Nieuport 28#Surviving aircraft

By the middle of 1917, it was obvious that the Nieuport 17 and its immediate developments, such as the Nieuport 24bis, could provide only moderate performance gains over the standard model, so that they were unable to keep pace with the latest German fighters. In fact, the Nieuport 17 line was already being supplanted in French service by the SPAD S.VII,Cheesman 1960, p. 94. as quickly as supplies of the Hispano-Suiza engine would allow. It had become increasingly apparent that the basic sesquiplane "v-strut" layout was approaching the limits of its development.Bowers 1966, pp. 4-5.

The Nieuport 28 design advanced the concept of the lightly built, highly maneuverable rotary engined fighter typified by the Nieuport 17 to the more demanding conditions of the times. Bowers refers to it as being "an excellent example of the step-by-step evolution of a single basic design to its point of ultimate development and then its transition into a new model to meet changing requirements".Bowers 1966, p. 3.

During 1917 the Nieuport company experimented with a number of new designs - including monoplanes, biplanes and triplanes. None of these types achieved production status and never received an official military designation, but the results of tests provided information later used in future Nieuport fighters, including the 28.Hamady 2008, p. 193.

Several prototypes of the new fighter were constructed. Three different dihedral settings for the top wing were tried, including a completely flat wing, and one with marked dihedral that rested very close to the top of the front fuselage. Production aircraft featured an intermediate configuration, which involved a slight dihedral in the upper wing and taller cabane struts, providing room to accommodate a second machine gun, mounted under the wing's center section.Hamady 2008, Appendix B pp. 193–203.

Additional prototypes based on the design of the N28 were built to test various features of the Nieuport 29, including its wooden monocoque fuselage,Davilla 1997, p. 407. and alternate engine installations, such as the {{cvt|300|hp}} Hispano-Suiza 8Fb, {{cvt|170|hp}} Le Rhône 9R, 275 hp Lorraine-Dietrich 8Bd,Davilla 1997, pp. 409–410. and {{cvt|200|hp}} Clerget 11E.

The Nieuport 28's design featured several improvements over the 27, including the adoption of a more powerful engine, a twin-machine gun armament, and a new wing structure.Bowers 1966, p. 5. For the first time, a production Nieuport fighter was fitted with conventional two-spar wings, top and bottom, in place of the sesquiplane "v-strut" layout of the earlier Nieuports.Bowers 1966, pp. 3, 5. Both wings featured elliptical wingtips, instead of the angular raked tips common to Nieuport's earlier designs. The upper wing was built in two sections, joined together over the fuselage center-line. The leading edge of both wings was laminated with plywood. Ailerons were fitted to the lower wings only and controlled via torque tubes.

In order to provide a more streamlined profile, the fuselage was longer and slimmer, so narrow that its twin Vickers machine guns were offset to port, one between the cabane struts and one just outboard of them.[http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19860276000] National Air and Space Museum, Retrieved: 30 August 2009.Bowers 1966, pp. 5-6. The design of the tail unit closely followed that of the Nieuport 27.

File:Nieuport 28s of the 95th.jpg

By early 1918, when the first production examples of the Nieuport 28 became available, the SPAD S.XIII was already firmly established as the standard French fighter, and the Nieuport 28 was "surplus" from the French point of view.Cheesman 1960, p. 106. On the other hand, the United States Army Air Service was desperately short of fighters to equip its projected "pursuit" (fighter) squadrons. Since the SPAD S.XIIIs the Americans actually wanted were initially unavailable due to engine shortages, the Nieuport was offered to the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) as an interim alternative.Hamady 2008, pp. 38–49.Davilla 1997, p. 502.

A total of 297 Nieuport 28s were purchased by the Americans (none of our sources make it clear if this refers only to the initial order or includes Nieuport 28A trainers accepted from the late 1918 contract). The 94th and 95th Aero Squadron received the initial allotments, starting in March 1918.Dorr and Donald 1990, pp. 16–17. In all, four AEF pursuit squadrons: the 27th, 94th, 95th and 147th Aero Squadrons, flew Nieuport 28s operationally for various periods between March and August 1918.Davilla 1997, p. 408.Guttman 1992, pp. 5, 8.

File:Eddie Rickenbacker Nieuport 28.jpg

The factory delivered the Nieuport 28s to the Americans in mid-February 1918 without armament.Bowers 1966, pp. 9-10. At the time, the AEF had no spare Vickers machine guns to supply to the squadrons, so that the first flights were unarmed training flights for pilots to familiarize themselves with the handling and performance of the new type. When deliveries of Vickers guns to the American squadrons finally started in mid-March, and until sufficient guns had been received for all of the fighters to be fully equipped, some aircraft were flown on patrol with only one machine gun fitted.Treadwell 2000, p. 68.

