport fighter with two spars to both upper and lower wings, but by the time it was ready for service the French had already chosen the
SPAD S.XIII
The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII.
During early 1917, the French designer Louis Béc ...
as their primary fighter. Due to a shortage of SPAD S.XIIIs and problems with their engines, the first fighter squadrons of the
United States Army Air Service
The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...
(USAAS) used the Nieuport 28 on operations. While only in operational service with the USAAS for a short time, the Nieuport 28 was the first fighter to be used on operations by an American squadron.
Nieuports were widely used by the Allied air arms, and various models were built under licence in Italy, Russia and the United Kingdom. In Italy,
Aermacchi
Aermacchi was an Italian aircraft manufacturer. Formerly known as Aeronautica Macchi, the company was founded in 1912 by Giulio Macchi at Varese in north-western Lombardy as Nieuport-Macchi, to build Nieuport monoplanes under licence for the It ...
was originally formed as Nieuport-Macchi for the purpose of building various Nieuports under licence. They started with the Nieuport IV, but built the Nieuport 10, 11, 17 and finally the post-war NiD.29 under license. In Russia several companies, notably
Dux
''Dux'' (; plural: ''ducēs'') is Latin for "leader" (from the noun ''dux, ducis'', "leader, general") and later for duke and its variant forms (doge, duce, etc.). During the Roman Republic and for the first centuries of the Roman Empire, ''dux' ...
, built Nieuports of several types including the IV, 10, 11, 16, 17, 21, 23 and 24bis, with the 24bis continuing in production after the Russian Revolution had ended. In Scotland,
William Beardmore and Company
William Beardmore and Company was a British engineering and shipbuilding conglomerate based in Glasgow and the surrounding Clydeside area. It was active from 1886 to the mid-1930s and at its peak employed about 40,000 people. It was founded and ...
built the Nieuport 12 under licence, while gradually incorporating many of their own changes.
Nieuport & General Aircraft
The Nieuport & General Aircraft Company Ltd was a British aircraft manufacturer, established during the First World War to build French Nieuport aircraft under licence, which closed down in 1920.
History
On 16 November 1916, Samuel Waring, th ...
was formed to build Nieuport fighters under licence in England, and built 50
Nieuport 17bis
The Nieuport 17bis C.1 (or Nieuport XVIIbis C.1 in contemporary sources) was a World War I French single-seat sesquiplane fighter that was produced under licence in the United Kingdom in small numbers for the Royal Naval Air Service.
Developme ...
scouts for the
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...
before switching to other aircraft.
![Godefroy flight](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Godefroy_flight.jpg)
Three weeks after the Paris victory parade in 1919 marking the end of hostilities in World War I, and in protest over being forced to march like infantry in the parade,
Charles Godefroy
Charles Godefroy (29 December 1888 at La Flèche (Sarthe) – 11 December 1958 at Soisy-sous-Montmorency, (Val d'Oise), north of Paris) was a French aviator who became famous for flying through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in 1919.
World War I ...
flew a "v-strut" Nieuport fighter through the arch of the
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (, , ; ) is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the ''étoile'' ...
in Paris on the morning of Friday, 8 August 1919. The event was filmed.
[Exploits de l'Aviation - Charles Godefroy (contains footage of the flight)](_blank)
/ref>
Post–World War I
By the end of 1918, Nieuport had two new fighter types flying, the Nieuport 29
The Nieuport-Delage NiD.29 was a French single-seat biplane fighter (C.I category) designed and built by Nieuport-Delage for the French Air Force.
Design and development
The prototype NiD.29 was an equal-span biplane with ailerons on both up ...
biplane and the Nieuport 31
The Nieuport Nie 31 or Nieuport 31 was a single-engine, single-seat monoplane or sesquiplane fighter aircraft designed and built in France in 1919.
