A French design, the Nieuport 28 was used extensively during World War I by the American Expeditionary Force in France.  Eddie Rickenbacker, the leading American ace in the war scored many of his kills in a Nieuport 28.  In August 1919, after the war was over, the U. S. Navy acquired twelve of these aircraft and assigned BuNos. A5794 through A5805 to them.

Eight battleships had platforms built across their Number 2 turrets from which the aircraft could be launched.  Once airborne, the planes could be used for spotting the fire of the ship’s guns, but there were no provisions for the aircraft to return to the ship.  Instead, the pilot had to land ashore on a field or ditch the aircraft at sea.

When flying from the battleships, the U. S. Navy’s Nieuport 28s were fitted with flotation gear, and hydrovanes were added to the landing gear to prevent them from nosing over in the event they were had to ditch at sea.  These hydrovanes thus minimized damage to the aircraft, and the flotation gear would keep them afloat until they could be recovered.

DATA:

Engine:                     Gnome rotary engine producing 160 horsepower
Maximum Speed:        122 miles per hour
Service Ceiling:          17,000 feet
Endurance:                1.5 hours
Span:                       26 feet, 3 inches
Length:                    20 feet, 4 inches
Gross Weight:           1,625 pounds
Empty Weight:          1,172 pounds
Armament:               2 Vickers .303 machine guns

This photo set includes three photos of a historical nature that illustrate the Nieuport 28 in service with the United States Navy. They complement our Information File. All three are U. S. Navy official photographs from the files of the National Museum of Naval Aviation.

This photo set includes detailed photographs taken of the Nieuport 28 on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation.  The photographs were taken before the aircraft was placed in a diorama display depicting a Nieuport 28 during World War I in France.  This allowed for better close-up and detailed photography than is now possible in the diorama setting.

The aircraft is a replica of the Nieuport 28 and is authentic in almost every detail including the cockpit interior.  The one item that is not accurate is that the aircraft has only one machine gun instead of the two usually carried on the Nieuport 28.  The paint scheme and markings depict aircraft A5796 as it appeared when it served with the United States Navy, however it is displayed without the hydrovane and floatation gear usually associated with U. S. Navy Nieuport 28s.