| Nieuport Madon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Nieuport Madon prototype with wing root opening visible | |
| Role | Fighter |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Nieuport |
| First flight | December 1918 |
| Number built | 2 |
In October 1917 Nieuport began construction of a prototype monoplane fighter known as the Nieuport Madon, a strut braced monoplane.[1]
The tapered shoulder mounted wing was supported by lift struts attached to the landing gear, which featured an additional constant chord lifting area between the wheels. A section of wing root was cut away to improve downward visibility.[1] The fuselage and wing were fabric covered. It was armed with two synchronized 7.7 mm (0.30 in) Vickers machine guns.[2] The first prototype made its first flight in early January 1918 while powered by a 110 kW (150 hp) Gnome Monosoupape 9N rotary engine,[1] the same engine used in the Nieuport 28.
The second prototype first flew in late January 1918 with the slightly more powerful 130 kW (180 hp) Le Rhône 9R.[2] This aircraft had a revised wing whose inboard trailing edges were cut away and it had an elongated fin. On 1 May 1918 the second prototype was rejected in favour of the Monosoupape powered model.[1]
The Nieuport Madon was not officially accepted but would be refined through the Nieuport 31[1] the Nieuport-Delage Sesquiplan and eventually into the Nieuport-Delage NiD 62 which was still in second line service in 1940.
Data from The Complete Book of Fighters [1]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