Design and development
Though the Nie 31 (it had been flown and subsequently abandoned before ...
monoplane both of which had evolved in parallel from the Nieuport 28. They differed from earlier Nieuports in having streamlined wooden monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
fuselages, and Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza () is a Spanish automotive–engineering company. It was founded in 1904 by Marc Birkigt and Damian Mateu as an automobile manufacturer and eventually had several factories in Spain and France that produced luxury cars, aircraft en ...
engines. Specially modified Nieuport 29 and 31 aircraft set speed and height records, and the 31 was the first aircraft to exceed in level flight, while in the hands of Joseph Sadi-Lecointe
Joseph Sadi-Lecointe (1891 – 1944) was a French aviator, best known for breaking a number of speed and altitude records in the 1920s.
Biography
Sadi-Lecointe was born on 11 July 1891 at Saint-Germain-sur-Bresle. He learned to fly at the Ze ...
.
At this time, Nieuport became Nieuport-Astra, with the absorption of Société Astra
''Société Astra des Constructions Aéronautiques'' was a major French manufacturer of balloons, airships, and aeroplanes in the early 20th century. It was founded in 1908 in aviation, 1908 when Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe purchased Édouard Surco ...
, a company known for aerial balloons, though this name would not be used for long, before becoming Nieuport-Delage, in honour of the work of the chief designer, Gustave Delage, who had been running the company through the war years. Also at this time, the seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...
builder Tellier Tellier is a surname, and may refer to:
* Charles Tellier (1828–1913), French compressed air engineer
* Joseph-Mathias Tellier (1861–1952), Quebec Conservative Party
* Léon Tellier, French Olympic sailor
* Lionel Tellier (1905–1973), Cana ...
was absorbed, and for a brief time the name Nieuport-Tellier was also used.
Despite the many successes achieved with 29 and 31 in setting speed and altitude records, Delage quickly embarked on a new design that was to provide the basis for a family of aircraft that would remain in service until the fall of France during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
– the Nieuport-Delage NiD.42 __NOTOC__
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 42 was a fighter aircraft built in France in the early 1920s, the first in a family of designs that would form the backbone of the French fighter force over the next decade.Taylor 1989, p. 698.''The Illustrated E ...
. This design first saw light as a shoulder-wing racer (42S), then as single-seat (42 C.1) and two-seat fighters (42 C.2) for the French Air Force, although none of these variants would see service.
The Nieuport-Delage 52
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 52 was a French fighter aircraft of the 1920s. A single-engined sesquiplane, it served with the Spanish Air Force, being operated by both sides of the Spanish Civil War.Taylor and Alexander 1969, pp. 117-118.
Development ...
, a slightly improved NiD.42 with a metal monocoque fuselage, entered service with Spain where it was also built under licence by Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza () is a Spanish automotive–engineering company. It was founded in 1904 by Marc Birkigt and Damian Mateu as an automobile manufacturer and eventually had several factories in Spain and France that produced luxury cars, aircraft en ...
, and remained in service well into the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
. By then it was obsolete and would be retired before the end of the conflict. The French bought large numbers of the 62 series (620, 621, 622, 629) which were also derived from the NiD.42 to equip the bulk of the French fighter units until replaced by newer designs in the late 30s. Despite being hopelessly obsolete, several French second-line escadrilles were still equipped with them during the invasion of France.
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 38 __NOTOC__
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 38 was a touring aircraft built in small numbers in France in the early 1920s.Taylor 1989, 698''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft'', 2600 It was a single-bay biplane of conventional design with an enclosed ...
and similar 39 were small airliners of which more than 37 were built. Other types were developed, the majority of which were one-offs or did not result in significant production.
The end of Nieuport
The final aircraft developed by Nieuport saw much of its development done by successor companies. In 1932, as a result of the amalgamations taking place in the French aviation industry, Delage retired and Nieuport-Delage was briefly renamed Nieuport again, before merging with Loire Aviation
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
to form Loire-Nieuport, which was then merged into SNCAO
SNCAO (abbreviated from ''Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques de l'ouest'') was a state-owned French aircraft manufacturer, which originated on November 16, 1936, from the merger of the factories of Breguet in Bouguenais, a ...
during the amalgamations in the French aircraft industry. SNCAO would in turn be merged into the massive conglomerate known as Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale (), sometimes styled Aerospatiale, was a French state-owned aerospace manufacturer that built both civilian and military aircraft, rockets and satellites. It was originally known as Société nationale industrielle aérospatiale ( ...
