Nieuport 12

Last updated
Nieuport 12 and 12bis
Nieuport 12 A.2.jpg
Nieuport 12 A.2 prototype
RoleReconnaissance(Artillery)/Fighter/Trainer
Manufacturer Nieuport
Designer Gustave Delage
First flight1915
Introduction1915
Statusretired
Primary users France
Imperial Russian Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Flying Corps
Produced1915–1918
Number built300+ [1]
Developed from Nieuport 10

The Nieuport 12 (or Nieuport XII in contemporary sources) was a French sesquiplane reconnaissance, fighter aircraft and trainer used by France, Russia, Great Britain and the United States during World War I. Later production examples were built as trainers and served widely until the late 1920s.

Contents

Design and development

To improve the performance of the Nieuport 10 a re-engined version was developed as the Nieuport 12 with a significantly enlarged upper wing. A Lewis gun was fitted to the rear cockpit for use by the observer, normally on an Etévé ring (known as the Nieuport ring in British service) although early examples used a pedestal mount or half ring. A second Lewis was sometimes fitted to fire over the top wing. Nieuport 12s built by Beardmore used by the Royal Flying Corps were sometimes fitted with a Scarff ring instead of the Nieuport ring, and a synchronized Vickers gun for the pilot. Additional modifications were made to those built by Beardmore.

It could be fitted with either a 100 hp (75 kW) Clerget, 130 hp (97 kW) Clerget 9B engine or 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône 9J mounted in the nose.

Variants

Nieuport 12bis of Escadrille N69 French Nieuport 12bis of Escadrille N69 at the Somme (cropped).jpg
Nieuport 12bis of Escadrille N69
Nieuport 12bis C.2 Nieuport 12bis C.2 colour 3-view drawing.jpg
Nieuport 12bis C.2
Nieuport 12 A.2
Two-seat fighter-reconnaissance biplane, powered by 110 hp (82 kW) Clerget 9Z engine. [2] or 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône 9J.
Nieuport 12bis C.2
Revised version with 130 hp (97 kW) Clerget 9B engine and streamlined side fairings. [3]
Nieuport 13
Two prototypes with increased span but same nominal wing area as 12. One powered by a 140 hp (100 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8, and the other by an 80 hp (60 kW) Le Rhône 9C.
Nieuport 20
Version powered by 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône 9J. Not used by France, but 21 delivered to Royal Flying Corps. [4] All but first examples externally similar to 12bis.
23 meter Nieuport
Unofficial generic designation for all types listed here based on nominal wing area of 23 square meters.
Nieuport 80 E.2 and 81 E.2
Nieuport 12s were later built in large numbers specifically as training aircraft with the gun ring removed. 8 in designation referred to 80 hp (60 kW) Le Rhône 9C. These differed in having flight controls for just the pilot in the rear seat (81 E.2), or both pilot and passenger (80 E.2).
Nieuport 12 (Beardmore)
Beardmore progressively redesigned the Nieuport 12 during a production run of 50 aircraft so early examples were almost stock but late production examples differed considerably in detail. These were fitted with 110 hp (82 kW) Clerget 9Z and 130 hp (97 kW) Clerget 9B rotaries.
Mitsubishi Army Type 甲 1 (Ko 1) Trainer
Japanese designation for licence built Nieuport 81 E.2s. 57 built. [5]
Trainer Type 1
Siamese designation for Nieuport 80 E.2.
Sipowicz 1
Polish experimental aircraft using lifting struts similar to the Wright-Bellanca WB-2.

Operators

American Nieuport 80 E.2 trainer Nieuport 80 E.2 - Front.jpg
American Nieuport 80 E.2 trainer
Royal Flying Corps Nieuport 12 built by Beardmore. Elevator stripes were a Beardmore trademark. Nieuport 12 aeronautique militaire (2).jpg
Royal Flying Corps Nieuport 12 built by Beardmore. Elevator stripes were a Beardmore trademark.
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile
Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
Flag of Russia.svg  Russian Empire
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia
Flag of Thailand.svg Siam
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Workers' and Peasants' Air Fleet
Nieuport 12 at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Nieuport 12 NAM Ottawa MDF 8562.jpg
Nieuport 12 at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

Survivor

A single ex-French Nieuport 12 is on display following an extensive restoration (including reinstalling the original Le Rhône 9J rotary engine) at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa in the late 1990s. This aircraft was donated to the Canadian Dominion Archives along with a Canon de 75 modèle 1897 cannon and an extensive collection of propaganda posters by the French Government in 1916 and was used for war bond drives until the 1918 flu pandemic resulted in it being placed in storage. In the late 1960s the Royal Canadian Air Force partially converted it into an RFC Beardmore example for display.

Specifications (French-built Nieuport 12 A.2)

Drawing of late production Beardmore-built Nieuport 12 incorporating their modifications Nieuport 12 (Beardmore) colourized drawing.jpg
Drawing of late production Beardmore-built Nieuport 12 incorporating their modifications

Data from Davilla, 1997, p.369

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development

Related lists

Related Research Articles

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References

Notes

  1. Hartmann, Gérard. "Les Nieuport de la guerre" (PDF). Dossiers historiques et techniques aéronautique française (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  2. Bruce 1982, p.320.
  3. Bruce 1982, p.323.
  4. Bruce 1982, pp. 323–324.
  5. 1 2 Mikesh and Abe 1990, p. 176.
  6. Hartmann, 2015, p.20

Bibliography

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  • Davilla, Dr. James J.; Soltan, Arthur (1997). French Aircraft of the First World War. Mountain View, CA: Flying Machines Press. ISBN   978-1891268090.
  • Green, W; Swanborough, G (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Smithmark. ISBN   0-8317-3939-8.
  • Hartmann, Gérard (6 January 2015). "Les héliciers français" (PDF) (in French). Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  • Mikesh, Robert C.; Abe, Shorzoe (1990). Japanese Aircraft 1910–1941. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN   0-85177-840-2.
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  • Thetford, Owen (1978). British Naval Aircraft since 1912 (Fourth ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN   0-85177-861-5.