The Nieuport 28 was a French military fighter that became the first fighter type flown in combat by the American Expeditionary Forces during the First World War. Although French forces preferred other designs, American squadrons used the available aircraft to begin operations while awaiting more suitable replacements.[1][2]
Configuration
The Nieuport 28 was a light, single-seat biplane powered by a Gnome rotary engine. The National Museum of the United States Air Force lists a 160-horsepower Gnome N-9 and two .303-inch Vickers guns for its representative configuration. Its manoeuvrability was useful in combat, but its light construction also presented difficulties.[1]
A particularly serious problem was the tendency for fabric on the upper wing to detach during steep dives. This weakness influenced the decision to replace it with the faster and more robust SPAD XIII, even though American pilots achieved combat success with the Nieuport.[1]
American combat service
On 14 April 1918, Alan Winslow and Douglas Campbell of the 94th Aero Squadron each brought down an enemy aircraft. These were the first aerial victories by an American Expeditionary Forces unit. Eddie Rickenbacker also flew the Nieuport 28 before moving to the SPAD.[1]
Its service helped American pursuit squadrons establish operational experience during the final year of the war. The replacement process left it with a relatively short frontline career, but that period included important firsts in American military aviation.[2]
Shipboard trials and preservation
After the war, the United States Navy obtained twelve aircraft for experiments with shipboard launching. They operated from platforms fitted above the forward turrets of battleships, contributing to early attempts to give capital ships their own fighter capability.[3]
Surviving Nieuports have complicated histories involving surplus disposal, civilian ownership and reconstruction. The Smithsonian's account carefully distinguishes its aircraft from a fully documented, continuously preserved individual airframe. This reflects the frequent reuse of original components in surviving First World War aircraft.[2]