Nieuport 21

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Nieuport 21
Type Fighter
Manufacturer Nieuport
Retired 1920s
Primary users French Air Force
Russian Air Force
USA
Finnish Air Force

The Nieuport 21 was a French single-seat, single-engine fighter biplane designed during WWI. The aircraft was used by the French, Russian and American air forces. After WWI, the aircraft was a popular civil aircraft.

[edit] History

The Nieuport 21 was designed by Gustave Delage and it made its maiden flight in 1916. While it had a similar engine to the Nieuport 17, it was equipped with a less powerful Le Rhône 9 C engine as it was originally intended as a fighter training aircraft. As the engine was fitted with a horseshoe shaped cowling, the Nieuport 21 was often mistaken for the smaller Nieuport 11, which had a similar cowling. However, due to the urgent requirement for fighters, it had to be taken into service as a frontline fighter. Nieuport 21s were sold to USA (who used them as Trainers) and Russia, equipped with a 110 hp Le Rhône engine, and werealso used in limited numbers by the RNAS. The aircraft was also license manufactured in Russia by A/O Duks.

The Finnish Air Force (the Whites) captured one aircraft in Tampere in 1918. It was used until 1923.

[edit] Specifications (21)

Data from Suomen Ilmavoimat I 1918-27

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 6.0 m (19 ft 8 in)
  • Wingspan: 8.16 m (26 ft 9 in)
  • Height: 2.40 m (7 ft 10 in)
  • Wing area: 14.75 m² (159 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 320 kg (704 lb)
  • Useful load: kg (kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 495 kg (1089 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1× Le Rhône 9 C radial engine, 60 kW (80 hp)

Performance

Armament

1 machine gun fixed to upper wing.

[edit] Sources

  • Keskinen, Kalevi; Partonen, Kyösti and Stenman, Kari: Suomen Ilmavoimat I 1918-27, 2005. ISBN 952-99432-2-9.
  • Donald, David: The encyclopedia of world aircraft, Aerospace publishing, 1997, ISBN 1-85605-375-X
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