Nieuport 16

Biplane Fighter Aircraft

France | 1916

"The midly successful Nieuport 16 biplane fighter was the earlier Nie 11 design modified to accept a more powerful - and heavier - engine."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/10/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Aviation technology during World War 1 (1914-1918) moved at lightning speed as both sides attempted to gain the advantage in the skies over Europe. This led to many variants and all-new aircraft designs being fielded, some lasting just a few short months at they became quickly outclassed by enemy designs. The French-originated Nieuport line of fighters ended as a deep family tree made up of various fighting aircraft with origins in the Nieuport 10 of 1914. This product advanced through popular forms like the Nieuport 1 "Bebe" and the larger, more powerful two-seat Nieuport 12 model (both detailed elsewhere on this site). The Nieuport 16 (Nie 16) was an offshoot of the line, appearing in January of 1916, and brought with it a reinforced structure and a new engine fit. It went on to operate with the air services of France, Britain, Belgium (limited), Russia (locally-produced by Dux) and Italy during its brief time in the air.

At its core, the Nieuport 16 was the Nieuport 11 aircraft modified to accept a new, more powerful engine installation in the Le Rhone 9J rotary of 110 horsepower. However, in both form and function its appearance and battlefield role changed very little and, as such, it retained much of the capability of the earlier design. This led to an aircraft with a heavy frontal section and deteriorated handling characteristics due to high wing loading. Lacking synchronized gear, a single Lewis Gun machine gun was set over the upper wing element to help clear the spinning propeller blades and this kept the weapon awkwardly far from the pilot's reach in the event of an ammunition misfeed. The biplane wings, retained from the Nie 11, were of equal span and braced by V-struts.

The Nie 16 was introduced on January 5th, 1916 and operated in the fighter / bomber escort / balloon-busting role. In the latter, the V-struts supported four Le Prieur rockets to each wing for added firepower. Once available in number, the Nie 16 quickly superseded Nie 10 and Nie 11 fighters in circulation and some of the stock were eventually given Alkan synchronization gear so machine guns could be fitted to the fuselage and fired through the spinning propeller blades. Of course this also meant that even more weight was added to the frontal section of the aircraft which further worsened the "heavy nose" attitude already exhibited by the aircraft.

The Nieuport 16 was eventually superseded itself by the Nieuport 17 model (detailed elsewhere on this site) which offered improvements in both performance and handling - leaving the Nie 16 as nothing more than a stepping stone design on the road to a more viable fighter type.

In its finalized form, the Nie 16 showcased a maximum speed of 103 miles per hour.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Nieuport 16 Biplane Fighter Aircraft.

1 x Le Rhone 9J rotary engine developing 110 horsepower and driving two-bladed propeller at the nose.
Propulsion

103 mph
165 kph | 89 kts
Max Speed

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Nieuport 16 Biplane Fighter Aircraft.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

18.5 ft
5.65 m
O/A Length

24.7 ft
(7.52 m)
O/A Width

7.9 ft
(2.40 m)
O/A Height

827 lb
(375 kg)
Empty Weight

1,213 lb
(550 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Nieuport 16 Biplane Fighter Aircraft .

STANDARD:
1 x 7.7mm Lewis Gun on upper wing assembly

ALTERNATIVE:
1 x 7.7mm machine gun over nose synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades (Alkan interrupter gear fitted).

OPTIONAL:
8 x Le Prieur aerial rockets fitted in two banks of four rockets at each V-strut.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Nieuport 16 family line.

Nie 16 - Base Series Designation

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Nieuport 16. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 500 Units
Contractor(s): Nieuport - France / Dux - Russian Empire

[ Belgium; France; Kingdom of Italy; United Kingdom; Imperial Russia ]

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The Nieuport 16 Biplane Fighter Aircraft appears in the following collections:

HOME

AVIATION INDEX

AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)