Nieuport 28 C.1
To compete with the heavy SPAD fighters and the newer German Fokker D.VII, Nieuport began development of the Nieuport 28--essentially a strengthened Nieuport 17 with a bigger engine. The French were not impressed, preferring the SPADs, though the US Army Air Service, entering the war at the same time as the Nieuport 28 entered service, ordered a number of them to serve as trainers.
The lack of SPADs and teething troubles with the USAS led the latter to press the Nieuport 28 into service as a fighter after all. Pilots appreciated the typical nimbleness of the Nieuport design, but disliked its propensity for landing gear failures, upper wing failures, and fuel tank fires. Not many tears were shed when the Nieuports were replaced by SPAD S.XIIIs at the soonest opportunity, though the Nieuport had provided the USAS with valuable experience. Several American aces, including Edward Rickenbacker, the top US ace of World War II, started off in Nieuports.
This Nieuport 28 at Seattle's Museum of Flight is one of the few originals left in the world (though quite a few survived the war to become movie stunt planes). This aircraft was restored in 1999 in the markings of Quentin Roosevelt, one of President Theodore Roosevelt's sons. Quentin was killed in a simiilar Nieuport 28 in July 1918. It carries the kicking mule emblem of the 96th Aero Squadron.
Nieuport 28 C.1
To compete with the heavy SPAD fighters and the newer German Fokker D.VII, Nieuport began development of the Nieuport 28--essentially a strengthened Nieuport 17 with a bigger engine. The French were not impressed, preferring the SPADs, though the US Army Air Service, entering the war at the same time as the Nieuport 28 entered service, ordered a number of them to serve as trainers.
The lack of SPADs and teething troubles with the USAS led the latter to press the Nieuport 28 into service as a fighter after all. Pilots appreciated the typical nimbleness of the Nieuport design, but disliked its propensity for landing gear failures, upper wing failures, and fuel tank fires. Not many tears were shed when the Nieuports were replaced by SPAD S.XIIIs at the soonest opportunity, though the Nieuport had provided the USAS with valuable experience. Several American aces, including Edward Rickenbacker, the top US ace of World War II, started off in Nieuports.
This Nieuport 28 at Seattle's Museum of Flight is one of the few originals left in the world (though quite a few survived the war to become movie stunt planes). This aircraft was restored in 1999 in the markings of Quentin Roosevelt, one of President Theodore Roosevelt's sons. Quentin was killed in a simiilar Nieuport 28 in July 1918. It carries the kicking mule emblem of the 96th Aero Squadron.