On 14 April 1918, the second armed patrol of an AEF fighter unit resulted in two victories when Lieutenants Alan Winslow and Douglas Campbell (the first American-trained ace) of the 94th Aero Squadron each downed an enemy aircraft over their own airfield at Gengoult.Hamady 2008, p. 10.Bowers 1966, p. 10. Several well-known World War I American fighter pilots, including the 26-victory ace, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, began their operational careers on the Nieuport 28.Treadwell 2000, pp. 68, 75. Quentin Roosevelt (the son of former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt) was shot down and killed flying the type.

The 94th and 95th had the task of dealing with the type's teething troubles. Initially undercarriages failed on landing – this was corrected by using heavier bracing wire. The Nieuport 28's 160 hp Gnome 9N rotary engine and fuel system proved to be unreliable and prone to fires.Guttman 1992, pp. 7–8. Field improvements to fuel lines, and increased familiarity of the American pilots (and their ground crews) with the requirements of monosoupape engines reduced these problems, but the definitive solution adopted was simply not completely filling the reserve fuel tank, a move which came at the expense of range. More seriously, a structural problem emerged – during a sharp pull out from a steep dive, the plywood leading edge of the top wing could break away, taking the fabric with it.Hamady 2008, Appendix D pp. 230–240.(This is the definitive study of the problem) On the whole, although the pilots of the 94th and the 95th appreciated the maneuverability and good handling of the Nieuport, and were reasonably happy with its general performance, their confidence in the fighter's structural integrity was shaken.Hamady 2008, p. 65.

File:Nieuport 28 on USS Arizona.jpg]]

The 27th and 147th Aero Squadrons arrived at the front three months later, starting combat operations on 2 June 1918.Guttman 2008, p. 31. In July 1918, the 94th and 95th Aero Squadrons received their first SPAD XIIIs and some of their surviving Nieuport 28s were then transferred to the 27th and 147th Aero Squadrons. By the end of August 1918, all four American squadrons were fully outfitted with SPAD XIIIs.Hartney 1971, p. 182. The pilots of the 94th and 95th Aero Squadrons welcomed the SPADs, although the 27th and 147th Aero Squadrons were much less enthusiastic about the change.Guttman 1992, p. 10. The Nieuport 28 certainly possessed superior maneuverability to its SPAD replacement.Bowers 1966, pp. 10-12.{{#tag:ref|The pilots of the 27th and 147th Aero Squadrons, who had been forewarned about, but had not experienced the wing fabric detachment problem, were "heartbroken" in losing aircraft that had "performed perfectly". Author and historian Harold Hartney, in his 1940 account of the AEF, noted in his description of 147th's reaction, "... and now another catastrophe befell the squadron – they took away our beloved Nieuports and gave us 220 hp gear driven SPADs."Hartney 1971, p. 195.|group=N}}

Twelve Army Nieuports were transferred to the U.S. Navy to be flown from launching platforms mounted on the forward turrets of eight battleships, in a similar manner to the Sopwith Camel 2F.1s embarked at this time by the British Royal Navy Grand Fleet. Similarly, they were fitted with hydrovanes as a means of mitigating the dangers of a water landing (ditching), and flotation gear, inflated using compressed air, to prevent the aircraft from sinking.Cooksley 1997, p. 48.

During late 1918, about the time that the type was withdrawn from front line use, the United States Army placed an order for an additional 600 improved Nieuport 28s, which were given the American designation 28A. Although these were mainly intended as advanced trainers, early problems with the SPAD S.XIII in American service meant that the possibility of re-introducing the Nieuport fighters into the operational squadrons was not discounted, and provision was made for the installation of twin M1917/M1918 Marlin guns, mounted side by side under the center section.Hamady 2008, pp. 112–113.Bowers 1966, p. 6.

The Nieuport 28A was to feature an improved upper wing leading edge structure and a redesigned fuel system, correcting faults in the initial production batch. As the Nieuport company were preoccupied with later types, production was undertaken by Lioré et Olivier who had built 170 Nieuport 28As and parts for another 100 by the end of the war, when the remainder of the order was cancelled.Hamady 2008, p. 113.

