Nieuport 12
The Nieuport 12 was a French biplane fighter aircraft used by both Great Britain and France during World War I.
Design and development
To improve the performance of the Nieuport 10 a larger and re-engined version was developed as the Nieuport 12. A Lewis gun was fitted to the rear cockpit for use of the observer and the pilot sometimes had a Lewis gun fixed to the upper wing firing over the propeller. Late examples of the type, used by the Royal Flying Corps were sometimes fitted with a Nieuport or Scarff ring mounting for the observer's gun, and a synchronized Vickers gun for the pilot.
It could be fitted with either a 100 hp (82 kW) or 130 hp (97 kW) Clerget engine mounted in the nose.
Variants
- Nieuport 12
- Two-seat fighter-reconnaissance biplane, powered by 110 hp (82 kW) Clerget 9Z engine.[1]
- Nieuport 12 bis
- Revised version with 130 hp (97 kW) Clerget 9C engine.[2]
- Nieuport 20
- Version powered by 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône 9J. Not used by France, but 21 delivered to Royal Flying Corps.[3]
- Nieuport 80E.2, 80D.2 and 83E.2
- Nieuport 12s were later converted into training aircraft, they were fitted with extra struts and four-wheel landing gear.
Operators
- Argentina
- Chile
- One aircraft only.
- France
- Poland
- Russian Empire
- Thailand (Siam)
- One aircraft only.
- United Kingdom
Specifications (110 hp Clerget engine)
Data from The Complete Book of Fighters [4]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2 (pilot, observer)
- Length: 7.00 m (22 ft 11½ in)
- Wingspan: 9.00 m (29 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 22.0 m2 (237 ft2)
- Empty weight: 550 kg (1,213 lb)
- Gross weight: 850 kg (1,874 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Clerget, 82 kW (110 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 146 km/h (91 mph)
- Endurance: 3 [5] hours
- Service ceiling: 3,960[5] m (13,000 ft)
Armament
- 1 × machine gun in rear cockpit (Occasionally one machine gun braced to upper wing)
See also
- Related development
- Related lists
References
Notes
- ^ Bruce 1982, p.320.
- ^ Bruce 1982, p.323.
- ^ Bruce 1982, pp. 323—324.
- ^ Green and Swanborough 1994, p.431.
- ^ a b Thetford 1978, p.263
Bibliography
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. pp. 2597.
- Bruce, J.M. (1982). The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing). London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 30084 x.
- Green, W; Swanborough, G (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Smithmark. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
- Thetford, Owen (1978). British Naval Aircraft since 1912 (Fourth Edition ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0 85177 861 5.
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