Developed over four months, the improved model 17, stronger than its predecessors, and with a 110 or 120 hp Le Rhone engine, the new model was highly manoeuvrable and had high performance with a particularly good rate of climb. A Lewis gun was mounted on the top wing to fire above the propeller with a sliding mount enabling it to be pulled down by the pilot and aimed upwards, thereby permitting an attack on enemy aircraft in their blind spot, from below.
A single-bay biplane, the wooden wings had two spars in the top wings and only one in the lower wings. Ailerons were in the top wings only. Tail surfaces were steel tube construction and no fixed fin was fitted.
Superseding the Nieuport 11 Bebe, the Nieuport Type 17 single seat fighter entered service in March 1916.
Later in the Nieuport’s service life, when a synchronising gear had been perfected to allow the gun to fire through the propeller, a Vickers machine gun was substituted. A number of French squadrons re equipped with the Type 17, together with Belgan, Italian, Russian and British RFC units, and the type rapidly made a name for itself with aces who included Nungesser, Ball and Bishop.
When used for attacks on German observation balloons, four Le Prieur “firework type” rockets were attached to each interplane strut, and were fired electrically.
Capt W A Bishop, 60 Squadron, in Nieuport 17, shot down 3 aircraft in single-handed attack on German aerodrome on 2 June 1917. Awarded the VC.
Replica:
Redfern Nieuport 17
Ultralight replica:
Airdrome Airplanes Nieuport 17
Circa Reproductions Nieuport 17
17C
Engine: Le Rhone, 110 hp
Wingspan: 26 ft
Wing area: 158.8 sq.ft
Length: 19 ft
Height: 7 ft
Empty weight: 825 lb
Loaded weight: 1232 lb
Wing loading: 7.7 lb.sq.ft
Max speed: 107 mph at 6500 ft
Service ceiling: 17,400 ft
Time to 10,000ft: 9 min
Endurance: 2 hr
Armament: 1 or 2 Vickers mg
Crew: 1
Nieuport 17
Engine: Le Rhone, 110 hp
Wing span 27.25 ft. (8.3 m)
Length 19.5 ft. (5.9 m)
Height: 8 ft
Weight empty 825 lb (374 kg)
Max wt: 560 kg (1,235 lb)
Max speed 107 mph (172 kph)
Ceiling 17,400 ft (5,300 m) fully loaded
Time to 3280 ft: 3 min
Range: 155 sm (250 km)
Endurance: 2 hr
Seats 1
Armament One machine gun, and eight Le Prieur rockets
Nieuport 17
Engine: Clerget, 130 hp
All Aero 