File:Nieuport 28 advertising Nucoa margarine.jpg

Postwar, approximately 50 new Nieuport 28As which had not previously seen service were shipped to the U.S. During the 1920s, Nieuport 28s were also in service with various air forces; Switzerland obtained 15, while Argentina received a couple of aircraft.van Leeuwen, Marcel. [http://www.zap16.com/mil%20fact/Nieuport%2028.htm "Nieuport 28."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218004439/http://www.zap16.com/mil%20fact/Nieuport%2028.htm |date=18 December 2007 }} zap16.com, 30 December 2008. Retrieved: 30 August 2009. Switzerland acquired its examples in 1919, and continued to fly the type throughout the 1920s, retiring their last Nieuport 28s from active service in 1930.

The type also found its way into civilian use. Several were used for aerial races; Nieuport 28 racers were often modified by reducing the wing span by up to five feet and replacing the parallel wing struts with a single I-shaped strut.

During the same period, a number of Nieuport 28s made their way to Hollywood where they appeared in the movies, The Dawn Patrol (1930), as well as its remake in 1938, Ace of Aces (1933) and Men with Wings (1938).Hardwick and Schnepf 1989, pp. 56, 58–59. The Nieuport 28s appeared in several later films set during World War I, including the Lafayette Escadrille (1958).Holcomb, Kevin. [http://www.airminded.net/n28/n28.html "The Nieuport 28."] Holcomb's Aerodrome, Retrieved: 7 January 2013.

File:Swiss Air Force Nieuport 28 C-1.jpg.]]

As well as the replicas, a number of original surviving aircraft are found in museum collections worldwide. Original airframes are located in the Flieger Flab Museum in Dübendorf, and the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne, Switzerland, a U.S. Navy Nieuport 28 at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, the San Diego Air and Space Museum, and the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum,[http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19860276000 "Nieuport 28C.1."] Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Retrieved: 9 January 2013.{{#tag:ref|N4123A/8 (cn 1918-1958E) was donated by aviation enthusiast and entrepreneur Cole Palen, after having flown the aircraft for decades at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, a "living" museum of vintage aircraft.Dowsett, Barry. [http://www.oldrhinebeck.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=55 "James Henry "Cole" Palen (1925–1993)."] Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Retrieved: 9 January 2013. |group=N}}

The only airworthy example of the type is on display as of September 2023 at the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, Massachusetts following a two-year restoration by Mikael Carlson in Sebbarp, Sweden.[https://www.americanheritagemuseum.org/aircrafts/nieuport-28/ "1918 Nieuport 28"] American Heritage Museum, Retrieved: 16 March 2023. This aircraft was owned by Frank Tallman and Paul Mantz of Tallmantz Aviation for Hollywood film productions from the 1930's until the 1960's before being sold at auction in 1968 to veteran race car driver Jim Hall for $14,500.[https://www.americanheritagemuseum.org/aircrafts/nieuport-28/ "Nieuport 28 N4728V"] Aero Vintage Books, Retrieved: 16 March 2023. It crashed during an event at the museum, but museum officials have stated their intent to repair the plane.{{cite news |last1=Cotter |first1=Sean |title=World War I-era plane crashes during museum event in Stow |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/17/metro/world-war-i-era-plane-crashes-during-museum-event-stow/ |access-date=18 September 2023 |work=Boston Globe |date=September 18, 2023}}

File:Garland-Lincoln LF-1.jpg

In the early 1930s, as the supply of original Nieuport 28s diminished, the Garland-Lincoln LF-1 (Lincoln-Flagg-1) was built in Glendale, California specifically to represent a generic World War I fighter for movie stunt work. While very similar in general appearance, the LF-1 was shorter than a genuine "28", had a steel tube framework, a one-piece upper wing without dihedral, and was fitted with a more powerful {{convert|200|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Wright J-4-B radial engine.Popular Aviation, June 1937. A Garland-Lincoln LF-1 (N12237) was featured in Hell in the Heavens (1934), Dawn Patrol (mixed in with authentic Nieuport 28s) (1938), and Men with Wings (1938). It was later used by Frank Tallman and Paul Mantz for other film and television work.AAHS Journal Volume 51, 2006.[http://www.garlandlincoln.com/history.php "Garland-Lincoln History."] garlandlincoln.com, 5 November 2012.

