The Nieuport IV was a French-built sporting, training and reconnaissance monoplane of the early 1910s.
61-409: Societe Anonyme des Etablissements Nieuport was formed in 1909 by Édouard Nieuport . The Nieuport IV was a development of the single-seat Nieuport II and two seat Nieuport III.A . It was initially designed as a two-seat sporting and racing monoplane, but was also bought by the air forces of several countries. It was initially powered by a 50 hp (37 kW) Gnome Omega rotary engine , which
122-587: A wingspan of 7 m (23 ft) and a small teardrop-shaped fin mounted on the cabane, which was later removed. Like its predecessor, it had the engine mounted directly in front of the leading edge of the wing and the main undercarriage was also like that of the Type VIII, with the wheels mounted in castering trailing arms which could slide up and down steel tubes, the movement being sprung by bungee cords . This simple and ingenious design allowed crosswind landings with less risk of damage. A sprung tailwheel
183-734: A 640 and a 64 are the same. A number of prototypes, especially during the First World War do not have known designations, including developments of the 24/27, and 28 with various engine installations, and structural improvements including monocoque fuselages, modified wing designs which included triplane variants of the Nieuport 10, 17 and 17bis. Several Tellier designs were built under the Nieuport name, including: During World War I, Nieuport aircraft were sometimes referred to by their wing area (in square meters) rather than their official designations. Bleriot XI The Blériot XI
244-621: A Nieuport IV, it determined the accident to be a result of improper maintenance which lead to engine failure, rather than a structural failure such as with the Bristol monoplane and Deperdussin monoplane whose structural deficiencies led to the Monoplane Ban . Argentina purchased a single IV.G named la Argentina which served with the Escuela de Aviation Militaire. In Greece, a IV.G was bought privately and named Alkyon . After being
305-686: A celebrity, instantly resulting in many orders for copies of his aircraft. The aircraft, which never flew again, was hurriedly repaired and put on display at Selfridges department store in London. It was later displayed outside the offices of the French newspaper Le Matin and eventually bought by the Musee des Arts et Metiers in Paris. After the successful crossing of the English Channel , there
366-708: A flight lasting 36 minutes 55 seconds, and on 13 July, Blériot won the Aero Club de France 's first Prix du Voyage with a 42 km (26 mi) flight between Etampes and Orléans . The Blériot XI gained lasting fame on 25 July 1909, when Blériot crossed the English Channel from Calais to Dover , winning a £1,000 (equivalent to £115,000 in 2018) prize awarded by the Daily Mail . For several days, high winds had grounded Blériot and his rivals: Hubert Latham , who flew an Antoinette monoplane, and Count de Lambert , who brought two Wright biplanes . On 25 July, when
427-477: A major reappraisal of the importance of aviation; the English newspaper The Daily Express led its story of the flight with the headline "Britain is no longer an Island." The aircraft was produced in both single- and two-seat versions, powered by several different engines, and was widely used for competition and training purposes. Military versions were bought by many countries, continuing in service until after
488-412: A partially covered box-girder fuselage built from ash with wire cross bracing. The principal difference was the use of wing warping for lateral control. The tail surfaces consisted of a small balanced all-moving rudder mounted on the rearmost vertical member of the fuselage and a horizontal tailplane mounted under the lower longerons . This had elevator surfaces making up the outermost part of
549-494: A report for the French government which came to the conclusion that the problem was not the strength of the wing spars but a failure to take into account the amount of downward force to which aircraft wings could be subjected, and that the problem could be solved by increasing the strength of the upper bracing wires. This analysis was accepted, and Blériot's prompt and thorough response to the problem enhanced rather than damaged his reputation. The Type XI remained in production until
610-410: A single squadron with Nieuport IV.Ms, Escadrille N12 initially based at Reims , having purchased at least 10. This unit continued to operate Nieuport monoplanes after the start of World War I , slowly replacing them with other types as attrition reduced their numbers. The Swedish Air Force was presented with a IV.G in 1912 by four individuals, becoming one of the first aircraft of that force, which
