Wings of Glory: Nieuport 11 (Ancillotto)

Phe Nieuport 11 “Bébé” was a French single seat fighter aircraft. Reaching the front in early 1916, it outclassed its German opponent, the Fokker Eindecker. It ended the dominance of German aviation, known as the “Fokker Scourge,” and gave air superiority to France during the battle of Verdun. The Nieuport 11 performed well in combat thanks to its excellent inherent speed, rate–of–climb, and agility. This successful airplane, however, had one limitation – its lack of a synchronized machine gun, which hampered its offensive capabilities.

Nieuport 11 (Chaput)
A French ace credited with 16 victories, Jean Chaput was renowned for his audacity and ‘sang-froid’ and was awarded with the Légion d’Honneur for his achievements.

Nieuport 11 (De Turenne)
Armand de Turenne, a cavalryman before entering the French air force, proved himself a true “knight of the air,” sharing his victories with no less than 15 other pilots.

Nieuport 11 (Ancillotto)
“Giannino” Ancillotto is part of Italian aviation history for his 11 victories, including three balloons shot down with his rocket–armed aircraft.