Nieuport-Delage NiD 37

Last updated
NiD 37
Nieuport-Delage 37.tif
Nieuport-Deage NiD.37 fighter at the 1922 Paris Show
RoleSingle-seat fighter
National origin France
Manufacturer Nieuport-Delage
DesignerE. Dieudonné
First flightApril 1923
Number built1

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 37 was a single-engine, single-seat monoplane fighter aircraft and racer designed and built in France in the early 1920s. It had a small foreplane to bring the centre of pressure forward. Heavy, slower than expected and with turbo-supercharger problems, development ended without any entering service.

Contents

Design and development

Though the NiD 37 has sometimes been termed a sesquiplane, [1] it could be described as a shoulder-wing monoplane with a small foreplane. Its immediate predecessor was the NiD 31, which had a similar flying surface. The two designs had little else in common however. [2]

The fuselage of the NiD 37 was constructed in Nieuport-Delage's standard manner with a monocoque shell of spirally wound and glued tulipwood with a final outer fabric covering. This gave a smooth finish to the circular cross section structure which tapered gently to the tail from a dome-shaped nose housing the 224 kW (300 hp) Hispano-Suiza 8Fb water-cooled V-8 engine and its Rateau turbo-supercharger. The engine was mounted with its output shaft low in the nose and drove a two-blade propeller. Though this was of the wooden, fixed-pitch type, it was intended that it would be replaced by a variable-pitch Lavasseur airscrew later. A single, cylindrical Lamblin radiator was suspended below the engine between the undercarriage legs. [1] [2]

Dieudonné, the designer of the NiD 37, paid particular attention to the pilot's field of view, and the open cockpit, with screen and faired headrest, was placed well forward, above the engine. To improve the pilot's view downward, the leading edges of the main wing, which were otherwise straight and unswept, were curved in towards the root, meeting the fuselage behind the pilot who could see vertically down between the wing and the trailing edge of the foreplane, aligned with the leading edge of the outer sections of the mainplane and mounted well below on the undercarriage struts. Apart from long, curved tips, this foreplane had straight edges and constant chord; it had a span of about 40% that of the mainplane and less than 20% of its area. Its function was largely to bring the centre of pressure forward. The main wing was slightly tapered away from its roots and with square tips. It was built around four spars and covered in stressed 3-ply, with long-span ailerons. On each side a V-form pair of tubular struts within aerofoil fairings braced the lower fuselage to the wing. [1] [2]

The trailing edge of the mainplane had a long fillet reaching almost to the curved leading edge of the broad tailplane; mounted at mid-fuselage, this had strong inboard sweep, decreasing outwards. It carried horn-balanced elevators. The fin was smaller, with a rounded, balanced rudder. The NiD 37 had a fixed, conventional undercarriage with its mainwheels, streamlined with partial (45°) aluminium fairings, mounted on faired V-struts. These had short forward projections to carry the foreplane at axle height. [1] [2]

The NiD 37 first appeared in public at the Paris Air Show in December 1922, though it had not then flown. It carried twin 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers machine guns mounted in the nose in front of the cockpit and over the engine.

Nieuport-Delage NiD.37 racer built for the 1922 Coupe Deutsch Nieuport-Delage NiD.37 racer.jpg
Nieuport-Delage NiD.37 racer built for the 1922 Coupe Deutsch

Its first flight took place the following April. Tests proved disappointing as the NiD 37 was heavy compared with its competitors and slower than expected and never achieved the predicted 250 km/h (155 mph) top speed. There were also problems with the turbo-supercharger because of the limitations of the high-temperature alloys of the time. As a result of these problems, development was abandoned. [2]

A second aircraft was built as a racer with a substantially reduced wing area and a cantilevered upper wing. Some sources list this as a NiD 37, others as the 41. After a carburetor fire during the 1922 Coupe Deutsch, it withdrew and was retired permanently. [3]

Nieuport-Delage also had plans for a larger three seat development of the same concept under the designation NiD.39, also with the pilot over the engine, however with the lack of success of the fighter/racer, it was not proceeded with and the number was reused for an unrelated biplane airliner.

Specifications for Nieuport-Delage 37 C.1 fighter

Data from Green and Swanborough [2]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

Related Research Articles

Latécoère 490 French reconnaissance aircraft prototype of 1931

The Latécoère 490 was a two-seat, single-engined parasol winged aircraft, designed to a French photographic reconnaissance specification of 1928. Only two prototypes were built.