.
During the German invasion of France in 1940
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second World ...
, the company's records were burnt to prevent their falling into German hands. This step didn't prevent the Germans from charging several employees with espionage, as the last operational Nieuport, the Loire-Nieuport LN.401
The Loire-Nieuport LN.40 aircraft were a family of French naval dive-bombers for the Aeronavale in the late 1930s, which saw service during World War II.
Design and development
Between 1932 and 1936, Nieuport-Delage had been developing a two-se ...
was a single-seat, single-engine retractable-gear monoplane dive bomber with an inverted gull wing with a vague similarity to the Junkers 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from ''Sturzkampfflugzeug'', "dive bomber") was a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Cond ...
.
Aircraft produced
In later three digit designations (except NiD 120 and LN.160), the third numeral represents a sub-variant with a 0 representing a base variant so that a 640 and a 64 are the same.
* Nieuport I
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
– retroactive designation for pod and boom tractor monoplane, destroyed during the 1910 Great Flood of Paris
The 1910 Great Flood of Paris (french: Crue de la Seine de 1910) was a catastrophe in which the Seine River, carrying winter rains from its tributaries, flooded the Paris conurbation, France. The Seine water level rose eight metres above the ord ...
after one flight.
* Nieuport II
The Nieuport II was a mid-wing monoplane racing or sport aircraft built by the Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport between 1910 and 1914 and was noted for its high performance using a small twin-cylinder engine, and winning many ra ...
– single-seat sport/racing monoplane powered by a variety of engines.
* Nieuport III – two-seat sport/racing monoplane with Anzani engine.
* Nieuport IV
The Nieuport IV was a French-built sporting, training and reconnaissance monoplane of the early 1910s.
Design and development
Societe Anonyme des Etablissements Nieuport was formed in 1909 by Édouard Nieuport. The Nieuport IV was a developm ...
– two-seat sport/racing monoplane.
* Nieuport VI
The Nieuport VI was a sport monoplane produced in France in the 1910s, a further development by Nieuport along the same general lines as the Nieuport II and Nieuport IV, differing mainly from the Nieuport IV in being slightly larger.Taylor 1989, ...
– three-seat sport monoplane used by French Navy and Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...
.
* Nieuport VIII – two-seat sport monoplane, variant of VI for Turkey.
* Nieuport X
The Nieuport 10 (or Nieuport XB in contemporary sources) was a French First World War sesquiplane that filled a wide variety of roles, including reconnaissance, fighter and trainer.
Design and development
In January 1914, designer Gustave Dela ...
– three-seat monoplane similar to VI but with constant chord wings, used by French Navy.
* Nieuport XI – prototype single-seat sport monoplane similar to II but with constant chord wings.
* Nieuport XII – prototype armoured monoplane similar to the X
* Nieuport-Dunne
The Dunne D.8 of 1912 was a tailless swept wing biplane, designed by J. W. Dunne to have inherent stability. One example was supplied to RAE Farnborough. License-built Burgess-Dunne models were used by the US Signal Corps and United States ...
– licence-built tailless biplane with many local modifications.
* Nieuport Carton-Pate – military twin boom sesquiplane pusher floatplane.
* Nieuport 9
The Nieuport 10 (or Nieuport XB in contemporary sources) was a French First World War sesquiplane that filled a wide variety of roles, including reconnaissance, fighter and trainer.
Design and development
In January 1914, designer Gustave Delag ...
