INSTRUCTION MANUAL
WORLD WAR I FRENCH FIGHTER AIRCRAFT - 1917
NIEUPORT 28
INSTRUCTION MANUAL PREPARED BY KENNETH H. GOLDMAN
SCALE: 3/4” = 1’0” (1:16) • Kit No. MA1050
Wingspan: 508 mm (20 inches)
Fuselage Length: 400 mm (15-3/4 inches)
HISTORY
The French-built NIEUPORT 28 biplane was manufactured by the Nieuport company - Société des Etablissements Nieuport, founded by Edouard de Niéport at Issy-les-Moulinaux in 1910. Many designs were developed including the first Type 10, then Type 12,17, 24 and 27. The Type 28 was the most streamlined plane and the last of the Nieuport fami- ly of single-seater aircraft. First flown in prototype form in June 1917, it was a completely new design, albeit based on experience gained with the earlier Type 27. Although French-built, the NIEUPORT 28 served in the air services of all the Allied nations and on all fronts. It was the first fighter aircraft flown in combat by the 27th, 94th, 95th, and 147th Squadrons of the United States Air Service (American Expeditionary Forces). 297 aircraft were received by the squadrons. On April 14, 1918, the aircraft’s second armed mission, Lieutenants Alan Winslow, and Douglas Campbell (the first American-trained ace) of the 94th Aero Squadron both shot down an enemy aircraft. The NIEUPORT 28 was flown by many American aces, among them the “Ace of Aces” Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, with 26 victories. It was a favorite because of its speed and maneuverability.
The NIEUPORT 28 has a wingspan of 26 feet 9 inches and has a maximum weight of 1625 pounds (1172 pounds empty weight). It flies at a speed of 122 mph, has a range of 248 miles, endurance of 1-1/2 hours, and the service ceiling is 17,000 feet. The aircraft is a single-seater and is powered by a 160 HP Gnôme-Rhône Monosoupape 9N, 9 cylinder, air cooled rotary engine. The plane has no throttle and once started, the Gnome rotary engine runs on full all the time. The pilot controlled the plane’s speed by turning off and on individual or groups of cylinders. There is no oil pan to re-circu- late the castor oil lubrication. After circulating through the engine, the oil simply sprayed out into the air. One can only imagine the effects on pilots after inhaling a mist of pure castor oil for an hour! Armament consists of two Vickers 0.30 caliber synchronized machine guns.
A number of NIEUPORT 28’s have been restored and can be found in aircraft museums. The Smithsonian Institution’s Garber Preservation Facility in Suitland, Maryland outside Washington, DC, has recently restored (summer 2000) a NIEUPORT 28 C-1 for display in the National Air and Space Museum.
INDEX
