Nieuport 21
The Nieuport 21 was a French single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft used during World War I. The aircraft was used by the French, Russian, British and American air forces. After the war, the Nieuport 21 was a popular civil aircraft.
Design and development
The Nieuport 21 was designed by Gustave Delage and it made its maiden flight in 1916. While it had a similar airframe to the Nieuport 17, it was equipped with a less powerful Le Rhône 9C engine as it was originally intended as a long range escort fighter. 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.[1]
Operational history
The Nieuport 21 served briefly as a front line fighter before its lack of power caused it to be relegated to training duties. Nieuport 21s were sold to the United States for use strictly as trainers, and Russia. They were also used in limited numbers by the RNAS. The Nieuport 21 was license manufactured in Russia by A/O Duks. A small number were used by a number of air arms in the early post war period, including the Finnish Air Force (the Whites) which had captured a Russian aircraft in Tampere in 1918 which was used until 1923. The French Navy used one example for carrier trials in 1919 and 1920.
Operators
- Estonian Air Force - Postwar
- Armee de l'Air
- French Navy
- Imperial Russian Air Force
- Soviet Air Force - ex-Imperial Russian Air Service.
- Royal Flying Corps
- Royal Naval Air Service
- Five aircraft only.
Specifications
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)
- Max. takeoff weight: 495 kg (1089 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Le Rhône 9C rotary engine, 60 kW (80 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 140 km/h (76 knots, 87 mph)
- Range: 250 km (132 nm, 152 mi)
- Service ceiling: 4511.04 m (14,800 ft)
- Rate of climb: 4.16 meters per second (820 feet per minute)
- Wing loading: 33.6 kg/m² (6.89 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 0.121 kW/kg (0.073 hp/lb)
1 machine gun fixed to upper wing.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nieuport 21. |
Notes
- ↑ Taylor and Alexander 1969, pp. 114-115.
Bibliography
- Donald, David, ed. The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
- Keskinen, Kalevi;, Kyösti Partonen and Kari Stenman. Suomen Ilmavoimat I 1918-27. Espoo, Finland: Kari Stenman Publishing, 2005. ISBN 952-99432-2-9.
- Taylor, John W. R. and Jean Alexander. Combat Aircraft of the World. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-71810-564-8.
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