Nieuport-Delage NiD 740

Nieuport-Delage · France · first flew 1930 · transport aircraft

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 740 was a French trimotor monoplane designed to carry night mail. Two were built in 1930.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, elliptical
E — Engines	3 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	10.49 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Three-engined wooden monoplane with a cantilever high wing of elliptical plan and pointed tips
Central uncowled radial in the nose, with the outboard pair mounted well below the wing on struts
Wheels placed directly below the outer engines, and a pair of searchlights below the nose

The three engines were 95 hp Salmson 7Ac seven-cylinder radials. The enclosed cockpit sat at the wing leading edge, with the navigator in a separate compartment and the double-walled mail compartment behind.

Specifications

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 740 has a length of 10.49 m (34 ft).
It has a wingspan of 17.5 m (57 ft).
Its maximum speed is 230 km/h (143 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

It was specifically designed as a postal aircraft, with a wing similar to but larger than that of the single-engined NiD 640. The exact date of the first flight is not known, but several early tests had been flown by Fernand Lasne before the end of January 1930.

Variants

Two were built. The mail compartment could alternatively accommodate three passengers.

Where you'll see it

It handled well and could maintain a fixed altitude of 1,500 m with one engine stopped.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.