Nieuport 12

{{Short description|French WW1 fighter and reconnaissance aircraft}}

{{Infobox aircraft

|name = Nieuport 12 and 12bis

|image = Nieuport 12 A.2.jpg

|caption = Nieuport 12 A.2 prototype

|type = Reconnaissance(Artillery)/Fighter/Trainer

|manufacturer = Nieuport

|designer = Gustave Delage

|first_flight = 1915

|introduction = 1915

|retired =

|status = retired

|primary_user =France

|more_users =Imperial Russian Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Flying Corps

|produced = 1915–1918

|number_built = 300+{{cite web |title=Les Nieuport de la guerre |first=Gérard |last=Hartmann |url=http://www.hydroretro.net/etudegh/les_nieuports_de_la_guerre.pdf |work=Dossiers historiques et techniques aéronautique française |access-date=20 August 2015 |language=fr}}

|unit cost =

|developed_from = Nieuport 10

|variants =

}}

The Nieuport 12 (or Nieuport XII in contemporary sources) was a French sesquiplane reconnaissance, fighter aircraft and trainer used by France, Russia, Great Britain and the United States during World War I. Later production examples were built as trainers and served widely until the late 1920s.

Design and development

To improve the performance of the Nieuport 10 a re-engined version was developed as the Nieuport 12 with a significantly enlarged upper wing. A Lewis gun was fitted to the rear cockpit for use by the observer, normally on an Etévé ring (known as the Nieuport ring in British service) although early examples used a pedestal mount or half ring. A second Lewis was sometimes fitted to fire over the top wing. Nieuport 12s built by Beardmore used by the Royal Flying Corps were sometimes fitted with a Scarff ring instead of the Nieuport ring, and a synchronized Vickers gun for the pilot. Additional modifications were made to those built by Beardmore.

It could be fitted with either a {{convert|100|hp|kW|abbr=on|adj=on}} Clerget, {{convert|130|hp|kW|abbr=on||adj=on}} Clerget 9B engine or {{convert|110|hp|kW|abbr=on||adj=on}} Le Rhône 9J mounted in the nose.

Variants

File:French Nieuport 12bis of Escadrille N69 at the Somme (cropped).jpg

File:Nieuport 12bis C.2 colour 3-view drawing.jpg

;Nieuport 12 A.2

:Two-seat fighter-reconnaissance biplane, powered by {{convert|110|hp|abbr=on|adj=on}} Clerget 9Z engine.Bruce 1982, p.320. or {{convert|110|hp|abbr=on}} Le Rhône 9J.

;Nieuport 12bis C.2

:Revised version with {{convert|130|hp|abbr=on}} Clerget 9B engine and streamlined side fairings.Bruce 1982, p.323.

;Nieuport 13

:Two prototypes with increased span but same nominal wing area as 12. One powered by a {{convert|140|hp|abbr=on|adj=on}} Hispano-Suiza 8, and the other by an {{convert|80|hp|abbr=on}} Le Rhône 9C.

;Nieuport 20

:Version powered by {{convert|110|hp|abbr=on|adj=on}} Le Rhône 9J. Not used by France, but 21 delivered to Royal Flying Corps.Bruce 1982, pp. 323–324. All but first examples externally similar to 12bis.

;23 meter Nieuport

:Unofficial generic designation for all types listed here based on nominal wing area of 23 square meters.

;Nieuport 80 E.2 and 81 E.2

:Nieuport 12s were later built in large numbers specifically as training aircraft with the gun ring removed. 8 in designation referred to {{convert|80|hp|abbr=on}} Le Rhône 9C. These differed in having flight controls for just the pilot in the rear seat (81 E.2), or both pilot and passenger (80 E.2).

;Nieuport 12 (Beardmore)

:Beardmore progressively redesigned the Nieuport 12 during a production run of 50 aircraft so early examples were almost stock but late production examples differed considerably in detail. These were fitted with {{convert|110|hp|abbr=on|adj=on}} Clerget 9Z and {{convert|130|hp|abbr=on|adj=on}} Clerget 9B rotaries.

;Mitsubishi Army Type 甲 1 (Ko 1) Trainer

:Japanese designation for licence built Nieuport 81 E.2s. 57 built.Mikesh and Abe 1990, p. 176.

;Trainer Type 1

:Siamese designation for Nieuport 80 E.2.

;Sipowicz 1

:Polish experimental aircraft using lifting struts similar to the Wright-Bellanca WB-2.

Operators

File:Nieuport 80 E.2 - Front.jpg

File:Nieuport 12 aéronautique militaire (2).jpg Nieuport 12 built by Beardmore. Elevator stripes were a Beardmore trademark.]]

;{{ARG}}

Argentine Naval Aviation – One aircraft in 1919

;{{BEL}}

Belgian Air Force

;{{flag|Chile}}

Chilean Air Force – One aircraft only.

;{{FRA}}

Aéronautique Militaire

;{{EST}}

Estonian Air Force – Postwar.

