Nieuport 17 WWI fighter biplane weight and performance calculations; added with pictures and facts

Nieuport 17

Role : fighter

first flight : January 1916 operational : 2 May 1916

country : France

ontwerp : Gustave Delage

production : 1000+

General information: Fine fighter used by many famous fighters, Ball, Bishop,

Nungesser, Guynemer, Fonck and Navarre.

Users : France, RFC, RNAS, Russia, Italy, Belgium

crew : 1

armament : 1 synchronized 7.7mm Vickers machine gun. On some an additional Lewis MG was fitted on the topwing.

engine : 1 Le Rhône 9j luchtgek. 9-cil. Rotary engine 81 KW.(110hp)

dimensions :

wingspan : 8.17 [m], length : 5.77 [m], height : 2.44[m]

wing area : 14.75 [m^2]

weights :

max.take-off weight : 565 [kg]

empty weight operational : 375 [kg] bombload : 0 [kg]

performance :

maximum speed : 177 [km/u] op 2000 [m]

climbing speed : 261 [m/min]

service ceiling : 5300 [m]

endurance : 2.0 [hours]

estimated action radius : 159 [km]

description :

1-bay biplane with fixed landing gear and tail strut

airscrew :

fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.63 [ ]

estimated diameter airscrew 2.42 [m]

airscrew revs : 1350 [r.p.m.]

pitch at Max speed 2.19 [m]

blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 178 [m/s]

calculation : *1* (dimensions)

wingspan/length : 1.42 [] delete

length/height : 2.36 [ ] delete

mean wing chord : 0.90 [m]

calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.01 [m]

wing aspect ratio : 9.05 []

estimated gap : 1.10 [m]

gap/chord : 1.22 [ ]

seize (span*length*height) : 115 [m^3]

calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)

oil consumption : 5.7 [kg/hr]

fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 23.5 [kg/hr] (32.0 [litre/hr]) at 53.8 [KW] power

estimated specific fuel consumption (cruise power) : 437 [gram/kwh]

estimated specific oil consumption (cruise power) : 70 [gram/kwh]

distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 6.78 [km/kg]

estimated total fuel capacity : 73 [litre] (53 [kg])

calculation : *3* (weight)

weight engine(s) dry : 147.2 [kg] = 1.82 [kg/KW]

weight 17 litre oil tank : 1.5 [kg]

oil tank filled with 0.6 litre oil : 0.5 [kg]

oil in engine 0 litre oil : 0.4 [kg]

fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.4 [kg]

weight 14 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 2.0 [kg]

Nieuport 17 flown by René Dorme

weight cowling 3.2 [kg]

weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 19.0 [kg]

total weight propulsion system : 173 [kg](30.6 [%])

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fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 5.00 [cm]): 37 [kg]

bracing : 1.5 [kg]

fuselage covering (doped linen fabric) : 2.1 [kg]

weight controls + indicators: 5.2 [kg]

weight seats : 3.0 [kg]

weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]

weight 59 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 4.7 [kg]

weight engine mount & firewall : 4 [kg]

total weight fuselage : 63 [kg](11.1 [%])

***************************************************************

weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 10 [kg]

total weight ribs (51 ribs) : 34 [kg]

load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 674.0 [N]

load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 222.0 [N]

total weight 6.0 spars : 22 [kg]

weight wings : 66 [kg]

weight wing/square meter : 4.48 [kg]

load on front upper spar (clmax) per bay : 2753.2 [N]

gap : 1.10 [m]

weight 4 struts : 4.0 [kg]

weight cables (39 [m]) : 2.1 [kg] (= 54 [gram] per metre)

diameter cable : 3.0 [mm]

weight fin & rudder (0.8 [m2]) : 3.6 [kg]

weight stabilizer & elevator (1.7 [m2]): 7.5 [kg]

total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 83 [kg] (14.7 [%])

*******************************************************************

weight machine-gun : 15 [kg]

weight armament : 15 [kg]