Nieuport-Delage NiD-120

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 120 series was a series of French single-seat parasol monoplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. It was built in a number of versions, fitted with various types of engines, with six aircraft designated NiD 123 being sold to Peru.

Potez 37 French reconnaissance aircraft of the 1930s

The Potez 37 was a two-seat, long range reconnaissance aircraft built to compete for a French government contract. It flew in mid-1930 but did not win the competition, so only two were completed.

Nieuport 31

The Nieuport Nie 31 or Nieuport 31 was a single-engine, single-seat monoplane or sesquiplane fighter aircraft designed and built in France in 1919.

Nieuport-Delage NiD 43

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 43 was a single engine, two seat biplane fighter aircraft designed and built for shipboard use in France in 1924.

Nieuport-Delage NiD 48 French fighter aircraft

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 48 was a French single-engine parasol wing light fighter aircraft, designed and built in the 1920s. Its performance was not markedly better than that of the much heavier Nieuport-Delage NiD 62 then going into production, so only two were flown.

Wibault 3

The Wibault 3 or Wibault Wib 3 C.1 was a French parasol wing prototype fighter aircraft from the 1920s, designed for high altitude operations. Its development was abandoned after repeated materials failure in its supercharger.

Hanriot HD.15

The Hanriot HD.15 was a French two seat fighter aircraft fitted with a supercharger for good high altitude performance, built in the 1920s. Three were ordered by Japan but lost at sea during delivery.

Hanriot H.31

The Hanriot H.31 was a single engine, single seat French biplane fighter aircraft built in 1925 to compete in a government programme. It was not successful and only one prototype was completed.

Nieuport-Delage NiD 590

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 590 was a three engine, high wing monoplane designed for policing and other roles in France's colonies, which did not go into production or enter service.

Weymann-Lepère WEL-80

The Weymann-Lepère WEL-80 R.2 was a French two seat reconnaissance aircraft built to compete for a 1928 government contract. It was not successful and did not enter production.

Wibault 260 French reconnaissance aircraft prototype of around 1930

The Wibault 260 R.2 was a contender for a French government contract for a long range, two seat reconnaissance aircraft, issued in 1928. There were eight prototypes in the 1931-2 contest and the Wibault was not selected for production.

Nieuport-Delage NiD 580

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 580 R.2 was a contender for a French government contract for a long range, two seat reconnaissance aircraft, issued in 1928. There were eight prototypes in the 1931-2 contest and the NiD 580 was not selected for production.

Amiot 130

The SECM-Amiot 130 R.2 was a contender for a French government contract for a long range, two seat reconnaissance aircraft, issued in 1928. There were eight prototypes in the 1931–32 contest and the Amiot 130 was not selected for production.

Nieuport-Delage NiD 740

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 740 was a French trimotor monoplane designed to carry night mail. Two were built in 1930.

Nieuport-Delage NiD 540

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 540 was a high wing, eight seat, single engine airliner, built in France and first flown in 1930. It did not reach production.

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 450 was a French racing floatplane, originally intended to compete for the 1929 Schneider Trophy. After the French decided not to participate that year, the type was used as the NiD 650 to speed the development of the proposed entrants to the 1931 event, the NiD 651 and NiD 652. Delays in producing the latters' engines left these unflown.

Nieuport-Delage NiD 940

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 940 was a French, tailless, pusher configuration touring aircraft first flown in 1934. It suffered from longitudinal instabilities and despite modifications and a more powerful engine, it did not receive its Certificate of Airworthiness.

The Neiuport-Delage NiD 690 was a French all-metal, single-engined colonial policing aircraft, built for a competitive government contract. Its unusual rear fuselage gave a wide field of downward machine gun fire. Only two examples were built.

The Caproni Ca.66 and Caproni Ca.67 were Italian night bomber aircraft designed to re-equip the post-World War I Regia Aeronautica.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Flight, 1923, p.48
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Green, 1994, p.438
  3. ↑ Rosenthal, 1997, p.147

Bibliography

  • Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. p. 438. ISBN   1-85833-777-1.
  • "The Paris Aero Show 1922". Flight . Vol. XV no. 4. 25 January 1923. p. 48.
  • Rosenthal, Léonard; Marchand, Alain; Borget, Michel; Bénichou, Michel (1997). Nieuport 1909-1950 Collection Docavia Volume 38. Clichy Cedex, France: Editions Lariviere. ISBN   978-2848900711.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.