Nieuport 21

The Nieuport 21, called the Nieuport XXI C.1 in contemporary sources, was a French single-seat, single-engine fighter used by the French, Russian, British and American air forces during the First World War. Gustave Delage designed it as a lighter fighter derived from the Nieuport 17 with a lower powered engine, and it made its maiden flight in 1916. It was first intended as a bomber escort, but that role was abandoned when bombers were withdrawn from daylight operations, and large numbers were built for training duties instead. After the war it became a popular civil aircraft and a small number served with several air arms in the early postwar period. The Finnish Air Force used one captured from the Russians at Tampere in 1918 until 1923, and the French Navy used one for carrier trials in 1919 and 1920.