Nieuport-Delage NiD 30

Nieuport-Delage · France · first flew 1919 · airliner

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 30 was a French four-passenger sesquiplane airliner of 1919, notable for its reverse-stagger biplane layout and enclosed passenger cabin, used briefly on early postwar European services.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Enclosed passenger cabin for four in a deep fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Reverse-stagger sesquiplane with lower wing set ahead of upper wing
Enclosed passenger cabin for four in a deep fuselage
Single inline engine with broad four-bladed propeller

The unusual reverse-stagger sesquiplane layout — with the lower wing set ahead of the upper — gives the NiD 30 a distinctive profile quite unlike conventional stagger biplanes of the same era.

Specifications

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 30 has a length of 10.8 m (35 ft).
It has a wingspan of 13.2 m (43 ft).
Its maximum speed is 172 km/h (107 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2 crew, 4 passengers.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed immediately after the First World War by Nieuport-Delage, the NiD 30 was operated on the Paris–London route by Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes from 1920 to 1921. The type represented one of the first practical enclosed-cabin airliners on a scheduled European route, though it was quickly superseded by purpose-designed transport aircraft.

Variants

A small number of NiD 30s were built; no significant production variants are recorded.

Where you'll see it

Operated commercially on the Paris–London route in 1920–1921 before being retired as more capable purpose-built airliners became available.

Related aircraft

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