Nieuport 17
The single-seated almost delicately looking sesquiplane Nieuport 17 was one of the most successful fighters of the First World War. With this type chief designer Gustave Delage at Nieuport created a masterpiece that finally gained the upper hand over the German Fokker E in the air battle of Verdun in 1916. When the Nieuport reached the front on March 17th 1916 there were hardly any machines on the German side that could keep up with the single-seated fighter that had a high speed, a good manoeuvrability and an excellent rate of climb. It only needed about 10 minutes to climb to an altitude of 3,050 m. The Nieuport 17 replaced the Nieuport 11 that was known as "Bébé".
Besides French squadrons Belgium, Russian and British units were equipped with it. It was manufactured in Italy and Russia under licence. In German factories copies of it were built on orders. A model of the Nieuport 17 is exhibited in the Parisian Air and Space Museum in Le Bourget.
In principle the designer Delage kept to the construction used with the precursor type that was based on the configuration of a V-strutted sesquiplane. But he learned from the experiences gained with previous models and reinforced the structure of the machine. In addition he increased the engine power and the wing area. Celluloid windows in the wing root of some machines provided better visibility for the pilot. A characteristic of the Nieuport 17 was the engine cowl that was completely closed on the underside. The secret of its speed, manoeuvrability and rate of climb can be put down among other things to the narrow grouping of all heavy parts around the main axis.
The rotary engine was located in the front part of the box-shaped, slightly downward tapering fuselage constructed out of steel tubes. This part was covered with aluminium plates. The rear fabric covered fuselage consisted of a wire-braced wood frame. The wing assembly consisted of a wide two-spar upper wing with ailerons and a shorter V-shaped lower wing without aileron that was only half as deep; the wooden framework of both wings was fabric covered. The landing was not retractable and comprised a continuous axle and a tail skid.
At first a Lewis machine gun was mounted on the upper wing which the pilot could pull downwards and push upwards with the help of a support in order to be able to attack an enemy machine from below or above in the blind angle. Later the Lewis machine gun was replaced by a mechanically synchronized Vickers machine gun on the upper surface of the fuselage in front of the pilot. Some Nieuport 17 machines were equipped with Le-Prieur rockets mounted at the wing strutting for setting balloons and airships on fire.
The Nieuport 17 was the last of Delage's V-strutted sesquiplanes for which he saw no further development possibilities. He then turned to the conventional biplane.
Technical data
Nieuport 17
| Type | single-seated fighter |
| Power plant |
one air-cooled Le Rhone 9J (9-cylinder radial engine) with 110 HP (80.9 kW) alternatively a Le-Clerget engine with 130 PS (95.6 kW) |
| Year of construction | 1916 |
Perfomance
| Maximum speed | 177 km/h from ground proximity to an altitude of 2,000 m |
| Rate of climb | climbs to 2,000 m altitude in 5.30 min |
| Ceiling | 5,300 m |
| Operational range | 250 km |
| Endurance | 2 hrs |
Weight
| Empty weight | 374 kg |
| Take-off weight | 565 kg |
Dimensions
| Length | 5.77 m |
| Height | 2.44 m |
| Wing area | 14,75 qm |
| Span | 8.17 m |
| Crew | 1 person | |
| Useful load/armament |
on or two Lewis machine guns or one Vickers machine gun. Fixedly mounted on the fuselage and firing in synchronization through the propeller arc. |
