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NIEUPORT 11 BEBE WW1 RUSSIAN SOVIET AF SESQUIPLANE FIGHTER KIT #110
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Additional Information from
Internet Encyclopedia
The Nieuport 11 (or Nieuport XI C.1 in
contemporary sources), nicknamed the Bébé, was a French World War I single seat
sesquiplane fighter aircraft, designed by Gustave Delage. It was the primary
aircraft that ended the Fokker Scourge in 1916. The type saw service with
several of France's allies, and gave rise to the series of
"vee-strut" Nieuport fighters that remained in service (latterly as
trainers) into the 1920s.
The Nieuport 11 was a smaller, simplified version
of the Nieuport 10, designed specifically as a single-seat fighter. Like the
"10" the "11" was a sesquiplane, a biplane with a
full-sized top wing with two spars, and a lower wing of much narrower chord and
a single spar. Interplane struts in the form of a "Vee" joined the
upper and lower wings. The sesquiplane layout reduced drag and improved the
rate of climb, as well as offering a better view from the cockpit than either
biplane or monoplane, while being substantially stronger than contemporary
monoplanes. Unfortunately, the narrow lower wing was sometimes subject to
aeroelastic flutter at high air speeds, a problem that manifested itself on the
later "vee-strut" Nieuport fighters, as well as the German Albatros
D.III. Nieuport 11s were supplied to the French Aéronautique Militaire, the
British Royal Naval Air Service, the Imperial Russian Air Service, Belgium, and
Italy. 646 Nieuport 11s were produced by the Italian Macchi company under
licence, When Romania suffered military setbacks and needed aircraft, several
RNAS Nieuport 11s, along with Nieuport 12s were provided.
In 1916 an improved version appeared as the
Nieuport 16, which was a strengthened Nieuport 11 airframe powered by a 110 hp
(82 kW) Le Rhône 9J rotary engine. Visible differences included a larger
aperture in front of the "horse shoe" cowling and a headrest for the
pilot. The Nieuport 16 was an interim type pending the delivery of the slightly
larger Nieuport 17 C.1 whose design was begun in parallel with the 16, and
remedied the 16's balance problems, as well as improving performance.
The Nieuport 11 reached the French front in
January 1916, and 90 were in service within the month.
This small sesquiplane outclassed the Fokker
Eindecker in every respect, including speed, climb rate and maneuverability. It
featured ailerons for lateral control rather than the Fokker's wing warping,
giving lighter, quicker roll response, and its elevator was attached to a
conventional tail plane which provided better pitch control as opposed to the
all-moving, balanced "Morane type" elevators of the Fokker.
The Fokker's sole remaining advantage was its
synchronized machine gun, which fired forward through the arc of its propeller.
At the time, the Allies lacked a similar system, and the Nieuport 11's Lewis
machine gun was mounted to fire over the propeller, allowing uninterrupted
forward fire. The Lewis was not synchronizable, due to its open bolt firing
cycle design which resulted in an unpredictable rate of fire. Clearing gun jams
and replacing ammunition drums in flight were challenging though, and the drums
limited ammunition supply.
During the course of the Battle of Verdun in
February 1916, the combination of the Nieuport 11s technical advantages and its
concentration in dedicated fighter units allowed the French to establish air
superiority, forcing radical changes in German tactics. The impact of the
Nieuport was so dramatic that in mid to late 1916 several captured examples
were repaired, rearmed with a synchronised "Spandau" gun, and flown
at the front. One of these was N1324, briefly flown by Kurt Student in August
1916. Others were supplied by Idflieg to a number of manufacturers, requesting
copies be built which had considerable direct and indirect influence on German
fighter design.
Some Nieuport 11s and 16s were fitted to fire Le
Prieur rockets from the struts for attacks on observation balloons and
airships.
By March 1916 the Bébé was being replaced by both
the Nieuport 16 and the much improved Nieuport 17, although Italian-built
examples remained in first line service longer, as did Russian examples.
Thereafter the Nieuport 11s continued to be used as trainers.