Nieuport 28

Nieuport 28. The Nieuport 28 was a French World War I biplane fighter aircraft designed by Gustave Delage and built by Nieuport. It was the first fighter to see operational service with the United States Army Air Service's American Expeditionary Forces in France, flown by squadrons like the 94th Aero Squadron and the 95th Aero Squadron. Although quickly supplanted by more robust designs like the SPAD S.XIII, it played a crucial transitional role for American pilots, including Eddie Rickenbacker, during the final year of the Western Front conflict.

Design and development

The Nieuport 28 was developed by chief designer Gustave Delage as a successor to the earlier Nieuport 17 and Nieuport 27 series. Its design featured a more streamlined fuselage and was one of the first Nieuport fighters to abandon the iconic sesquiplane wing configuration for wings of equal span, though it retained the characteristic V-strut arrangement. The aircraft was powered by a single Gnome Monosoupape 9N rotary engine, which provided improved performance over its predecessors. However, the aircraft's structure, particularly its wing fabric, proved vulnerable to damage during aggressive dogfight maneuvers, a significant flaw noted during testing at facilities like Villacoublay.

Operational history

Entering service with the Aéronautique Militaire in March 1918, the Nieuport 28 saw limited use with French units such as Escadrille 38, as the French Air Force preferred the sturdier SPAD S.VII. Its most significant service was with the United States Army Air Service, whose 1st Pursuit Group equipped its first squadrons, including the famed 94th Aero Squadron (the "Hat-in-the-Ring" squadron) and the 95th Aero Squadron, with the type. American pilots, many trained by the French Air Force at schools like Issoudun, scored their first aerial victories in the Nieuport 28 during actions over the Toul Sector and the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. Notable aces like Eddie Rickenbacker and Douglas Campbell achieved early successes in the aircraft, though concerns over wing failures led to its replacement by the SPAD S.XIII by mid-1918. Post-war, some aircraft were used by the Swiss Air Force and in the Hollywood film Hell's Angels.

Variants

The primary production model was the Nieuport 28 C.1 (C.1 denoting a single-seat chasseur, or fighter). A two-seat trainer version, the Nieuport 28 Ecole, was also built in small numbers for advanced instruction. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, a few aircraft were modified with different engines, such as the Le Rhône 9J, for continued use by air services in countries like Switzerland. No major combat variants were developed, as production shifted to the superior SPAD S.XIII.

Operators

* France: The Aéronautique Militaire operated the type with frontline units like Escadrille 38 and used others for training. * United States: The United States Army Air Service's American Expeditionary Forces used it extensively with the 1st Pursuit Group, including the 94th Aero Squadron, 95th Aero Squadron, 27th Aero Squadron, and 147th Aero Squadron. * Switzerland: The Swiss Air Force acquired a small number post-war for evaluation and service. * Other post-war operators included private owners and film studios, notably for the production of Howard Hughes's Hell's Angels.

Specifications (Nieuport 28 C.1)

* Crew: 1 * Length: 6.50 m (21 ft 4 in) * Wingspan: 8.00 m (26 ft 3 in) * Height: 2.48 m (8 ft 2 in) * Wing area: 20 m² (215 sq ft) * Empty weight: 532 kg (1,173 lb) * Gross weight: 740 kg (1,631 lb) * Powerplant: 1 × Gnome Monosoupape 9N 9-cylinder air-cooled rotary engine, 160 kW (220 hp) * Maximum speed: 195 km/h (121 mph, 105 kn) * Endurance: 1 hour 30 minutes * Service ceiling: 5,200 m (17,000 ft) * Rate of climb: 5.6 m/s (1,100 ft/min) * Armament: 2 × forward-firing .303 Vickers machine guns synchronized via Alkan-Hamy synchronization gear.

Category:World War I fighter aircraft of France Category:Nieuport aircraft Category:Biplanes