| Nieuport 24 and 24bis | |
|---|---|
 Nieuport 24 C.1 | |
| General information | |
| Type | fighter / advanced trainer |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Nieuport, Nakajima, Dux |
| Designer | |
| Status | retired |
| Primary users | Aéronautique Militaire |
| History | |
| Introduction date | Spring 1917 |
| First flight | 1917 |
| Developed from | Nieuport 17bis |
| Variants | Nieuport 27 |
The Nieuport 24 (or Nieuport XXIV C.1 in contemporary sources) was a World War I French sesquiplane fighter aircraft designed by Gustave Delage as a development of the successful Nieuport 17.
The Nieuport 24 had the misfortune to be the penultimate design suited to tactics that were being superseded when it entered service. Its small size, relatively light weight and small engine gave it a significant manoeuvrability advantage in a dog fight. However, larger and heavier fighters that relied almost entirely on speed such as the SPAD VII and Albatros D.III were entering service along with the introduction of ever larger combat formations, which generally negated its manoeuvrability. While its handling was improved slightly, its performance was little better than the previous Nieuport 23 it was meant to replace, and so it was operated alongside larger numbers of the SPAD S.VII, although in November 1917, out of a French frontline fighter strength of 754 aircraft, Nieuports still made up 310 aircraft.[1] Operational Nieuport 24s served with French, British and Russian units, and the type also served widely as an advanced trainer.
- ^ Herris, 2014, p.159