Nieuport 21
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| Nieuport 21 | |
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| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Nieuport |
| Introduced | 1916 |
| Retired | 1920s |
| Primary users | Aéronautique Militaire Russian Air Force US Army Air Service Finnish Air Force |
The Nieuport 21 was a French single-seat, single-engine fighter used during the First World War. The aircraft was used by the French, Russian, and American air forces. After the war, the Nieuport 21 was a popular civil aircraft.
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[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 9C 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 the United States (who used them as trainers) and Russia, equipped with a 110 hp Le Rhône engine. They were also used in limited numbers by the RNAS. The Nieuport 21 was 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
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 9C radial engine, 60 kW (80 hp)
Performance
- Never exceed speed: km/h (knots, mph)
- Maximum speed: 140 km/h (76 knots, 87 mph)
- Cruise speed: km/h (knots, mph)
- Stall speed: km/h (knots, mph)
- Range: 250 km (132 nm, 152 mi)
- Service ceiling m (ft)
- Rate of climb: m/min ()
- Wing loading: 33.6 kg/m² (6.89 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 0.121 W/kg (0.073 hp/lb)
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.
[edit] See also
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