671-468: A small single-seat pod and boom monoplane. This was destroyed shortly after having been flown successfully, during the Great Flood of Paris in 1909 . A second design flew before the end of 1909 and had the essential form of modern aircraft, including an enclosed fuselage with the pilot protected from the slipstream and a horizontal tail whose aerodynamic force acted downwards, balancing the weight of
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#1732782706177732-736: A strong easterly wind. After entering the peninsula and rising a little higher to clear the mountains, they sighted Jerez, and from there headed for Seville, where they entered following the line of the Guadalquivir. At the Tablada Aerodrome His Majesty King Alfonso XIII was waiting for them, to whom they delivered a message from the High Commissioner of Spain in Morocco. It was one of the first milestones of Spanish aviation, which in
793-541: A war) and in Mexico. The British Royal Flying Corps received its first Blériots in 1912. During the early stages of World War I eight French, six British and six Italian squadrons operated various military versions of the aircraft, mainly for observation duties but also as trainers, and in the case of single-seaters as light bombers with a bomb load of up to 25 kg. In addition to the aircraft used by Louis Blériot to make his cross-channel flight in 1909, on display in
854-421: Is a French aircraft from the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most famous accomplishments of the pioneer era of aviation, and not only won Blériot a lasting place in history but also assured the future of his aircraft manufacturing business. The event caused
915-709: The Delage automobile company) took over as chief designer in January 1914. He began work on a sesquiplane racer – a type of biplane whose lower wing was much narrower in chord than its top wing. This aircraft was not ready to fly until after World War I had begun but, as the Nieuport 10 , the type saw extensive service with the Royal Naval Air Service (R.N.A.S.) of the United Kingdom and with
976-487: The Italo-Turkish War , one of which became the first aeroplane to be used in combat when it flew a reconnaissance mission against Turkish forces on 23 October 1911. It narrowly missed out to a Bleriot XI with the same unit for the honor of being the first aircraft to drop a bomb on enemy forces. The pilot who carried out this mission, Capt. Maizo, also became one of the first victims of anti-aircraft fire when he
1037-569: The Nieuport-Delage NiD.42 . This design first saw light as a shoulder-wing racer (42S), then as single-seat (42 C.1) and two-seat fighters (42 C.2) for the French Air Force, although none of these variants would see service. The Nieuport-Delage 52 , a slightly improved NiD.42 with a metal monocoque fuselage, entered service with Spain where it was also built under licence by Hispano-Suiza , and remained in service well into
1098-582: The Rif War ) was another element of danger. Also British government, prohibited the two pilots flying over Gibraltar . The aviators, on leaving Tetouan, had to fly along the Martín River to its mouth, flying at a height of only 200 metres. Then they skirted the African coast until they reached Ceuta, where they raised the aircraft to almost 2,000 metres. At this height they crossed the strait whipped by
1159-515: The Royal Naval Air Service before switching to other aircraft. Three weeks after the Paris victory parade in 1919 marking the end of hostilities in World War I, and in protest over being forced to march like infantry in the parade, Charles Godefroy flew a "v-strut" Nieuport fighter through the arch of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on the morning of Friday, 8 August 1919. The event was filmed. By
1220-718: The Russo-Baltic Wagon Works and Shchetinin in St. Petersburg, and the Dux Factory in Moscow. Lt. Pyotr Nesterov performed the first ever loop, over Kiev in a model IV.G on 27 August 1913 for which he was placed under arrest for 10 days for "undue risk to government property" until the feat was repeated in France by Adolphe Pégoud ; Nesterov was then awarded a medal and a promotion. The French government equipped
1281-596: The SPAD S.XIII as their primary fighter. Due to a shortage of SPAD S.XIIIs and problems with their engines, the first fighter squadrons of the United States Army Air Service (USAAS) used the Nieuport 28 on operations. While only in operational service with the USAAS for a short time, the Nieuport 28 was the first fighter to be used on operations by an American squadron. Nieuports were widely used by