– Russian designation for locally built single-seat Nieuport 10
* Nieuport 10
The Nieuport 10 (or Nieuport XB in contemporary sources) was a French First World War sesquiplane that filled a wide variety of roles, including reconnaissance, fighter and trainer.
Design and development
In January 1914, designer Gustave Delag ...
– sesquiplane used in many roles, unrelated to monoplane Nieuport X
** Nieuport 83
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
– purpose-built trainer version of Nieuport 10 with 80-hp Le Rhône
Le Rhône was the name given to a series of popular rotary aircraft engines produced in France by Société des Moteurs Le Rhône and the successor company of Gnome et Rhône. They powered a number of military aircraft types of the First World ...
engine (hence 8x series designation)
* Nieuport 11
The Nieuport 11 (or Nieuport XI C.1 in contemporary sources), nicknamed the ''Bébé'', was a French World War I single seat sesquiplane fighter aircraft, designed by Gustave Delage. It was the primary aircraft that ended the Fokker Scourge in ...
– sesquiplane fighter – Nieuport's first purpose-built fighter, no relation to earlier Nieuport XI
* Nieuport 12
The Nieuport 12 (or Nieuport XII in contemporary sources) was a French Biplane#Sesquiplane, sesquiplane reconnaissance, fighter aircraft and trainer used by France, Russia, United Kingdom, Great Britain and the United States during World War I. ...
– two-seat artillery spotting sesquiplane developed from Nieuport 10
** Nieuport 80
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
and 81 – trainer versions of Nieuport 12 with 80-hp engines
* Nieuport 12bis
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
– two-seat artillery-spotting sesquiplane, extensively redesigned from Nieuport 12
* Nieuport 13 – development of Nieuport 12 with slightly longer wings
* Nieuport 14
The Nieuport 14 (or Nieuport XIV A.2 in contemporary sources) was a military reconnaissance sesquiplane produced in France during the First World War. The French Army deployed it in 1916 but the type was quickly withdrawn from front-line servic ...
– two-seat reconnaissance sesquiplane
** Nieuport 82
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
– Nieuport 14 trainer with 80-hp engine
* Nieuport 15
The Nieuport 15 (or Nieuport XV in contemporary sources) was a French World War I bomber aircraft. Due to disappointing performance the type was rejected and never entered service.
Design and development
Scaled up from the Nieuport 14, the new ...
– large sesquiplane bomber, enlargement of 14
* Nieuport 16
The Nieuport 16 C.1 (or Nieuport XVI C.1 in contemporary sources)The C in the designation indicates that it is a ''chasseur'' or fighter, and the 1 indicates the number of crew members. was a French World War I single-seat sesquiplane fighter air ...
– fighter – strengthened Nieuport 11 powered by 110 hp Le Rhône 9J
The Le Rhône 9J is a nine-cylinder rotary aircraft engine produced in France by Gnome et Rhône. Also known as the Le Rhône 110 hp in a reference to its nominal power rating, the engine was fitted to a number of military aircraf ...
engine
* Nieuport 17
The Nieuport 17 C.1 (or Nieuport XVII C.1 in contemporary sources) was a French sesquiplane fighter designed and manufactured by the Nieuport company during World War I. An improvement over the Nieuport 11, it was a little larger than earlier N ...
– fighter – enlarged and more refined development of 16.
* Nieuport 17bis
The Nieuport 17bis C.1 (or Nieuport XVIIbis C.1 in contemporary sources) was a World War I French single-seat sesquiplane fighter that was produced under licence in the United Kingdom in small numbers for the Royal Naval Air Service.
Developme ...
– fighter – cleaned-up Nieuport 17 powered by Clerget
Clerget-Blin (full name being ''Société Clerget-Blin et Cie'') was a French precision engineering company formed in 1913 by the engineer and inventor Pierre Clerget and industrialist Eugène Blin. In 1939, the company was absorbed into the ''G ...
