Nieuport 10

Nieuport 10
Role	reconnaissance, fighter and trainer
Manufacturer	Nieuport
Designer	Gustave Delage
First flight	1914
Introduction	1915
Status	retired
Primary users	Aéronautique Militaire; Royal Naval Air Service; Imperial Russian Air Service
Produced	1915-1918
Variants	Nieuport 12

Nieuport 10 wing and aileron details

The Nieuport 10 was a French First World War biplane that filled a wide variety of roles including reconnaissance, fighter and trainer.

Design and development

In January 1914, designer Gustave Delage joined the Société Anonyme des Etablissements Nieuport, and started working on a series of aircraft that would remain in production for the remainder of the First World War. The Nieuport 10 was first of these and was originally designed to compete in the Gordon Bennett Trophy race of 1914. World War I caused this contest to be cancelled, and the type was developed as a military two seat reconnaissance aircraft that entered service in 1915.

The type featured a distinctive "V" strut layout. The lower wing was much smaller in area than the upper wing, and the concept was intended to combine the strength of the biplane's wire braced wing cell with the good visibility of the parasol monoplane.^[1]

Many were converted or built as single-seat fighters by covering the front cockpit, and adding a Lewis Gun or Vickers machine gun either to fire through the center section of the top wing or mounted over it, firing forwards. In this form, the type was used as a fighter.

Two major types were developed from the Nieuport 10 - the Nieuport 11 Bébé - a smaller aircraft, designed from the outset as a single-seater, and the Nieuport 12 - a more powerful two-seater with a larger top wing. In addition, production was undertaken of a dedicated trainer version under the Nieuport 83 E.2 designation with detail changes. A single example of a triplane, using a Nieuport 10 airframe was built to test an unusual staggered wing concept.

Variants

Early French Nieuport 10.B two seat reconnaissance aircraft

Nieuport 10 triplane

American Nieuport 83 E.2 trainer

Nieuport X.B: Early designation distinguishing it from the earlier unrelated Nieuport X monoplane.
Nieuport X.AV: Company designation with the observer/gunner seated in the front and the pilot in the rear.
Nieuport X.AR: Company designation with the pilot seated in the front and the observer/gunner in the rear.
Nieuport 10 A.2: Two seat reconnaissance (Artillerie) aircraft, same as Nieuport X.AR.
Nieuport 10 C.1: Single-seat fighter variant. Inspired development of Nieuport 11 C.1.
Nieuport 10 E.2: Nieuport 10 A.2s used for training.
Nieuport 83 E.2: Purpose built trainer with detail modifications.
Nieuport 10 triplane: Testbed for triplane with unusual wing stagger.
Nieuport-Macchi 10.000: Italian built Nieuport 10 with many detail modifications.
Nieuport 18 or 18 meter Nieuport: Unofficial description of basic type based on nominal wing area of 18 square meters.
Nakajima Army Type Ko 2 Trainer: Nieuport 83 E.2 built under licence in Japan.
Trainer Type 2: Siamese designation for imported Nieuport 83 E.2.