Nieuport 16

Nieuport 16 WWI fighter biplane weight and performance calculations, added with pictures and facts

Nieuport 16 with synchronized Vickers machine gun.

Nieuport 16

role : fighter

first flight : operational : March 1916

country : France

design :

production : unknown

general information : The Nieuport 16 was similar to the Nieuport 11 only the engine

was replaced by a 110 hp Le Rhone. The heavier engine made the aircraft nose-heavy. Also the higher wing loading made it less manoeuvrable. It was succeeded by the superb Nieuport 17 which used the same engine but it’s design adapted to the new engine. Against balloons the 16 was fitted with Le Prieur rockets attached to the struts. Albert Ball and George Guynemer made there first kills flying a 16. The MG was placed on the upper plane controlled by a Bowden cable. A quadrant mounting devised by Sgt Foster and Cap. Cooper of 11 sq. allowed the gun to be pulled down for loading, and also for shooting almost vertically upwards. This method of attack was used successfully by Albert Ball against LFG Roland 2-seaters. It was also used by some pilots of the famous Escadrille Lafayette, the American volunteer squadron. It was the first Nieuport used by the RFC indicated as 13 mtr Nieuport, while the Nieuport 17 was the 15 mtr Nieuport. The Nieuport 16 was not used for long at the front, it was soon replaced by the superior Nieuport 17.

users : RFC (no.1, 3,11,29,60 sq.) France, Belgium

crew : 1

armament : 1 Lewis 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) machine-gun firing over the wing, later

replaced by a synchronized Vickers. 8 Prieur anti-balloon rockets attached to the

struts

engine : 1 Le Rhone 9j air-cooled 9 -cylinder two-valve rotary engine 110 [hp](80.9 KW)

dimensions :

wingspan : 7.52 [m], length : 5.64 [m], height : 2.4[m]

wing area : 13.3 [m^2]

weights :

max.take-off weight : 550 [kg]

empty weight operational : 375 [kg] bombload : 28 [kg]

performance :

maximum speed : 165 [km/hr] at sea-level

climbing speed : 216 [m/min]

service ceiling : 4800 [m]

endurance : 2.0 [hours]

estimated action radius : 148 [km]

description :

1-bay biplane with fixed landing gear and tail strut

upper wing 2 spars, lower wing single spar

engine, landing gear and fuel in or attached to fuselage, rockets attached to the wing struts

airscrew :

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

estimated diameter airscrew 2.41 [m]

angle of attack prop : 23.76 [ ]

reduction : 1.00 [ ]

airscrew revs : 1100 [r.p.m.]

pitch at Max speed 2.50 [m]

blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 146 [m/s]

calculation : *1* (dimensions)

mean wing chord : 0.88 [m]

calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.00 [m]

wing aspect ratio : 8.50 []

estimated gap : 1.19 [m]

gap/chord : 1.35 [ ]

seize (span*length*height) : 102 [m^3]

calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)

oil consumption : 4.9 [kg/hr]

fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 5.42 [cm]): 42 [kg]

bracing : 1.7 [kg fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 23.9 [kg/hr] (32.5 [litre/hr]) at 64 [%] power

distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 6.22 [km/kg]

estimated total fuel capacity : 74 [litre] (54 [kg])

calculation : *3* (weight)

weight engine(s) dry : 147.0 [kg] = 1.82 [kg/KW]

weight 15 litre oil tank : 1.3 [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) : 2.1 [kg]

weight cowling 3.2 [kg]

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

total weight propulsion system : 173 [kg](31.4 [%])

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fuselage covering ( 6.0 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 1.9 [kg]

weight controls + indicators: 5.0 [kg]

weight seats : 3.0 [kg]

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

weight bomb storage : 2.0 [kg]

weight 60 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 4.8 [kg]

weight engine mounts & firewalls : 4 [kg]

total weight fuselage : 70 [kg](12.7 [%])

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weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 9 [kg]

total weight ribs (51 ribs) : 33 [kg]

load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 816.6 [N]

load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 223.1 [N]

total weight 6.0 spars : 21 [kg]

weight wings : 62 [kg]

weight wing/square meter : 4.65 [kg]

weight 4 interplane struts & cabane : 5.9 [kg]

weight cables (37 [m]) : 1.9 [kg] (= 50 [gram] per metre)

diameter cable : 2.9 [mm]

weight fin & rudder (0.7 [m2]) : 3.2 [kg]

weight stabilizer & elevator (1.5 [m2]): 7.1 [kg]

total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 80 [kg] (14.5 [%])