. Used in small numbers by the British
* Nieuport 18
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
– twin-engine sesquiplane bomber
* Nieuport 19
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
– Nieuport 18 with different engines. Neither appears to have been completed
* Nieuport 20
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
– Nieuport 12 development
* Nieuport 21
The Nieuport 21 (or Nieuport XXI C.1 in contemporary sources) was a French single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft used during World War I. The aircraft was used by the French, Russian, British and American air forces. After the war, the Nie ...
– light weight fighter derived from Nieuport 17 with lower-powered engine
* Nieuport 23
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
– development of Nieuport 17 with Vickers machine gun offset (when installed)
* Nieuport 24
The Nieuport 24 (or Nieuport XXIV C.1 in contemporary sources) was a World War I French sesquiplane fighter aircraft designed by Gustave Delage as a development of the successful Nieuport 17.
The Nieuport 24 had the misfortune to be the penul ...
– cleaned-up Nieuport 17 with fuselage faired with stringers and new empennage.
* Nieuport 24bis – 24 but with Nieuport 17 rudder and horizontal tail
* Nieuport 25 – 24 with larger Clerget
Clerget-Blin (full name being ''Société Clerget-Blin et Cie'') was a French precision engineering company formed in 1913 by the engineer and inventor Pierre Clerget and industrialist Eugène Blin. In 1939, the company was absorbed into the ''G ...
engine – small number only.
* Nieuport 26
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
– prototype Hispano-Suiza 8A
The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A ...
powered development of 24.
* Nieuport 27
The Nieuport 27 (or Nieuport XXVII C.1 in contemporary sources) was a World War I French sesquiplane fighter aircraft designed by Gustave Delage. The 27 was the last of the line of Nieuport "V-strut" single seat fighters that began with the Ni ...
– improved 24 and penultimate vee-strutter.
* Nieuport 28
The Nieuport 28 C.1, a French biplane fighter aircraft flown during World War I, was built by Nieuport and designed by Gustave Delage. Owing its lineage to the successful line of sesquiplane fighters that included the Nieuport 17, the Nieu ...
– biplane fighter used by American Expeditionary Forces
The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...
' Air Service.
* Nieuport Madon
In October 1917 Nieuport began construction of a prototype monoplane fighter known as the Nieuport Madon, a strut braced monoplane.
Design and development
The tapered shoulder mounted wing was supported by lift struts attached to the landing g ...
– monoplane fighter developed into 31, sesquiplan and others
* Nieuport 29/Nieuport-Delage NiD 29 – widely used biplane fighter.
* Nieuport 30T/Nieuport-Delage NiD 30T – large single-engine biplane airliner developed from bomber
* Nieuport 31/31Rh – 1919 Le Rhone-engined monoplane/sesquiplane fighter prototype.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 32/32M/32Rh – rotary-powered naval variant of Nieuport-Delage NiD 29.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 33 – trainer with box section fuselage based on NiD.29, some used by Japan.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 37
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 37 was a single-engine, single-seat monoplane fighter aircraft and racer designed and built in France in the early 1920s. It had a small foreplane to bring the centre of pressure forward. Heavy, slower than expected and ...
– 1922 Coupe Deutsche
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
racing sesquiplane and fighter with pilot over engine.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 38 __NOTOC__
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 38 was a touring aircraft built in small numbers in France in the early 1920s.Taylor 1989, 698''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft'', 2600 It was a single-bay biplane of conventional design with an enclosed ...
& NiD 39 – single-engine biplane cabin airliners with different engines
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 40
The Nieuport-Delage NiD.29 was a French single-seat biplane fighter (C.I category) designed and built by Nieuport-Delage for the French Air Force.
Design and development
The prototype NiD.29 was an equal-span biplane with ailerons on both up ...
– high-altitude Nieuport-Delage 29 variant.
* Nieuport-Delage 41 Sesquiplan – Monoplane racer which set many speed records.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 42 __NOTOC__
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 42 was a fighter aircraft built in France in the early 1920s, the first in a family of designs that would form the backbone of the French fighter force over the next decade.Taylor 1989, p. 698.''The Illustrated E ...
