Eduard 1/72 Nieuport 17, by Carmel J. Attard

Eduard 1/72 Nieuport 17

KIT #:	?
PRICE:	£8.00
DECALS:	Four options
REVIEWER:	Carmel J.Attard
NOTES:	Four from film ‘Flyboys’

HISTORY

The Nieuport 17 was the most famous of Nieuport designs. It was truly one of the outstanding aeroplanes of its time. The Nieuport 17 was larger and more powerful development of the successful ‘Bebe’ and was powered by a 110hp Le Rhone rotary engine. Alternatively the type designated 17 bis was fitted with the130hp Clarget. Many famous French pilots like Charles Nungesser and George Guynemer flew the type and the agile little machine with a fast rate of climb was envy to the desperation on the part of the Germans, who ordered the Nieuport to be copied. The Nieuport was also in service with the RFC and by early summer of 1917 no less than five squadrons were entirely equipped with the type. The Nieuport 17 remained

France

front line fighter until the Spad series of aircraft began to replace it. Russian, Dutch, Fins, and Belgian pilots also flew the type during the war and it also served as an advanced fighter trainer with the

United States

THE KIT

The 1/72 scale model was released by Eduard as one of a series of Limited run edition scale models. The kit comes with X colorful A5 size pages depicting four Nieuport marking options and decals for aircraft from the movie ‘Flyboys’. There are also 6 more pages of instructions. It is interesting to note that among components there are seven items, mainly cowlings and engine parts that are not for use. This could mean that these cater for subsequent Nieuport 17 releases, with actual historic markings besides those from the ‘Flyboys’ film.

The kit contains 35 parts in pale tan colour plastic. There are two upper wings to choose from and two clear parts for different windscreens. The surface texture of wing fabric is well represented in scale. Interior of cockpit embossed detail is also given although much of it is hidden. The kit also includes accurate seat, control stick and a fuselage gun complete with ammunition feed and spent cartridge chute.

CONSTRUCTION

The machine that I chose to represent of the 4 options was the one that had transparent celluloid skylights in its wing center sections. Behind the cockpit the Nieuport had a faired headrest. This was well represented in the kit however I added a head backing cushion shaped from a single drop of thick white glue. This is clearly depicted on the box art. As mentioned earlier the 17 carried a single Lewis gun mounted above the center section. I have however chosen to do the Nieuport serialled N1723 in preference to the others. This was principally because its armament added a mechanically synchronized Vickers Gun that was centrally mounted in front of the pilot.

COLORS & MARKINGS

The aircraft was airbrushed in a mix of silver with a few drops of gloss white and varnish. The propeller was hand painted in wood colours and the cockpit interior painted as per instruction sheet at an earlier stage. I completed the rigging using transparent thread, which seemed to work to correct scale in view of the small size of the aircraft.

The decal sheet is of top quality that we are used to in Eduard kits. For each option are provided insignia, stencils, and personal motifs.

CONCLUSIONS

One hopes to see further world War 1 types being offered in Eduard’s range of famous aircraft, the kits of which all feature such fine detail and an impressively exact fit of parts.

Carmel J.Attard

December 2010

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