Nieuport 17
The Nieuport 17 was a French biplane fighter plan of the First World War. It was developed by Gustave Delage (company Nieuport) and it was brought into service in March 1916.
Nieuport 17 was derived from the Nieuport 12, equipped with a more powerful engine, larger wings and of a better structure. The first aircraft were equipped with an engine with 110 ch (82 kw), later with an engine of 130 ch (97 kw). It was a very handy plane but the lower wings tended to break during extreme operations.
As from March 1916 Nieuport 17 was used by the French Army but it was also adopted by the majority of the allied armies. The Canadian ace, Billy Bishop, accepted the Victoria Cross whereas it controlled Nieuport 17.
The Germans, impressed by the performances of the French hunter, carried out a very faithful copy of it: the Siemens-Schuckert DI which was built with 94 specimens.
List aces flying on Nieuport 17
as well as the lieutenant aviator E. Thieffry (Belgian) who will carry out later on the first Brussels connection - Kinshasa (1925) in the plane.