– sesquiplane fighter, prototype for 52, 62, 72 and others, originally a parasol monoplane
**Nieuport-Delage NiD 42S __NOTOC__
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 42 was a fighter aircraft built in France in the early 1920s, the first in a family of designs that would form the backbone of the French fighter force over the next decade.Taylor 1989, p. 698.''The Illustrated E ...
– shoulder wing racing monoplane developed from sesquiplan
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 43
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 43 was a single-engine, two-seat biplane fighter aircraft designed and built for shipboard use in France in 1924.
Design and development
The NiD 43 was designed to meet a naval requirement for a two-seat shipborne fighter ...
– floatplane fighter.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 44 __NOTOC__
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 42 was a fighter aircraft built in France in the early 1920s, the first in a family of designs that would form the backbone of the French fighter force over the next decade.Taylor 1989, p. 698.''The Illustrated E ...
– development of 42 with different engine.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 450 & 650 – monoplane floatplane racers for Schneider Trophy
The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider, also known as the Schneider Trophy, Schneider Prize or (incorrectly) the Schneider Cup is a trophy that was awarded annually (and later, biennially) to the winner of a race for seaplanes and flying ...
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 46 __NOTOC__
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 42 was a fighter aircraft built in France in the early 1920s, the first in a family of designs that would form the backbone of the French fighter force over the next decade.Taylor 1989, p. 698.''The Illustrated E ...
– development of 42 with different engine.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 48
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 48 was a French single-engine parasol wing light fighter aircraft, designed and built in the 1920s. Its performance was not markedly better than that of the much heavier Nieuport-Delage NiD 62 then going into production, ...
– sesquiplane fighter scaled down NiD 42 for ''Jockey'' light fighter program.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 50 – abandoned twin-engine floatplane torpedo bomber.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 52
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 52 was a French fighter aircraft of the 1920s. A single-engined sesquiplane, it served with the Spanish Air Force, being operated by both sides of the Spanish Civil War.Taylor and Alexander 1969, pp. 117-118.
Development ...
– sesquiplane fighter derived from NiD 42 used by Spain.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 540 – single-engine high-wing transport.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 580
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 580 R.2 was a contender for a French government contract for a long range, two seat reconnaissance aircraft, issued in 1928. There were eight prototypes in the 1931-2 contest and the NiD 580 was not selected for production ...
– two-seat reconnaissance parasol monoplane.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 62
The Nieuport-Delage NiD.62 was a French sesquiplane fighter from the early 1930s. This machine was a descendant of a long line of Nieuport-Delage fighters that were designed and built during the years immediately after World War I. The NiD.62 was ...
– sesquiplane fighter used in large numbers by France.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 64, 640 & 641 – large single-engine monoplane airliner with elliptical wing.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 72 – sesquiplane fighter all metal version of 62.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD 740
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 740 was a French trimotor monoplane designed to carry night mail. Two were built in 1930.
Design
The NiD 740 was specifically designed as a postal aircraft for the night mail, though the mail compartment could alternat ...
– trimotor long range mailplane prototype built to a government requirement.
* Nieuport-Delage NiD-120
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 120 series was a series of France, French single-seat Parasol wing, parasol monoplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. It was built in a number of versions, fitted with various types of engines, with six aircraft designated N ...
– single-seat parasol monoplane fighter used by Peru.
* Loire-Nieuport LN.10 – twin-engine inverted gull monoplane patrol floatplane with engines over wing.
* Loire-Nieuport LN.30
The SNCAO 30 was a French single-engined monoplane flying boat two-seat trainer. Although it was ordered into production for the French Navy, only two prototypes were built.
Development and design
In the late 1930s Loire-Nieuport commenced d ...
– single-engine pusher training flying boat.
* Loire-Nieuport LN.40
The Loire-Nieuport LN.40 aircraft were a family of France, French naval dive-bombers for the Aeronavale in the late 1930s, which saw service during World War II.