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#17327827061771342-533: The Spanish Civil War . By then it was obsolete and would be retired before the end of the conflict. The French bought large numbers of the 62 series (620, 621, 622, 629) which were also derived from the NiD.42 to equip the bulk of the French fighter units until replaced by newer designs in the late 30s. Despite being hopelessly obsolete, several French second-line escadrilles were still equipped with them during
1403-416: The 31 was the first aircraft to exceed 200 mph (320 km/h) in level flight, while in the hands of Joseph Sadi-Lecointe . At this time, Nieuport became Nieuport-Astra, with the absorption of Société Astra , a company known for aerial balloons, though this name would not be used for long, before becoming Nieuport-Delage, in honour of the work of the chief designer, Gustave Delage, who had been running
1464-473: The 805 km (500 mi) Circuit de l'Est race, and another Blériot flown by Émile Aubrun was the only other aircraft to finish the course. In October 1910, Claude Grahame-White won the second competition for the Gordon Bennett Trophy flying a Type XI fitted with a 75 kW (100 hp) Gnome, beating a similar aircraft flown by Leblanc, which force-landed on the last lap. During
1525-599: The Allied air arms, and various models were built under licence in Italy, Russia and the United Kingdom. In Italy, Aermacchi was originally formed as Nieuport-Macchi for the purpose of building various Nieuports under licence. They started with the Nieuport IV, but built the Nieuport 10, 11, 17 and finally the post-war NiD.29 under license. In Russia several companies, notably Dux , built Nieuports of several types including
1586-535: The Blériot schools, around half the total number of licences issued. Flight training was offered free to those who had bought a Blériot aircraft: for others, it initially cost 2,000 francs, this being reduced to 800 francs in 1912. A gifted pupil favoured by good weather could gain his license in as little as eight days, although for some it took as long as six weeks. There were no dual-control aircraft in these early days, training simply consisting of basic instruction on
1647-627: The British Army's Air Battalion Royal Engineers (the precursor to the Royal Flying Corps ) was a Nieuport IV.G and serialed B4. Additional IV.G monoplanes were purchased from private individuals including one from Claude Grahame-White and another from Charles Rumney Samson , plus three others. The Nieuport IVs were in service when the RFC carried out an investigation into monoplane crashes. While this report covered an accident involving
1708-412: The French and Russian Flying Services. The performance of the Nieuport 10, and the more powerful Nieuport 12 , which also served with the Royal Flying Corps (R.F.C.) was such that they were used as fighters. Nieuport developed an improved design specifically intended as a fighter – the Nieuport 11 , which was regarded as the "baby" ( bébé ) of the 10, which it closely resembled, except in size. Until
1769-601: The Germans from charging several employees with espionage, as the last operational Nieuport, the Loire-Nieuport LN.401 was a single-seat, single-engine retractable-gear monoplane dive bomber with an inverted gull wing with a vague similarity to the Junkers Ju 87 . In later three digit designations (except NiD 120 and LN.160), the third numeral represents a sub-variant with a 0 representing a base variant so that
1830-572: The IV, 10, 11, 16, 17, 21, 23 and 24bis, with the 24bis continuing in production after the Russian Revolution had ended. In Scotland, William Beardmore and Company built the Nieuport 12 under licence, while gradually incorporating many of their own changes. Nieuport & General Aircraft was formed to build Nieuport fighters under licence in England, and built 50 Nieuport 17bis scouts for
1891-399: The Nieuport due to its sensitive controls and maneuverability. Pilots Eddie Rickenbacker and Billy Bishop flew Nieuport aircraft to some of their first victories. The first major break from the sesquiplane design, the Nieuport 28 was the first production Nieuport fighter with two spars to both upper and lower wings, but by the time it was ready for service the French had already chosen
