The full title of this book is: Early Canadian Military Aircraft, Acquisitions, Dispositions, Color Schemes & Markings: Volume 1, Aircraft taken on strength through 1920 with credits to the authors above and also illustrations by Andrew Tattersall (aircraft) and Terry Higgins (maps).

This is the first volume of an intended series which will cover all Canadian military aircraft taken on strength from 1920 through 1938 -- there are 58 such aircraft, and this volume covers the first seven. It's easier to visualize the contents if you know the "taken on strength" date is effectively the first date a particular type is brought aboard, and not just the date individual aircraft were received. The first seven types were taken on strength in 1920 but many aircraft of a type arrived after that date and served through 1929.

The Story

Although many companies in France produced fighters during the interwar period, Nieuport manufactured two landmark fighters beginning with the end of World War I. The Ni-D 29 biplane fighter appeared at the end of the war, and was produced for the Aeronautique Militaire during the twenties, as well as in several foreign countries. Export models were also sold to Belgium, Italy, Siam, Argentina, Spain, and Sweden. By the mid twenties, it was obvious that a replacement would be needed soon, and Nieuport then developed a high wing monoplane replacement, the Ni-D 62 series, many of which were built with a small stub wing, making it sort of a biplane. There were numerous variations in the production models, with differences in powerplant, wing arrangement, and fuselage structure. These were first built for the French, but later, many were sold to Spain, Romania, and Brazil. These aircraft served for many years, some being used as trainers as late as 1940.