;{{flag|Greece|old}}

Royal Hellenic Navy

;{{JPN}}

Imperial Japanese Army Air Service – received 40 Nieuport 81 E.2 from France in 1919, supplemented with 57 licence-built aircraft.

;{{POL}}

Polish Air Force

;{{POR}}

Portuguese Air Force

;{{ROM}}

Romanian Air Corps

;{{flag|Russian Empire|1914}}

Imperial Russian Air Service

;{{flag|Serbia}}

Serbian Air Force

;{{flagicon|THA}} Siam

Royal Siamese Aeronautical Service – One aircraft only. Locally designated B.F.1 ({{langx|th|บ.ฝ.๑}}).{{Cite web |title=Thai Military Aircraft Designations |url=https://designation-systems.net/non-us/thailand.html |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=designation-systems.net}}

;{{UK}}

;{{USA}}

American Expeditionary Force

;{{USSR}}

:Workers' and Peasants' Air Fleet

File:Nieuport 12 NAM Ottawa MDF 8562.jpg.]]

Survivor

A single ex-French Nieuport 12 is on display following an extensive restoration (including reinstalling the original Le Rhône 9J rotary engine) at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa in the late 1990s. This aircraft was donated to the Canadian Dominion Archives along with a Canon de 75 modèle 1897 cannon and an extensive collection of propaganda posters by the French Government in 1916 and was used for war bond drives until the 1918 flu pandemic resulted in it being placed in storage. In the late 1960s the Royal Canadian Air Force partially converted it into an RFC Beardmore example for display.

Specifications (French-built Nieuport 12 A.2)

File:Nieuport 12 (Beardmore) colourized drawing.jpg

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Davilla, 1997, p.369

|prime units?=met

|crew=Two (pilot and observer/gunner)

|length m=7.10

|length ft=

|length in=

|length note=

|span m=9.00

|span ft=

|span in=

|span note=measurements of survivor indicate {{cvt|9.15|m}}

|height m=2.70

|height ft=

|height in=

|height note=

|wing area sqm=22.00

|wing area sqft=

|wing area note=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=550

|empty weight lb=

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=825

|gross weight lb=

|gross weight note=

|fuel capacity=120 kg

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Clerget 9Z

|eng1 type=9 cylinder air-cooled rotary engine

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=110

|eng1 note=

|power original=

|prop blade number=2

|prop name={{cvt|2.50|m}} Régy 274 or {{cvt|2.55|m}} Régy 289 or {{cvt|2.53|m}} Eclair 2 wood fixed pitch propeller.Hartmann, 2015, p.20

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop dia note=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=146

|max speed mph=

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=at {{cvt|2000|m}}

|range km=500

|range miles=

|range nmi=

|range note=

|endurance=3 hours

|ceiling m=4000

|ceiling ft=

|ceiling note=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=14 minutes 15 seconds to {{cvt|2000|m}}

|wing loading kg/m2=

|wing loading lb/sqft=

|wing loading note=

|power/mass=

|more performance=

|armament=* 1 × {{convert|.303|in|mm|abbr=on}} Lewis gun on Etévé gun ring in rear cockpit and occasionally a second one on the upper wing

}}

References

=Notes=

=Bibliography=

{{cite book|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985)|publisher= Orbis Publishing|pages=2597}}
{{cite book |last=Bruce |first=J.M. |title=Nieuport Aircraft of World War One – Vintage Warbirds No 10 |year=1988 |publisher=Arms and Armour Press |location=London |isbn=0-85368-934-2}}
{{cite book|last=Bruce |first=J.M. |title=Nieuport 10~12 - Windsock Datafile 68 |year=1998 |publisher=Albratros Publications |location=Herts |isbn=1-902207-01-7}}
{{cite book|last=Bruce |first=J.M. |title=The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing) |year=1982 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn=0-370-30084-X }}
{{cite book|last1=Davilla|first1=Dr. James J.|last2=Soltan|first2=Arthur |title=French Aircraft of the First World War|publisher=Flying Machines Press|location=Mountain View, CA|year=1997|isbn=978-1891268090}}
{{cite book|last= Green|first= W |author2=Swanborough, G |title= The Complete Book of Fighters |year= 1994|publisher= Smithmark |isbn= 0-8317-3939-8}}
{{cite web|last=Hartmann|first=Gérard|url=https://www.hydroretro.net/etudegh/heliciersfrancais.pdf|title=Les héliciers français|date=6 January 2015|access-date=5 August 2019|language=fr}}
{{cite book|last1=Mikesh|first1=Robert C.|last2=Abe|first2=Shorzoe|title=Japanese Aircraft 1910–1941|year=1990|publisher=Putnam Aeronautical Books|location=London|isbn=0-85177-840-2}}
{{cite book|last=Sanger |first=Ray |title=Nieuport Aircraft of World War One |year=2002 |publisher=Crowood Press |location=Wiltshire |isbn=1-86126-447-X}}
{{Cite book|author=Thetford, Owen|title=British Naval Aircraft since 1912 |edition =Fourth |publisher=Putnam |location= London|year=1978 |isbn= 0-85177-861-5}}