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1952-546: The aviation history. That day, Captains Herrera and Ortiz Echagüe took off from Tetouan , then the capital of the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco , at 1:30 p.m. and landed at Tablada Aerodrome ( Seville ) shortly after 6 p.m., thus taking almost 5 hours to cover the 208 kilometers in a straight line that separate the two cities. For the first time in history, an aeroplane crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, and for
2013-427: The company through the war years. Also at this time, the seaplane builder Tellier was absorbed, and for a brief time the name Nieuport-Tellier was also used. Despite the many successes achieved with 29 and 31 in setting speed and altitude records, Delage quickly embarked on a new design that was to provide the basis for a family of aircraft that would remain in service until the fall of France during World War II –
2074-500: The end of 1917, most of the company's output would consist of successive developments of this one design, with more powerful engines, modest increases in overall dimensions, and refined aerodynamics, until the line ended with the Nieuport 27 . As horsepower increased, the "V-strut" Nieuports began to reach their maximum safe flying speed (VNE) more readily and discovered the limitations of the three spars sesquiplane wing form, which then required they avoid sustained power-on dives to avoid
2135-402: The end of 1918, Nieuport had two new fighter types flying, the Nieuport 29 biplane and the Nieuport 31 monoplane both of which had evolved in parallel from the Nieuport 28. They differed from earlier Nieuports in having streamlined wooden monocoque fuselages, and 300 hp (220 kW) Hispano-Suiza engines. Specially modified Nieuport 29 and 31 aircraft set speed and height records, and
2196-606: The engine ahead of the centre of gravity, as opposed to upwards as on contemporaries such as the Blériot XI . Nieuport had trouble obtaining suitable engines for their early designs and resorted to making their own. In 1910 a twin-cylinder horizontally-opposed type producing 28 hp (21 kW) was fitted to the Nieuport II and proved successful. In 1911, the company was reformed specifically to build aircraft while continuing to build components including propellers under
2257-746: The first aircraft to fly in Greece, it was resold to the government which used it during the First Balkan War in 1912, flying from Larissa. Siam purchased 4 IV.Gs which were used as trainers at Don Muang airfield . Spain purchased one IV.G and 4 IV.Ms which were used by the Escuela Nieuport de Pau for training before 3 were transferred to an operational school (Escuela) at Tetuán , (Spanish Morocco) which then moved to Zeluán , remaining operational until 1917. Italy's 1st Flottiglia Aeroplani of Tripoli operated several Nieuport IV.Gs during
2318-501: The first production Type XI, going on to become one of the chief instructors at the flying schools established by Blériot. In February 1912 the future of the Type XI was threatened by the French army placing a ban on the use of all monoplanes. This was the result of a series of accidents in which Blériot aircraft had suffered wing failure in flight. The first of these incidents had occurred on 4 January 1910, killing Léon Delagrange , and
2379-535: The first time an intercontinental flight was also made. Despite not being a very long flight, they had to face numerous difficulties. The worst thing was the strong winds blowing in the Strait of Gibraltar, considering the limitations of their Nieuport IV-M (80-horsepower Gnome engine). The opposition of the Riffian tribesmen to the Protectorate in the form of continuous attacks to the spaniards (wich will end in
2440-420: The fixed horizontal surface; these "tip elevators" were linked by a torque tube running through the inner section. The bracing and warping wires were attached to a dorsal, five-component "house-roof" shaped cabane consisting of a pair of inverted V struts with their apices connected by a longitudinal tube, and an inverted four-sided pyramidal ventral cabane, also of steel tubing, below. When first built it had
2501-627: The following decade would experience its golden age with the great air raids. The Swedish Air Force maintained their first model IV in airworthy condition until 1965. This aircraft is now preserved in the Flygvapenmuseum at Malmen near Linköping. The Museo del Aire at Cuatro Vientos near Madrid has a full-scale replica of one of their model IVs. Data from Aviafrance General characteristics Performance Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Nieuport Nieuport , later Nieuport-Delage ,