Design and development
Between 1932 and 1936, Nieuport-Delage had been developing a ...
– Single-engine, single-seat dive bomber with inverted gull wing.
* Loire-Nieuport LN.160
The Loire-Nieuport 161 was a single-seat, single-engine, all-metal, low-wing monoplane fighter designed and built in France in 1935 to compete for a government contract. Accidents delayed its development and only three prototypes were completed ...
– Single-engine, single-seat fighter, developed into SNCAO 200
SNCAO (abbreviated from ''Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques de l'ouest'') was a state-owned French aircraft manufacturer, which originated on November 16, 1936, from the merger of the factories of Breguet in Bouguenais, and ...
.
A number of prototypes, especially during the First World War do not have known designations, including developments of the 24/27, and 28 with various engine installations, and structural improvements including monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
fuselages, modified wing designs which included triplane variants of the Nieuport 10, 17 and 17bis.
Several Tellier designs were built under the Nieuport name, including:
* Tellier T.5 as Nieuport BM. – a twin engine patrol flying boat.
* Tellier T.6 Tellier is a surname, and may refer to:
* Charles Tellier (1828–1913), French compressed air engineer
* Joseph-Mathias Tellier (1861–1952), Quebec Conservative Party
* Léon Tellier, French Olympic sailor
* Lionel Tellier (1905–1973), Canadi ...
as Nieuport S. – a single engine patrol flying boat.
* Tellier T.8 Tellier is a surname, and may refer to:
* Charles Tellier (1828–1913), French compressed air engineer
* Joseph-Mathias Tellier (1861–1952), Quebec Conservative Party
* Léon Tellier, French Olympic sailor
* Lionel Tellier (1905–1973), Canadia ...
as Nieuport TM. – a trimotor patrol flying boat.
* Tellier Vonna Tellier is a surname, and may refer to:
* Charles Tellier (1828–1913), French compressed air engineer
* Joseph-Mathias Tellier (1861–1952), Quebec Conservative Party
* Léon Tellier, French Olympic sailor
* Lionel Tellier (1905–1973), Canadi ...
as Nieuport 4R. – a four engine transatlantic flying boat not completed.
During World War I, Nieuport aircraft were sometimes referred to by their wing area (in square meters) rather than their official designations.
* Nieuport 10
The Nieuport 10 (or Nieuport XB in contemporary sources) was a French First World War sesquiplane that filled a wide variety of roles, including reconnaissance, fighter and trainer.
Design and development
In January 1914, designer Gustave Delag ...
and 83 were 18-meter Nieuports
* Nieuport 11
The Nieuport 11 (or Nieuport XI C.1 in contemporary sources), nicknamed the ''Bébé'', was a French World War I single seat sesquiplane fighter aircraft, designed by Gustave Delage. It was the primary aircraft that ended the Fokker Scourge in ...
& 16 were 13-meter Nieuports
* Nieuport 12
The Nieuport 12 (or Nieuport XII in contemporary sources) was a French Biplane#Sesquiplane, sesquiplane reconnaissance, fighter aircraft and trainer used by France, Russia, United Kingdom, Great Britain and the United States during World War I. ...
, 12bis, 20, 80 and 81 were 23-meter Nieuports
* Nieuport 17
The Nieuport 17 C.1 (or Nieuport XVII C.1 in contemporary sources) was a French sesquiplane fighter designed and manufactured by the Nieuport company during World War I. An improvement over the Nieuport 11, it was a little larger than earlier N ...
