Nieuport 28

Nieuport 28
Public domain · source
Name	Nieuport 28
Type	Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer	Gustave Delage, Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport
First flight	1917
Introduced	1918
Retired	1920s
Primary user	Escadrilles, United States Army Air Service
Produced	~2,150

Nieuport 28 is a French First World War single-seat biplane fighter designed by Gustave Delage for Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport. It entered service in 1918 and is notable for being the first fighter type to equip United States Army Air Service squadrons on the Western Front under the command structures of American Expeditionary Forces and in operations coordinated with Royal Air Force units. The type saw combat during the final months of the First World War and influenced later fighter developments in both France and the United States.

Design and development

Gustave Delage of Nieuport designed the model as a successor to earlier Nieuport sesquiplanes and to respond to service demands from the French Aéronautique Militaire and allied procurement boards such as the American Expeditionary Forces. The aircraft used a conventional wood-and-fabric construction and adopted a more robust wing cellule than preceding Nieuport models, influenced by contemporaneous designs like the SPAD S.XIII and addressing stability issues encountered with earlier types used by Escadrilles. Power was provided by rotary and inline engines in production batches; common powerplants included the Le Rhône 9J rotary and the Salmson 9Z variants specified by procurement agencies.

Development was accelerated in response to combat feedback and logistical pressures during 1917–1918, with prototypes evaluated against other contenders such as the Bristol F.2 Fighter and the Sopwith Camel. Structural features included a two-bay biplane layout with rounded fuselage lines derived from Nieuport lineage and twin synchronized Vickers machine gun armament mounted on the forward fuselage. Flight-control refinements were influenced by operational reports from squadrons like those attached to the Royal Flying Corps and technical bureaus within the Service Technique de l'Aéronautique.

Operational history

Operational introduction occurred in early 1918, and the type was delivered in quantity to American units including the 147th Aero Squadron and the famed 94th Aero Squadron, which counted aviators such as Edward Rickenbacker among its members. Nieuport 28s flew escort, patrol, and ground-attack missions in coordination with formations from the United States Army Air Service and allied air services during battles associated with the Second Battle of the Marne and the Hundred Days Offensive. Pilots cited strengths in maneuverability that compared favorably to contemporary types like the Sopwith Snipe while noting limitations in structural integrity under extreme dive and high-speed stresses compared with the heavier SPAD designs.

Supply limitations and maintenance issues, plus concerns over lower wing leading-edge failures in some early examples, prompted phased replacement by alternative fighters such as the SPAD S.XIII within frontline squadrons. Nonetheless, the type remained in secondary roles with training units, in homeland defense, and in several postwar air arms, influencing pilot training programs in institutions associated with the United States Army Air Service and the Aéronavale.

Variants

Several production and experimental variants emerged, reflecting different role adaptations, engine installations, and export demands. Notable versions included examples fitted with the Le Rhône 9J rotary engine for frontline French and American service, models re-engined with inline powerplants for export evaluation, and trainer conversions used by flying schools such as those linked to the United States Air Service Training School. Limited-run prototypes explored changes in wing incidence and fuselage fairing inspired by aerodynamic investigations conducted by technical committees involving personnel from the Bureau of Aeronautics and national aviation councils.

Operators

Primary wartime operators included the Aéronautique Militaire, several squadrons of the United States Army Air Service, and a small number delivered to allied training establishments within the Royal Flying Corps and postwar air arms. Post-Armistice users encompassed air services in nations rebuilding aviation capabilities after the First World War, with aircraft appearing in inventories of institutions connected to national ministries and aviation schools, including units associated historically with the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps lineage.

Survivors and replicas

A small number of original airframes survived into the interwar period and some were preserved in museums linked to national aviation history such as collections associated with the Smithsonian Institution and other institutions curating First World War aeronautical artifacts. Enthusiast groups and historical flight organizations have produced flying replicas based on original drawings and recovered components; these reconstructions appear at airshows and in film productions depicting figures like Eddie Rickenbacker and events such as memorial flypasts for the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. Preservation efforts have involved collaboration between curators from the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace and private collections.

Specifications (Nieuport 28)

- Crew: 1 (pilot associated with units like the 94th Aero Squadron) - Powerplant: rotary engines such as the Le Rhône 9J or comparable types - Armament: twin synchronized Vickers machine guns - Construction: wood frame with fabric covering, biplane wing arrangement influenced by Nieuport lineage and comparable to the SPAD family

Category:1910s French fighter aircraft