Nieuport 17

The Nieuport 17 was one of a series of Nieuports developed during World War I. All the Nieuports featured a "one and a half" wing configuration with a large upper wing and a smaller narrow lower wing. This required the use of a "V" shaped strut and gave the pilot excellent visibility and maneuverability.

The 17 was underarmed compared to German planes of the time. Early models were fitted with a single Lewis machine gun mounted on the upper wing. Some Nieuports were later refitted with a synchronized Vickers machine gun mounted on the fuselage.

This plane carries the markings of the French 124th Squadron "Escadrille de Lafayette", a squadron of American volunteers flying for the French before the U.S. entered the war.

This aircraft was also flown by:
  France (Cigognes)
  Great Britain
Specifications
Country of Manufacture France
First Year of Service 1916
Wing Span 26.9 ft | 8.2 m
Length 18.8 ft | 5.7 m
Height 7.8 ft | 2.4 m
Weight 1246 lbs | 565 kg
Engine Le Rhone 9 cylinder air-cooled rotary engine, 110hp
Top Speed 110 mph | 177 km/h
Range 200 miles | 320 km
Armament 1 Lewis .303 machine gun and/or 1 Vickers .303 machine gun
Crew 1

 


Notes:
Technical Notes:
Made with Autodesk 3D Studio Max - Airplane not including background, 40407 vertices, 50838 faces - All aircraft insignia are modeled as part of the mesh, material maps were not used on the aircraft.
Historical Notes:
The instruments in the cockpit are conjecture. All Nieuports carried roundel markings on the underside of both wings. I have only put them on the bottom of the upper wing in my model.
References:
http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/france/nieuport_17.php
http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter1/nieuport-gallery.htm
http://aerofiles.com/lafayesc.html