L.Opdyke French Aeroplanes Before the Great War (Schiffer)

Журнал Flight

Flight, November 9, 1912.

THE PARIS AERO SALON.

Nieuport.

   FOUR machines are shown on this stand - a standard 28-h.p. Nieuport monoplane of the school type, a standard 70-h.p. two-seater, a new racing model, and a 100-h.p. "Hydravion," similar in every respect to the one that hangs suspended from the roof above the exhibit of the French Minister of War. No special description of the first two models is necessary. They are quite standard; and, for that matter, very little need be said of the latter two, for in the case of the racing model the machine is simply a smaller edition of the standard machine with changes in the chassis, and, for the Hydravion, it is but the ordinary 100-h.p. three-seater model with a float chassis instead of a wheeled one.
   Let us first deal with the racing model. To attain high speed the designer has not resorted to high engine power. He has kept to the 50-h.p. Gnome, and to increase the speed has aimed at still further increasing the efficiency of the machine by cutting down head resistance.
   This is chiefly noticeable in the landing gear, which, as a light construction having little head resistance, is perhaps good. But, as a landing gear, pure and simple, we doubt if anything more treacherous has ever been designed. As long as it is used only on smooth ground, it may stand up to its work all right - that is, if it were in the hands of a skilful pilot. What would happen over rough ground we dread to imagine. The chassis is all of steel, and there are only two laminations in the transverse spring.
   There being no horizontal skid it is impossible to arrange the warping as heretofore. On this machine it is operated by bell cranks just below the fuselage, worked by the feet as usual. To cut down some of the head resistance of the Gnome engine, a dome is fitted over the front, a quarter segment of it being cut away to admit sufficient air for cooling. The wings only span 23 ft. and they have noticeably less curvature and incidence than previous models. They are each stayed on the underside by four cables - two to each spar.
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Flight, January 3, 1914.

THE PARIS AERO SALON - 1913.

NIEUPORT.

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   The remaining monoplane is slightly different from the usual Nieuport machines, and is somewhat reminiscent of the Morane-Saulnier monoplane, this resemblance more especially applying to the chassis and engine housing. It is fitted with a 7-cyl. 60 h.p. Le Rhone engine, mounted on overhung bearings.
   The cockpit in which is situated the pilot's seat seems very comfortable, and similarly to the other Nieuport machines, no trouble or expense seems to have been spared in order to make the instrument board as complete as possible. The controls in this machine differ from the usual Nieuport practice in that the hand-lever is used for warping and a foot bar for operating the rudder.
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Flight, March 14, 1914.

WHAT THERE WILL BE TO SEE AT OLYMPIA.

THE EXHIBITS.

Nieuport (England) Ltd. (65.)

   ON this stand there will be two machines, one a single-seater monoplane and the other an 100 h.p. hydro-aeroplane, both of which are, of course, tractor machines. These machines will be similar in design to those exhibited at the Paris Aero Show in December last, and the hydro-aeroplane will, in general, follow the usual construction embodied in the Nieuport monoplanes, that have set up such excellent performances in the past, concerning which we would venture to mention the long-distance flight of Helen for the Michelin prize, and the height record established by Legagneux. But the single-seater machine will depart somewhat from Nieuport practice, principally, however, in regard to the landing chassis, and in the shape of the wing surfaces, to which, however, we referred in our report on the Paris Exhibition. The standard type of hydro-aeroplane is fitted with an 80 h.p. Le Rhone engine, and the prices at which the two machines are listed are L1,080 and L2,000 respectively.
   The skimmer, which will complete the exhibit, is fitted with a 160 h.p. engine, and a propeller having a diameter of 3 metres, which are mounted on a tubular steel framing. The buoyancy apparatus is in three parts, formed by a central hull and two side floats - the angle of incidence of the steps on the latter being capable of variation by means of gearing. The side floats are more deeply immersed than is the hull, so that when a speed of about 32 miles per hour is attained, the central hull is lifted clear of the water, and, consequently, a great increase of speed is permitted, the angle of incidence of the steps being made to correspond with the speed at which the craft is moving.


Flight, March 28, 1914.

THE OLYMPIA EXHIBITION.

THE EXHIBITS.

NIEUPORT (NIEUPORT (ENGLAND), LTD.).

   OF the two machines shown on the Nieuport stand the 100 h.p. seaplane follows fairly closely the lines of the seaplane exhibited at Olympia last year, whilst the second machine, a 60 h.p. military scout, differs considerably from usual Nieuport practice.
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   60 h.p. Nieuport Military Scout. This machine is fitted with a 7-cyl. 60 h. p. Le Rhone engine, mounted on overhung bearings, and partly covered in by an aluminium shield. The chassis differs considerably from previous Nieuport models, and bears a certain resemblance to the chassis of the Morane Saulnier monoplanes. The chassis is built of steel tubes throughout, and has a tubular axle carried in the angle between the struts, and slung by means of rubber shock absorbers. Constructionally it resembles the seaplane, but the fuselage has been reduced considerably in width and depth. Only a single seat is fitted, and from here the pilot controls the machine by means of a single central hand-lever and a rudder foot-bar.
   The main planes are of the usual Nieuport section, which has proved so efficient, and are built up in a similar manner to that of the bigger machine. The tail planes consist of a semi-circular stabilising plane mounted on the upper longerons of the fuselage, a divided elevator, and a non-balanced rudder. The tail planes are easily detachable, and fitted with hooks, by means of which they can be suspended from the upper longerons of the fuselage for purposes of storage or transport.
   A small tail skid of rather unusual shape protects the tail planes against contact with the ground. It consists of a cone-shaped piece of sheet steel which takes the place of the usual extension of the stern post of the fuselage, and carries the small pivoted rubber-sprung skid.
   In addition to the two machines described above, there is shown on this stand a 100 h. p. skimmer of the stepped type, a craft which has already attained a certain amount of popularity in France, and which should, we think, provide quite a lot of sport if taken up in this country.


Flight, November 5, 1915.

CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS.-IX.

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   Somewhat similar to the Morane undercarriage is that of the Nieuport scouting monoplane that was exhibited at the last Olympia Aero Show. Some very clear illustrations of this chassis will be found on the same page as the Morane. It will be seen that instead of the inner front struts of the Morane the Nieuport has a single transverse streamline tube, the necessary lateral rigidity being obtained by means of cable bracing. A further difference will be found in the method of guiding the axle. Instead of the slotted web on the Morane a radius rod guides the axle on its upward travel, this radius rod being anchored to a lug on the front edge of the chassis strut. This arrangement, as well as the attachment of the struts to the lower longerons of the fuselage, are illustrated in two of the detail sketches.
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