| Nieuport 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The model 10 was the first in the long
and successful series of Nieuport "V" strutters.
It was used primarily for observation, however, many were
converted to single seat fighters by simply covering the
front cockpit, and adding an upward firing Lewis machine gun
to the center section of the top wing. When the Nieuport 11
(factory produced single seat fighter) appeared at the
front, the main duty of the model 10 became that of a
training machine. There were several variants of this
basic design which were used not only by the French, but
also by the Americans and Russians as well.
The museum's example is an original aircraft that is said to have been brought to the United States in 1924 by the famous French ace, Charles Nungesser. Prior to this he had used it to train pilots at his own flying school outside Paris, and then brought it to Cuba for exhibition flying. Shortly thereafter he took the aircraft to Roosevelt Field on Long Island to film the first World War I aviation movie entitled, "The Sky Raider" in 1925. In 1951 the National Air and Space Museum acquired the aircraft, and in 1986 traded it for Cole Palen's original Nieuport 28. Cole restored the Nieuport 10, and the black heart, skull and crossbones (Charles Nungesser's personal wartime insignia) were painted on the fuselage sides in tribute to the great ace. The Nieuport flew it at Old Rhinebeck from 1987 to 1990. |
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