Nieuport 28

Single Piston

The Nieuport 28 holds the distinction of being the first fighter aircraft flown in combat by American pilots during World War I, entering service with the U.S. Army Air Service in spring 1918. Designed by Gustave Delage and built by Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport in France, this single-seat biplane represented a transitional design between rotary-engine scouts and the more refined fighters that would follow. Its most famous moment came on April 14, 1918, when Lieutenant Douglas Campbell and Lieutenant Alan Winslow scored the first confirmed aerial victories by Americans flying American-marked aircraft, both piloting Nieuport 28s over the Western Front. The type served with the 94th and 95th Aero Squadrons—units that included Eddie Rickenbacker—until replaced by the superior SPAD XIII later that year. The Nieuport 28 was notably fast for its era, capable of reaching 122 mph at altitude, though it suffered from a troubling tendency for upper wing fabric to peel away in high-speed dives, a flaw that led to several combat losses. Today, the type survives primarily as faithful replicas and restorations built by enthusiasts under experimental certificates, preserving the handling characteristics of an aircraft that marked America's entry into aerial warfare. These flying examples typically mount original or reproduction Gnome 9N rotary engines producing 160 horsepower, maintaining the distinctive sound and flight profile of the original design. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.