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Nieuport 15

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Nieuport 15
Nieuport 15 prototype circa 1916
Role Bomber
National origin France
Manufacturer Nieuport
First flight November 1916
Status abandoned
Number built At least 4
Developed from Nieuport 14[1]

The Nieuport 15 (or Nieuport XV in contemporary sources) was a French World War I bomber aircraft. Due to disappointing performance the type was rejected and never entered service.[1]

Design and development

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Scaled up from the Nieuport 14, the new bomber was built in the summer of 1916 and the first prototype was ready for testing in November of that year.[1]

The Nieuport 15 was a two-bay sesquiplane with V-struts and a newly designed tailplane including a heart shaped elevators.[1] It was powered by a 220 hp (160 kW) Renault 12F V-12 engine.[2] with Hazet modular radiators mounted on each side of the fuselage.[1]

During limited flight testing the controls and landing gear were found to be unsatisfactory and the French quickly abandoned the bomber.[1] In December 1916 it was declared obsolete but the British showed some interest and had ordered 70 aircraft but after the tests proved disappointing, all orders were eventually cancelled.[1]

Specifications

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Data from History of War[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 9.6 m (31.4 ft)
  • Wingspan: 17 m (55 ft 9 in)
  • Wing area: 47.85 m2 (515.1 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 1,330 kg (2,932 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 1,900 kg (4,189 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Renault 12F V-12 water-cooled piston engine, 160 kW (220 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed Chauvière 1665, 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in) diameter wooden fixed pitch propeller.[3]

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 155 km/h (96 mph, 84 kn)
  • Endurance: 3 hours
  • Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
  • Time to altitude: 7 min 20 sec to 3,280 ft

Armament

See also

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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Rickard, J (8 January 2015). "Nieuport 15". historyof war.org. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Nieuport 15 French Air Force". 1000aircraftphotos.com. 31 May 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  3. ^ 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.
  • Hartmann, Gérard. Les NIEUPORT de la guerre (PDF) (in French). Paris. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  • Hartmann, Gérard (6 January 2015). "Les héliciers français" (PDF) (in French). Retrieved 5 August 2019.