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weight machine-gun(s) : 12.7 [kg]

weight quadrant mounting and Bowden cable : 1.5 [kg]

weight armament : 14 [kg]

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wheel pressure : 275.0 [kg]

weight 2 wheels (720 [mm] by 85 [mm]) : 12.2 [kg]

weight tailskid : 1.7 [kg]

weight undercarriage with axle 15.4 [kg]

total weight landing gear : 29.4 [kg] (5.3 [%]

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calculated empty weight : 366 [kg](66.6 [%])

weight oil for 2.4 hours flying : 11.7 [kg]

weight 5 drums empty : 1.0 [kg]

weight ammunition (235 rounds) : 9.0 [kg]

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calculated operational weight empty : 387 [kg] (70.3 [%])

published operational weight empty : 375 [kg] (68.2 [%])

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weight crew : 81 [kg]

weight fuel for 1.5 hours flying : 36 [kg]

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operational weight : 504 [kg](91.6 [%])

weight 8 Prieur rockets : 28 [kg]

operational weight anti-balloon mission : 532 [kg]

fuel reserve : 18 [kg] enough for 0.77 [hours] flying

possible additional useful load : 0 [kg]

operational weight fully loaded : 550 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]

published maximum take-off weight : 550 [kg] (100.0 [%])

I||==|

calculation : * 4 * (engine power)

power loading (operational without bombload) : 6.22 [kg/kW]

total power : 80.9 [kW] at 1100 [r.p.m]

calculation : *5* (loads)

manoeuvre load : 2.3 [g] at 1000 [m]

limit load : 4.5 [g] ultimate load : 6.8 [g] load factor : 2.7 [g]

design flight time : 1.60 [hours]

design cycles : 500 sorties, design hours : 800 [hours]

operational wing loading : 371 [N/m^2]

wing stress (3 g) during operation : 239 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre

calculation : *6* (angles of attack)

angle of attack zero lift : -1.15 ["]

max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 12.02 ["]

angle of attack at max.speed : 2.20 ["]

calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios

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

lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.14 [ ]

lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.29 [ ]

induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0056 [ ]

drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0649 [ ]

drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0593 [ ]

calculation : *8* (speeds

stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 83 [km/u]

landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 99 [km/hr]

min. drag speed (max endurance) : 103 [km/hr] at 2400 [m](power :40 [%])

min. power speed (max range) : 119 [km/hr] at 2400 [m] (power:45 [%])

max. rate of climb speed : 100.1 [km/hr] at sea-level

Le Prieur rockets for use against balloons

cruising speed : 148 [km/hr] op 2400 [m] (power:65 [%])

design speed prop : 160 [km/hr]

maximum speed : 165 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:99 [%])

climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 321 [m/min]

calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)

take-off distance at sea-level : 230 [m]

lift/drag ratio : 7.96 [ ]

max. practical ceiling : 5250 [m] with flying weight :471 [kg]

practical ceiling (operational weight): 4875 [m] with flying weight :504 [kg]

practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 4625 [m] with flying weight :526 [kg]

published ceiling (4800 [m]

climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 5.24 [min]

climb to 3000m (without bombload) : 13.09 [min]

max. dive speed : 360.7 [km/hr] at 3625 [m] height

load factor at max. angle turn 2.10 ["g"]

turn radius at 500m: 64 [m]

time needed for 360* turn 11.9 [seconds] at 500m

calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)

operational endurance : 2.27 [hours] with 1 crew and 28 [kg] useful (bomb)load and 100.0 [%] fuel

published endurance : 2.00 [hours] with 1 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 34 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel

action radius : 194 [km] with 1 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload

Lafayette Escadrille pilots with a Nieuport 16 March1916

max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 124 [litre] fuel : 568 [km]

useful load with action-radius 250km : 11 [kg]

production : 1.62 [tonkm/hour]

oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 17.77 [kg]

I_°==/

Literature :

Warplanes WOI page 55, 56

DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be

regarded as indication not as facts.

Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights

and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.

Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data

is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information

so we can improve our program.

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