Nieuport IV - Misplaced Pages Continue
2562-458: The invasion of France. The Nieuport-Delage NiD 38 and similar 39 were small airliners of which more than 37 were built. Other types were developed, the majority of which were one-offs or did not result in significant production. The final aircraft developed by Nieuport saw much of its development done by successor companies. In 1932, as a result of the amalgamations taking place in the French aviation industry, Delage retired and Nieuport-Delage
2623-399: The name Nieuport et Deplante . In 1911, Edouard Nieuport (1875–1911), who was one of several aviation minded brothers, died after being thrown from his aircraft, and the company was taken over by Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe , a famous supporter of aviation development. With his financing, the name was changed to Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport , and development of existing designs
2684-558: The outbreak of World War I in 1914. Two restored examples – one in the United Kingdom and one in the United States – of original Blériot XI aircraft are thought to be the two oldest flyable aircraft in the world. The Blériot XI , largely designed by Raymond Saulnier , was a development of the Blériot VIII , which Blériot had flown successfully in 1908. Like its predecessor, it was a tractor-configuration monoplane with
2745-486: The outbreak of the First World War, and a number of variations were produced. Various types of engine were fitted, including the 120° Y-configuration, "full radial" three-cylinder Anzani (the restored example at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome still flies with this) and the 37 kW (50 hp) and 52 kW (70 hp), seven-cylinder Gnome rotary engines . Both single and two-seat versions were built, and there were variations in wingspan and fuselage length. In later aircraft
2806-683: The race Leblanc had established a new world speed record. In 1911, Andre Beaumont won the Circuit of Europe in a Type XI and another, flown by Roland Garros , came second. Louis Blériot established his first flying school at Etampes near Rouen in 1909. Another was started at Pau , where the climate made year-round flying more practical, in early 1910 and in September 1910 a third was established at Hendon Aerodrome near London. A considerable number of pilots were trained: by 1914 nearly 1,000 pilots had gained their Aero Club de France license at
2867-514: The risk of wing failures. By the spring of 1917 the design was being surpassed by the new twin-gun Albatros D.III , and although the process of replacement had begun, Nieuport 27's would still be in front line service in the spring of 1918. Even while still in frontline service, Nieuports of all types were being used at French and American flight training facilities, with the bulk of production from 1917 onwards going to flying schools. Some pilots, notably Albert Ball and Charles Nungesser , preferred
2928-510: The suggestion of his mechanic Ferdinand Collin, Blériot made contact with Alessandro Anzani , a famous motorcycle racer whose successes were due to the engines that he made, and who had recently entered the field of aero-engine manufacture. On 27 May 1909, a 19 kW (25 hp) Anzani 3-cylinder fan-configuration (semi-radial) engine was fitted. The propeller was also replaced with a Chauvière Intégrale two-bladed scimitar propeller made from laminated walnut wood . This propeller design
2989-529: The tip elevators were replaced by a more conventional trailing edge elevator, the tailwheel was replaced by a skid, and the former "house-roof" five-member dorsal cabane was replaced by a simpler, four-sided pyramidally framed unit similar to the ventral arrangement for the later rotary-powered versions. Blériot marketed the aircraft in four categories: trainers, sport or touring models, military aircraft, and racing or exhibition aircraft. The Type XI took part in many competitions and races. In August 1910 Leblanc won
3050-530: The use of the controls followed by solo taxying exercises, progressing to short straight-line flights and then to circuits. To gain a license, a pilot had to make three circular flights of more than 5 km (3 mi), landing within 150 m (490 ft) of a designated point. The first Blériot XIs entered military service in Italy and France in 1910, and a year later some were used by Italy in North Africa (the first use of heavier-than-air aircraft in
