Quote:
Originally Posted by Willi Von Klugerman
Totally unrelated but for those that wonder why there was a vickers on the left side of the Nieuport 28.It is because that the nose was so narrow that they had to put the second vickers on the left side.
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Actually is a very relevant and interesting question, I have wondered for a long time about that awkward arrangement. I checked the entrty for the Nieuport 28 in
"The complete book of fighters" by William Green and Gordon Swanborough (p. 436), and it seems that the prototype carried only one MG, and then it was deemed inadequate and the other one was added as an afterthought on the portside because there was no room between the cabane struts for 2 MGs.
I wonder why the cabane struts were shortened, reducing the gap between the top wing and the nose, I think this was done to improve the pilot's view over the top wing
Being a rotary engine, there was room enough in the nose for adding the ammo box and feed chute for the second gun.
This in turn raises an interesting question about the Nieuport practice of placing the Vickers offset to the port side. In the Nieuport 28 there's the explanation I wrote above, but other previous Nieuports had it, and it appeared too in the Hanriot HD1. It made aiming more difficult and some pilots relocated them to a centerline position.
I have heard that this might have been done to help balance the torque of the rotary engine.
In the Nieuport 28 it seems all three factors are at play.
Also, on the shortage of Vickers machineguns, I checked
"Fighters 1914-19" by Kenneth Munson and the entry on the Nieuport 28 said deliveries to the AEF began in March but
"the combat patrols did not take place until the following month, due to delay in receiving their guns. Some aircraft had 0.30 in Marlin guns instead of the Vickers weapons" (p.140)
For more details I will have to check the Windsock datafile but is late at night and I am going to sleep.