, 17bis, 21, 23, 24, 24bis, and 27 were 15-meter Nieuports[Bruce, Nieuport 17 p.2]
Gallery
File:RFC Nieuport IVG serialled B4.jpg, Nieuport IV.G
File:M148 9 d'Artige du Fournet de retour d'une visite en hydravion Nieuport VI.H.jpg, Nieuport VI.H
File:Nieuport_10_colourized.jpg, Nieuport 10 C.1
File:Nieuport 11 C.1.jpg, Nieuport 11 C.1
File:Nieuport 12 A.2.jpg, Nieuport 12 A.2 Prototype
File:Nieuport w Le Prieur rockets.jpg, Nieuport 16 with Le Prier anti-balloon rockets
File:Nieuport 23 C.1.jpg, Nieuport 23 C.1
File:The Royal Flying Corps on the Western Front, 1914-1918 Q11955.jpg, Nieuport 27 C.1
File:Nieuport 28 C.1.jpg, Nieuport 28 C.1
File:Nieuport-Delage NiD.29 C.1.jpg, Nieuport-Delage 29 C.1
File:Nieuport-Delage Sesquiplan.jpg, Nieuport-Delage Sesquiplan
File:Nieuport-Delage NiD.62 C1.JPG, Nieuport-Delage NiD.62
Survivors
References
Citations
Bibliography
*Alegi, Gregory. ''Nieuport 29 - Windsock Datafile 97'', Albratros Publications, Herts, 2003
*Apostolo, Giorgio. ''Aermacchi - from Nieuports to AMX'', Giorgio Apostolo Editore (GAE), Milan, Italy, 1991
*Bruce, J.M. ''Nieuport 10~12 - Windsock Datafile 68'', Albratros Publications, Herts, 1998,
*Bruce, J.M. ''Nieuport 17 (and its near relatives) - Windsock Datafile 20'', Albratros Publications, Herts, 1990,
*Bruce, J.M. ''Nieuport Aircraft of World War One - Vintage Warbirds No 10'', Arms and Armour Press, London, 1988
*Bruce, J.M. ''Nieuport Fighters - A Windsock Datafile Special Volumes 1 & 2'', Albratros Publications, Herts, 1994,
*Čejka, Zdenek ''Československé Nieuporty'' (Czechoslovakian Nieuports), Historick Sesity, Prague, 1998
*Cheesman, E.F. (ed.) ''Fighter aircraft of the 1914-1918 War'', Letchwordth, Harleyford 1960
*Davilla, Dr. James J. and Arthur Soltan. ''French Aircraft of the First World War'', Flying Machines Press, Mountain View California, 1997,
*Durkota, Alan. ''The Imperial Russian Air Service - Famous Pilots and Aircraft of World War I'', Flying Machines Press, Mountain View California, 1995,
*Fletcher, Michael. ''Nieuport VIH'', Random Thoughts (Journal of the International Plastic Modellers Society of Canada), Ottawa, Volume 24, Number 4, pp. 80–82.
*Franks, Norman. ''Nieuport Aces of World War 1 - Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 33'', Osprey Publishing, Oxford, 2000,
*Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. ''German Aircraft of the First World War'', Putman, London, 1962
*Guttman, Jon. ''Nieuport 28 - Windsock Datafile 36'', Albratros Publications, Herts, 1992,
*
*Kowalski, Tomasz J. ''Nieuport 1-27'', Kagero, Lublin, 2003,
*Kulikov, Victor. ''Russian Two seat Nieuports'', Windsock International, Albratros Publications, Herts, Volume 9, Number 6 Nov-Dec 1993 pp. 24–26
*Longoni, Maurizio. ''Nieuport Macchi 11 & 17'', Intergest, Milan, 1976
*Munson, Kenneth Pioneer Aircraft London, Blandford 1969
*Pommier, Gerard. ''Nieuport 1875-1911 - A biography of Edouard Nieuport'', Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, Pa., 2002
*Rimmell, Ray. ''World War One Survivors'', Aston Publications, Bucks, 1990,
*Sanger, Ray. ''Nieuport Aircraft of World War One'', Crowood Press, Wiltshire, 2002
*Treadwell, Terry C. ''America's First Air War'', Airlife, Shrewsbury, 2000
External links
Nieuport fighters in Russia
{{Defunct aircraft manufacturers of France
Defunct aircraft manufacturers of France
N
Military aircraft of World War I