3111-458: The wind had dropped in the morning and the skies had cleared, Blériot took off at sunrise. Flying without the aid of a compass, he deviated to the east of his intended course, but, nonetheless, spotted the English coast to his left. Battling turbulent wind conditions, Blériot made a heavy "pancake" landing, nearly collapsing the undercarriage and shattering one blade of the propeller, but he was unhurt. The flight had taken 36.5 minutes and made Blériot
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#17327827061773172-525: Was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in 1902 for the manufacture of engine components the company was reformed in 1909 as the Société Générale d'Aéro-locomotion , and its products were marketed to the aviation industry, including ignition components. During this time they built their first aircraft,
3233-511: Was a great demand for Blériot XIs. By the end of September 1909, orders had been received for 103 aircraft. After an accident at an aviation meeting in Istanbul in December 1909, Blériot gave up competition flying, and the company's entries for competitions were flown by other pilots, including Alfred Leblanc , who had managed the logistics of the cross-channel flight, and subsequently bought
3294-499: Was a major advance in French aircraft technology and was the first European propeller to rival the efficiency of the propellers used by the Wright Brothers . During early July, Blériot was occupied with flight trials of a new aircraft, the two-seater Type XII , but resumed flying the Type XI on 18 July. By then, the small cabane fin had been removed and the wingspan increased by 79 cm (31 in). On 26 June, he managed
3355-476: Was briefly renamed Nieuport again, before merging with Loire Aviation to form Loire-Nieuport, which was then merged into SNCAO during the amalgamations in the French aircraft industry. SNCAO would in turn be merged into the massive conglomerate known as Aérospatiale . During the German invasion of France in 1940 , the company's records were burnt to prevent their falling into German hands. This step didn't prevent
3416-543: Was continued. A second of the brothers, Charles Nieuport, died in another accident January 24, 1913 after he stalled and spun in, and the position of chief designer was taken over by the Swiss engineer Franz Schneider , better known for his work for his next employer, L.V.G. , and his long-running fight with Anthony Fokker over machine gun interrupter / synchronizer patents. Schneider left Nieuport in late 1913. With Schneider's departure, Gustave Delage (no connection to
3477-502: Was fitted to the rear fuselage in front of the tailplane, with a similar castering arrangement. When shown at the Paris Aero Salon in December 1908, the aircraft was powered by a 26 kW (35 hp) 7-cylinder R.E.P. engine driving a four-bladed paddle-type propeller. The aircraft was first flown at Issy-les-Moulineaux on 23 January 1909. Although the aircraft handled well, the engine proved extremely unreliable and, at
3538-452: Was generally attributed to the fact that Delagrange had fitted an over-powerful engine, so overstressing the airframe. A similar accident had killed Peruvian pilot Jorge Chavez at the end of 1910 at the end of the first flight over the Alps, and in response to this the wing spars of the Blériot had been strengthened. A later accident prompted further strengthening of the spars. Blériot produced
3599-574: Was later joined by a second IV.G in 1913, and a IV.H transferred from the Swedish Navy. The Japanese Army operated one IV.G and one IV.M, which were designated as Army Nieuport NG2 aeroplane and Army Nieuport NM aeroplane respectively, with the NG being flown in the Tsingtao campaign in September and October 1914 alongside four Maurice Farman MF.11s . One of the first batch of aircraft purchased by
3660-662: Was later replaced by more powerful rotaries. The first Nieuport IVs were built in 1911 and production continued well into World War I in Russia. The design was adopted in small numbers by most air arms of the period, although the Imperial Russian Air Service was the largest user. The IV.G was one of the principal aircraft used by the Imperial Russian Air Service during its formative years, with roughly 300 being produced locally by
3721-519: Was shot down by an Austrian cannon weeks before the war ended in 1912. Two officers of the former Spanish Air Force, Emilio Herrera and José Ortiz Echagüe , Captains of the Corps of Engineers of the 1st Expeditionary Air Squadron , on February 14th, 1914, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar in a Nieuport IV.M, a flight between Tetouan (Morocco) and Seville (Spain), being the first intercontinental flight of
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