Airdrome Nieuport 24

Airdrome Nieuport 24
Role	Amateur-built aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Airdrome Aeroplanes
Status	In production (2015)
Number built	12 (2011)

The Airdrome Nieuport 24 is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed and produced by Airdrome Aeroplanes, of Holden, Missouri. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction and is available in two versions, the Nieuport 24 and Nieuport 24 bis. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The aircraft is a full-sized replica of the First World War French Nieuport 24 fighter, built from modern materials and powered by modern engines. ^{[1] [2]}

Design and development

The Airdrome Nieuport 24 features a strut-braced sesquiplane layout, a single-seat open cockpit, fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration. ^{[1] [2]}

The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its flying surfaces covered in doped aircraft fabric. The kit is made up of twelve sub-kits. The Airdrome Nieuport 24 has a wingspan of 26.9 ft (8.2 m) and a wing area of 180 sq ft (17 m²). It can be equipped with engines ranging from 85 to 110 hp (63 to 82 kW). The standard engine is the 110 hp (82 kW) Hirth F30 two stroke engine, with a Volkswagen air-cooled engine four-stroke or a 110 hp (82 kW) Rotec R2800 four stroke radial engine optional. Building time from the factory-supplied kit is estimated at 400 hours by the manufacturer. ^{[1] [2] [4]}

The replica performs better than the original Nieuport 24 on the same installed power, because modern materials result in a much lighter aircraft. ^{[1] [2]}

Operational history

Twelve examples had been completed by December 2011. ^[3]

Specifications (Airdrome Nieuport 24)

Data from Bayerl, Kitplanes and Airdrome Aeroplanes ^{[1] [3] [4]}

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Length: 19.5 ft (5.9 m)
• Wingspan: 26.9 ft (8.2 m)
• Wing area: 180 sq ft (17 m²)
• Empty weight: 496 lb (225 kg)
• Gross weight: 836 lb (379 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 14 U.S. gallons (53 L; 12 imp gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × Hirth F-30 four cylinder, air-cooled, two stroke aircraft engine, 110 hp (82 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 95 mph (153 km/h, 83 kn)
• Cruise speed: 83 mph (134 km/h, 72 kn)
• Stall speed: 35 mph (56 km/h, 30 kn)
• Range: 370 mi (600 km, 320 nmi)
• Rate of climb: 850 ft/min (4.3 m/s)
• Wing loading: 4.6 lb/sq ft (22 kg/m²)

References

Citations

1. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 92. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
2. Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 96. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN   1368-485X
3. Vandermeullen, Richard: 2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 40. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
4. Airdrome Aeroplanes (n.d.). "Nieuport 24 Biplane ~ Full Scale Replica". Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2012.