********************************************************************

total weight landing gear : 28.4 [kg] (5.0 [%])

weight 2 wheels (700 [mm] by 78 [mm]) : 12.0 [kg]

weight tailskid : 2.3 [kg]

weight undercarriage with axle 14.0 [kg]

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calculated empty weight : 362 [kg](64.1 [%])

weight oil for 2.4 hours flying : 14 [kg]

weight ammunition (400 rounds) : 13.6 [kg]

*******************************************************************

calculated operational weight empty : 389 [kg] (68.9 [%])

published operational weight empty : 375 [kg] (66.4 [%])

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weight crew : 90 [kg]

weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 47 [kg]

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operational weight : 526 [kg](93.1 [%])

estimated bomb load : 25 [kg]

operational weight bombing mission : 551 [kg]

fuel reserve : 6 [kg] enough for 0.27 [hours] flying

possible additional useful load : 7 [kg]

operational weight fully loaded : 565 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]

published maximum take-off weight : 565 [kg] (100.0 [%])

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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)

engine total stroke volume (displacement): 15.0 [litre]

mean engine pressure : 17.98 [kg/cm2]

compression ratio : 3.26 : 1

power loading (operational without bombload) : 6.50 [kg/kW]

total power : 80.9 [kW] at 1350 [r.p.m]

power / stroke volume : 5.4 [kW/litre]

calculation : *5* (loads)

manoeuvre load : 3.5 [g] op 1000 [m]

limit load : 4.5 [g] ultimate load : 6.8 [g]

design flight time : 1.60 [hours]

design cycles : 344 sorties, design hours : 550 [hours]

operational wing loading : 350 [N/m^2]

wing stress (3 g) during operation : 234 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre

Nieuport 17 flown by Nungesser

calculation : *6* (angles of attack)

angle of attack zero lift : -1.14 ["]

max.angle of attack (stalling angle) : 13.39 ["]

angle of attack at max.speed : 2.13 ["]

calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios

lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]

lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.28 [ ]

lift coefficient at max.speed : 0.29 [ ]

induced drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0052 [ ]

drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0455 [ ]

drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0404 [ ]

calculation : *8* (speeds

stalling speed at sea-level (MTOW): 79 [km/u]

landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 91 [km/hr]

min.power speed (max endurance) : 109 [km/hr] op 2491 [m](P:28.6 [KW])

min.drag speed (max range) : 143 [km/hr] op 2491 [m] (P:38.7 [KW])

max.rate of climb speed : 108.5 [km/hr] at sea-level

cruising speed : 159 [km/hr] op 2491 [m](P:47.7 [KW])

design speed prop : 172 [km/hr]

maximum speed : 177 [km/hr] op 2000 [m] (P:64 [KW])

climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 327 [m/min]

calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)

take-off distance at sea-level : 153 [m]

lift/drag ratio : 9.95 [ ]

practical ceiling : 6200 [m] with flying weight :526 [kg]

climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 5.03 [min]

climb to 3000m (without bombload) : 11.82 [min]

max.dive speed : 558.6 [km/hr] at 5200 [m] height

load factor at max.angle turn 2.31 ["g"]

turn radius at 500m: 53 [m]

time needed for 360* turn 10.1 [seconds] at 500m

calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)

operational endurance : 2.27 [hours] with 1 crew and 32 [kg] useful (bomb)load and 100.0 [%] fuel

published endurance : 2.00 [hours] with possible useful (bomb) load : 39 [kg]

action radius : 223 [km] with 1 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload

max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 135 [litre] fuel : 674 [km]

useful load with action-radius 250km : 26 [kg]

production : 4.08 [tonkm/hour]

oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 7.15 [kg]

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Literature :

oorlogsvliegtuigen 14-18

jagdflugzeuge WW I

praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1

tussen vleugels van linnen

fighters 1914-19

Jane’s fighter aircraft WWI

Wikepedia

Warplanes WWI

(c) B van der Zalm 01 April 2018 python 3.4.1

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