Nieuport 10

Nieuport 10
Role reconnaissance, fighter and trainer
Manufacturer Nieuport
Designer Gustave Delage
First flight 1914
Introduction 1915
Status retired
Primary users Aéronautique Militaire
Royal Naval Air Service
Imperial Russian Air Service
Produced 1915-1918
Variants Nieuport 12
Nieuport 10 wing and aileron details

The Nieuport 10 was a French First World War biplane that filled a wide variety of roles including reconnaissance, fighter and trainer.

Design and development

In January 1914, designer Gustave Delage joined the Société Anonyme des Etablissements Nieuport, and started working on a series of aircraft that would remain in production for the remainder of the First World War. The Nieuport 10 was first of these and was originally designed to compete in the Gordon Bennett Trophy race of 1914. World War I caused this contest to be cancelled, and the type was developed as a military two seat reconnaissance aircraft that entered service in 1915.

The type featured a distinctive "V" strut layout. The lower wing was much smaller in area than the upper wing, and the concept was intended to combine the strength of the biplane's wire braced wing cell with the good visibility of the parasol monoplane.[1]

Many were converted or built as single-seat fighters by covering the front cockpit, and adding a Lewis Gun or Vickers machine gun either to fire through the center section of the top wing or mounted over it, firing forwards. In this form, the type was used as a fighter.

Two major types were developed from the Nieuport 10 - the Nieuport 11 Bébé - a smaller aircraft, designed from the outset as a single-seater, and the Nieuport 12 - a more powerful two-seater with a larger top wing. In addition, production was undertaken of a dedicated trainer version under the Nieuport 83 E.2 designation with detail changes. A single example of a triplane, using a Nieuport 10 airframe was built to test an unusual staggered wing concept.

Variants

Early French Nieuport 10.B two seat reconnaissance aircraft
Nieuport 10 triplane
American Nieuport 83 E.2 trainer
Nieuport X.B
Early designation distinguishing it from the earlier unrelated Nieuport X monoplane.
Nieuport X.AV
Company designation with the observer/gunner seated in the front and the pilot in the rear.
Nieuport X.AR
Company designation with the pilot seated in the front and the observer/gunner in the rear.
Nieuport 10 A.2
Two seat reconnaissance (Artillerie) aircraft, same as Nieuport X.AR.
Nieuport 10 C.1
Single-seat fighter variant. Inspired development of Nieuport 11 C.1.
Nieuport 10 E.2
Nieuport 10 A.2s used for training.
Nieuport 83 E.2
Purpose built trainer with detail modifications.
Nieuport 10 triplane
Testbed for triplane with unusual wing stagger.
Nieuport-Macchi 10.000
Italian built Nieuport 10 with many detail modifications.
Nieuport 18 or 18 meter Nieuport
Unofficial description of basic type based on nominal wing area of 18 square meters.
Nakajima Army Type Ko 2 Trainer
Nieuport 83 E.2 built under licence in Japan.
Trainer Type 2
Siamese designation for imported Nieuport 83 E.2.

Operators

 Belgium
Belgian Air Force
 Brazil
Brazilian Air Force
 France
Aéronautique Militaire
Aéronavale
 Finland
Finnish Air Force (ex-Russian examples)
 Kingdom of Italy
Corpo Aeronautico Militare
 Japan
Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
 Russian Empire
Imperial Russian Air Service - imported large numbers and built under licence.
Imperial Russian Navy - ex Air Service aircraft.
 Serbia
Serbian Air Force[2]
 Thailand
Royal Thai Air Force
Ukrainian People's Republic
Ukrainian People's Army (One aircraft only)
 United Kingdom
Royal Naval Air Service - early user. Note that the Royal Flying Corps did not use the Nieuport 10.
 United States
United States Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force - used as trainers only
 Soviet Union
Workers' and Peasants' Air Fleet (ex-Russian examples)

Survivors

Two Nieuport-Macchi 10,000's survive in Italy, one at the Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra and one at the Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia "Leonardo da Vinci" and one original Nieuport 83 E.2, flown by Charles Nungesser while barnstorming, is at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome on static display.

Specifications (Nieuport 10 C.1 fighter)

Drawing of definitive Nieuport 10 C.1 fighter

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also


Related lists

References

Footnotes

  1. Fitzsimons 1967/1969, p. 1989.
  2. Janić Č, Petrović O, Short History of Aviation in Serbia, Beograd, Aerokomunikacije, 2011. ISBN 978-86-913973-2-6

Bibliography

External links

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