Specialising in the construction of racing monoplanes, Societe Anonyme des Etablissements Nieuport enjoyed considerable success in the years and months leading up to August 1914. However, the outbreak of war coincided with a developing official mistrust of the monoplane formula and the company was required to produce Voisan pusher bi-planes under licence.Chief designer Gustave Delage, turning his attention to the developement of an original bi-plane design, evolved a new type of wing celule known as the sesquiplane. The lower wing was much smaller in area than the upper wing and the concept combined the strength of the biplanes wire braced wing cell with the stability and good visibility of the parasol monoplane.
In essence the fuselage of the pre-war racing monoplane married to the new concept in wing cell design the Nieuport 10 was the progenitor of the entire "Vee-strut" family. Conceived as a two seat general purpose aircraft the Nieuports debut coincided with the appearance of the Fokker scourge. As a two seater barely a match for the Fokker, experiments proved that it could be an effective fighter if flown as a single seater and properly armed . A single seat variant with a faired over front cockpit was soon devised with a top wing mounted cable operated Lewis gun as the more or less standard armament.
Guynemers association with the Nieuport 10 began on 5th December 1915 when Ecadrille MS3 was renamed N3 following re-equipment. On the same day Guynemer destroyed a two seater which he identified as an Aviatik. Two more victories came in the next nine days before the aircraft was damaged in an inconclusive combat with a Fokker monoplane on the 15th.
A seemingly unconcerned Georges Guynemer with an obviously recently up-ended Nieuport 10. If this picture is all that it appears to be then it seems that Guynemer was at least occasionally in the habit of flying in his best blue uniform complete with medals and shiney boots! The unfortunate circumstances are not recorded but the mishap permits the standard Nieuport practice of applying cockades to the lower surfaces of both wings to be well illustrated
In common with most machines of the period Guynemers Nieuport 10 is natural finish overall. French national cockades are marked on the under surfaces of both upper and lower wings and possibly on the top surface of the upper wing, totaling six cockades in all, in what became the standard Nieuport fashion. Red white and blue stripes adorn the rudder which would also have carried the serial number, unfortunately unknown. Colourful Escadrille marking were yet to make an appearance and there is only the plain black legend "Esc N 3" to signify the unit identity. Guynemer's personal marking "VIEUX CHARLES" ("Old Charlie") is carried in characteristic fashion on both sides of the fuselage.
Nieuport 10 Span 7.92m Length 7.05m Wing Area 18 sq m Armament 1 x Lewis mg * Engine 80hp le Rhone Performance Max Speed 115 kph Climb 2,000m in 16 min * Early aircraft mounted the French Hotchkiss mg.
Georges Guynemer seated in the cockpit of a Nieuport 10. The large windscreen and infantry pattern Lewis gun, complete with stock and presumably cooling jacket, are worthy of note
