including the First World War
In 1920, the Nieuport-Delage Ni-D 29 was the fastest airplane in the world. Designed by the Nieuport firm for the French Aviation Militaire in 1918, the Ni-D 29 appeared too late for combat in WWI. Following its record-breaking performance in the 1920 Gordon Bennett Trophy race, when it flew 168 miles per hour, it was [...]
How do you fire a machine gun through the arc of a spinning propeller? Early in 1915, aviators engaged in the First World War wanted to solve that problem. Obviously, the bullets of the machine gun would smash a propeller to bits. So far in the war, German, French, and British airmen had fired [...]
This late variant of Nieuport’s biplanes was used mainly by American pilots, notably Eddie Rickenbacker, the French having switched over to Spads.
The Type 28 looked quite different from the earlier Nieuports: it had a longer, rounded fuselage; it dispensed with the sesquiplane configuration (and the associated V struts); and it had rounded, not angular wingtips. [...]
The most successful of the Nieuport biplanes of WWI, flown by the French, British, Americans, Italians, and Russians. Often referred to in contemporary sources as the “15 meter” Nieuport (based on its total wing surface).
During the summer of 1916, many months after the appearance of the Fokker, the French produced the Nieuport 17, armed with [...]
With a distinctive large spinner, the Morane-Saulnier N looks, at least to the modern eye, better than the Parasol Type L, it met with much less success.
While the Type N was a graceful-looking aircraft, with an advanced, aerodynamic design, it was not easy to fly due to its stiff controls (using wing warping instead [...]
The B.II, a two-seater reconnaissance plane, was the first airplane that established Albatros’ reputation, and was the forerunner of many successfaul craft from that manufacturer. Designed by Ernst Heinkel, it set an altitude record of 14,765 feet early in its career. It was produced in large numbers in the first half of the war.
The seating [...]
The A.E.G. B.II only saw service in the early months of the war, after which more modern types replaced it. It’s follow-on version, the A.E.G. C series was produced in larger numbers in 1915 and 1916, and served throughout the war.
Top Speed: n.a.
Manufacturer: A.E.G.
Year: 1914
Engine: 120 h.p.
Wingspan: 42 feet 7 inches
Weight: [...]
The Aviatik B. II was a reconnaissance aircraft widely used by the Germans and Austrians before 1916. Built by the Oesterreichische-Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik of Vienna, it developed from the Aviatik B.I produced by the German company Automobil Aviatik und Leipzig between 1914 and 1915.
The Austrian B.II (Series 32) produced in small numbers in 1915 was powered [...]
Similar to the Sopwith Tabloid, the Martinsyde S.1 also served as an observation airplane in France. It only remained in service until summer of 1915; only 60 were built.
Top Speed: 84 m.p.h.
Manufacturer: Martinsyde
Year: 1914
Engine: 80 h.p. Gnome rotary
Wingspan: 21 feet
Weight: n.a.
Armament: none
Martinsyde was a short-lived British [...]
One of the most notable developments at the end of 1913 was the appearance of the Sopwith ‘Tabloid’ tractor biplane. This single-seater, fitted with an 80 horsepower Gnome rotary engine, had the remarkable speed (for those days) of 92 miles an hour. A still more notable feature was that it could remain in level flight [...]
