Nieuport-Delage NiD-52

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)
This article or section needs to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please help improve this article with relevant internal links. (April 2008)
NiD-52
Type Fighter
National origin France
Manufacturer Nieuport-Delage
Maiden flight 1927
Introduction 1929
Primary user Spain
Number built 135
Developed from Nieuport-Delage NiD-42

The Nieuport-Delage NiD-52 was a French fighter aircraft of the 1920s. A single engined sesquiplane, it served with the Spanish Air Force, being operated by both sides of the Spanish Civil War.

Contents

[edit] Development and design

In 1924 Nieuport produced a design for a single seat sesquiplane fighter, the Nieuport-Delage NiD-42, which was ordered in small numbers for the French air force, entering service in 1927.[1] Nieuport produced two refined versions in 1927, the mixed construction (wood and steel tube) NiD-52 and the Nieuport-Delage NiD 62, which had a similar all-wooden structure to the NiD-42.[2] While France preferred the NiD-62, and purchased it in large numbers, the NiD-52 won a competition for a new fighter for Spain in 1928.[2]

In the 30s Nieuport tried to keep pace with the evolution of the same biplane design but faced a number of financial setbacks. After having tried some unsuccessful versions, around 1931, introduced the Ni-52 as the fastest fighter of these days. Actually the only revolutionary element was the significant reduction of the lower wing surface and the change from the rotary engines (cylinders placed around the shaft) to the line engines (cylinders placed parallel to the shaft) . This later feature could reduce the frontal air resistance and allow engines with more cylinders. However, it was doing only some 150 knots which although considered satisfactory before 1930 were largely exceeded by the both biplane and monoplane fighters in 1935. Besides, pilots who flew with it in combat were not happy with its maneuvering abilities

France did equip some of its air fighter units with the Ni-52 in the beginning of the 1931 but moved to other types after 1935. The only important export success for the Ni-52 were 125 planes sold to the Spanish government just before the Spanish Civil War. These planes took part in the first air fighting in the summer of 1936 in Spain and stayed active with the colors of both sides practically until the end of 1937. In Barcelona one squadron of Ni-52 was active until 1938, defending the city from Italian raids from their bases on the Baleares.

The Ni-52 developed to the Ni-62 version to correct some maneuvering characteristics of the previous version and the company tried even some other ones but none has flown during WWII as biplanes were considered outdated. Then the factory was merged and the Nieuport fighter versions production was terminated

[edit] Operators

Flag of Spain Spain

[edit] Specifications (NiD-52)

Data from The Complete Book of Fighters [3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 7.64 m (25 ft 0¾ in)
  • Wingspan: 12.00 m (39 ft 4½ in)
  • Height: 3.00 m (9 ft 10⅛ in)
  • Wing area: 27.8m² (299 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 1,360 kg (2,998 lb)
  • Loaded weight: 1,800 kg (3,968lb)
  • Powerplant: 1× Hispano-Suiza 12Hb 12 cylinder liquid cooled V-12 engine, 373 kW (500 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 260 km/h (141 knots, 162 mph) at 1,800 m (5,900 ft)
  • Range: 400 km [4] (216 NM, 248 mi)
  • Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
  • Climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft): 13.5 min

Armament

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Donald 1997, p.688.
  2. ^ a b Donald 1997, p.689.
  3. ^ Green and Swanborough 1994, p.439-440.
  4. ^ Nieuport-Delage NiD-52 Aviafrance. (French). Retrieved 5 April 2008.

[edit] Bibliography

  • Donald, David (editor). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Aerospace Publishing. 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
  • Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.

[edit] External links