In more recent times, the Nieuport 28 has become a favorite subject for homebuilders wishing to recreate a World War 1 fighter, as its wood construction (some replicas substitute a metal tube fuselage), light weight and availability of modern engines such as the Rotec R3600 nine-cylinder radial, have led to number of replicas being offered as kits.Jarvis, Ray. [http://www.airdromeaeroplanes.com/n28-ray.html "Airdrome Aeroplanes, Rotec powered, Nieuport 28 to Oshkosh and back."] Airdrome Aeroplanes, Retrieved: 7 January 2013.{{Asof|2012}}, a number of home-built replicas have taken to the air.Wright, Allen. [http://www.wwi-models.org/Photos/Fre/Nie28/index.html "Nieuport 28."] World War I Modeling Page, Retrieved: 7 January 2013.

Reproductions are found at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the Stampe et Vertongen Museum in Belgium, and at the Airbase Arizona Museum of the Commemorative Air Force at Falcon Field (Arizona), near Mesa, AZ. A flying replica in Eddie Rickenbaker's colors is found at the Great War Flying Museum, Brampton Airport in Caledon, Ontario, Canada.[http://www.greatwarflyingmuseum.com/planes/our_planes.html "Nieuport 28."] Great War Flying Museum, Retrieved: 9 January 2013.

; {{ARG}}:

• Argentine Air Force (2 aircraft)

; {{FRA}}:

• Aéronautique Militaire

; {{SUI}}:

• Swiss Air Force (15 aircraft)

; {{USA}}

• United States Army Air Service
• 27th Aero Squadron
• 94th Aero Squadron
• 95th Aero Squadron
• 147th Aero Squadron
• U.S. Navy

File:Nieuport 28 C.1 French First World War single seat fighter colourized drawing.jpg

{{Aircraft specs

|ref= The Nieuport 28C-IBowers 1966, p. 12.

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|crew=1

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|wing area sqft=215.0

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|empty weight lb=1172

|empty weight note=

|gross weight lb=1625

|gross weight note=

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|fuel capacity=30 US gal

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Gnome Monosoupape 9N

|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine

|eng1 kw=119

|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=fixed-pitch propeller

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|max speed mph=122

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

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|endurance=1 hour 30 minutes

|ceiling ft=17000

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|time to altitude={{cvt|3000|m}} in 11 minutes 30 seconds

|wing loading lb/sqft=7.6

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|power/mass={{cvt|0.16|kW/kg}}

|more performance=

|guns=2 × .303 in Vickers machine guns

}}

{{aircontent|

|related=

|similar aircraft=

• Albatros D.Va
• Fokker D.VII
• Morane-Saulnier AI
• Siemens-Schuckert D.II
• Sopwith Snipe
• SPAD XIII

|lists=

• List of military aircraft of France

|see also=

• 1917 in aviation

}}

{{commonscat}}

{{Reflist|group=N}}

{{Reflist}}

• Bowers, Peter M. The Nieuport 28C-I (Aircraft in Profile no. 79). Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1966.
• Cheesman E.F. (ed.) Fighter Aircraft of the 1914–1918 War. Letchworth, UK: Harleyford Publications, 1960, pp. 98–99.
• Cooksley, Peter. Nieuport Fighters in Action (Aircraft No. 167). Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1997. {{ISBN|978-0897473774}}.
• Davilla, James J. and Arthur M. Soltan. French Aircraft of the First World War. Boulder, Colorado: Flying Machines Press, 1997. {{ISBN|0963711040}}.
• Dorr, Robert F. and David Donald. Fighters of the United States Air Force: From World War I Pursuits to the F-117. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1990. {{ISBN|978-0600550945}}.
• Guttman, Jon. Nieuport 28 – Windsock Datafile 36. Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Productions, Ltd., 1992. {{ISBN|0948414448}}.
• Guttman, Jon. USAS 1st Pursuit Group (Aviation Elite Units). Oxford, UK: Osprey Publications, 2008. {{ISBN|978-1846033094}}.
• Hamady, Theodore. The Nieuport 28: America's First Fighter. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2008. {{ISBN|978-0764329333}}.
• Hardwick, Jack and Ed Schnepf. "A Viewer's Guide to Aviation Movies". The Making of the Great Aviation Films, General Aviation Series, Volume 2, 1989.
• Hartney, Harold E. Up And At 'Em: The War Memoirs of an American Ace (Flight, Its First Seventy-Five Years). New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1971. {{ISBN|978-0405121791}}.
• Sanger, Ray. Nieuport Aircraft of World War One, Crowood Press, Wiltshire, 2002 {{ISBN|186126447X}}
• Treadwell, Terry C. America's First Air War: The United States Army, Naval and Marine Air Services in the First World War. London: Airlife Publishing, 2000. {{ISBN|1840371137}}.

{{Nieuport aircraft}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1910s French fighter aircraft

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Category:Rotary-engined aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1917

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