Nieuport Madon Explained

In October 1917 Nieuport began construction of a prototype monoplane fighter known as the Nieuport Madon, a strut braced monoplane.[1]

Design and development

The tapered shoulder mounted wing was supported by lift struts attached to the landing gear, which featured an additional constant chord lifting area between the wheels. A section of wing root was cut away to improve downward visibility.[1] The fuselage and wing were fabric covered. It was armed with two synchronized Vickers machine guns.[2] The first prototype made its first flight in early January 1918 while powered by a Gnome Monosoupape 9N rotary engine,[1] the same engine used in the Nieuport 28.

The second prototype first flew in late January 1918 with the slightly more powerful Le Rhône 9R.[2] This aircraft had a revised wing whose inboard trailing edges were cut away and it had an elongated fin. On 1 May 1918 the second prototype was rejected in favour of the Monosoupape powered model.[1]

The Nieuport Madon was not officially accepted but would be refined through the Nieuport 31[1] the Nieuport-Delage Sesquiplan and eventually into the Nieuport-Delage NiD 62 which was still in second line service in 1940.

See also

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Book: Green. W.. Swanborough. G.. The Complete Book of Fighters. Salamander Books. 2001. 978-1840652697.
  2. Web site: Nieuport Madon . Bruno Parmentier. 7 March 2006. aviafrance.com. 16 July 2015.