1/72 Eduard Nieuport 17, A313/"5", 1 Squadron RFC, Lt. A W Wood

[Procopius]

For my next trick, I'll be building one of Eduard's apparently excellent 1/72 Nieuport 17s; I have a deep fondness for the Nieuport fighters of World War I, which is a perfectly normal thing that nobody should look askance at.

I'm building Nie.17 A313, which was issued to 1 Squadron at Ballieul on 4 January 1917 and lost in action over Coulin, near Wavrin, on 22 April 1917, the first of five victory claims by Leutnant August Hanko of Jasta 28. Lieutenant AW Wood, the pilot, was wounded, but survived to be taken prisoner. As there were three AW Woods with the RAF at the close of hostilities, I have been unable to determine anything further of Lieutenant Wood's fate, and welcome any light that anyone can shed on his subsequent movements. He doesn't appear to have remained with the RAF in the postwar era.

Eduard, in their infinite wisdom, have issued the kit without any RFC marking options, but why would they? Virtually all of the top British and Canadian aces, Mannock, McCudden, Ball, Bishop, etc etc, flew it, so there's tons of options and zero competition. But no. Presumably in revenge for Munich, the kit includes markings only for French subjects, and their Nie.23 boxing includes only Belgian, Russian, and Czech markings. Little...devils.

Fortunately, Blue Rider have ridden to the rescue on an azure horse straight out of a Kandinsky painting, presumably, and sell a sheet of markings for RFC machines. It will be noted that this is about 20-25% of the total aftermarket RFC decals out there, excluding Pegasus's lovely generic RFC roundels and serials sets. However, when I looked closely at the sheet, the red centers appear to be misaligned:

Can you see it too? Is it just me?

Well, go figure, the Pegasus decals are terrific, but do not include the French-proportioned Nieuport-style roundels. So what's a fellow to do?

I'm going to use some Xtradecal RAF roundels from the sixties, that's what. The blue is a bit too dark, but it's what I have, and any port in a storm. I contemplated cutting out the red from the BR decals and patching over the hole with Xtradecals, but my hands are not steady and it seems a recipe for disaster, all told.

Moving along:

We have our PE seat assembled, more or less, and it only looks wonky if you get this close. I'm pretty pleased with myself here.

I also sanded down the sides of the fuselage interior in preparation for the PE detail to be added, and primered it white.

[Procopius]

I painted the interior with Testor's wood and then went over it with Tamiya clear red; I'll follow up with a coat of clear yellow to cut down on the red a bit. Nieuports apparently had wooden cockpit sides.

[Stew Dapple]

Well you've made me laugh already PC, I doubt that was your primary intention but thanks anyway

Shame about the roundels, is that the original issue Blue Rider sheet or the recent reprint? If the latter I'd send them that picture and ask them for a replacement, that really should not have got through QC (it isn't just your eyes). Failing that your solution using the Xtradecals is a good work-around but I'd still go for the replacements if you can get them.

Your interior woodwork looks lovely, you've certainly got that technique mastered. That's the sort of panelling I would like in my library. I'd like a library too, but if I ever get one I'd like panelling like that in it

Cheers,

Stew

[Procopius]

Your interior woodwork looks lovely, you've certainly got that technique mastered. That's the sort of panelling I would like in my library. I'd like a library too, but if I ever get one I'd like panelling like that in it

If you can get two sufficiently large jars of Tamiya Clear Red and Clear Yellow, I feel we're virtually halfway there.

That's a solid idea on contacting Blue Rider, though I'm not sure the vagaries of post will get them to me before I'm ready to decal. The kit is flying together! I accidentally dropped the fuselage halves, and when I reached down to pick them up, they were closed up and the lower wings were on.

[Dave Fleming]

Good choice of subject, I built the old ESCI kit with that sheet many years ago. I do wish someone had done some more decals for RFC & RNAS Nieuports - there are lots of nice schemes out there, but the only other one I know of was the old Americals sheet for No.1 Squadron.

The Roden Nie27 has RFC Neuiport roundels, but I've not used them yet.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Dave Fleming

[Procopius]

Good choice of subject, I built the old ESCI kit with that sheet many years ago. I do wish someone had done some more decals for RFC & RNAS Nieuports - there are lots of nice schemes out there, but the only other one I know of was the old Americals sheet for No.1 Squadron.

Just last night, in a fit of madness, I was wondering to myself "how much could it cost to commission a sheet of decals, really?" Probably less than the subsequent divorce, I decided.

I realize nobody ever got rich doing WWI modelling stuff -- Peter Jackson, already having been rather rich, of course doesn't count -- but surely someone could step to fill the gap a little. The Cross and Cockade RFC/RNAS/RAF Nieuports book I would have thought might have gone a long way towards spurring someone on, but alas no it seems.

Blue Rider has responded with lightning rapidity, I'm very happy to say -- thank you again for the suggestion, Stew -- so hopefully the new decals will perhaps reach me in time.

[Dave Fleming]

I occasionally nudge Rowan at Pheon about it!

[Procopius]

I occasionally nudge Rowan at Pheon about it!

You're doing God's work. I vaguely recall he had made noises in 2011 about such a sheet...sadly doesn't seem to be on the pre-order list anymore. A pity, as the Eduard kits are so pleasant to build.

[dazdot]

looking good I like the idea of using 60's raf decals as well

[Stew Dapple]

If you can get two sufficiently large jars of Tamiya Clear Red and Clear Yellow, I feel we're virtually halfway there.

That's a solid idea on contacting Blue Rider, though I'm not sure the vagaries of post will get them to me before I'm ready to decal. The kit is flying together! I accidentally dropped the fuselage halves, and when I reached down to pick them up, they were closed up and the lower wings were on.

Hi PC,

Easier said than done I'm afraid, Tamiya paint is not cheap over here and for the price of two enormous jars of clear red and yellow I could probably afford to get a room panelled

Glad to hear Blue Rider have got on the case, hopefully they will send replacements before you drop the kit again

Cheers,

Stew

[Fritag]

Fortunately, Blue Rider have ridden to the rescue on an azure horse straight out of a Kandinsky painting,

Stubbs over Kandinsky old boy - this is Britmodeller after all........

Nice seat. Hate PE but looks like you've cracked it PC

[Procopius]

Stubbs over Kandinsky old boy - this is Britmodeller after all........

Nice seat. Hate PE but looks like you've cracked it PC

That may be a sliiiiiight exaggeration, but thank you. I'm a little further on now, just haven't been able to get photographs, and it's safely ensconced in the cockpit where nosey parkers can't get a good look at it.

Easier said than done I'm afraid, Tamiya paint is not cheap over here and for the price of two enormous jars of clear red and yellow I could probably afford to get a room panelled

Ah, the vagaries of international shipping. Truly, Free Trade hasn't done all it might for modelbuilding.

Unfortunately, I expect updates may be a little sparse for now; my great-uncle, who was my last living relative to serve in World War II (as a staff sergeant in MacArthur's headquarters), passed away yesterday surrounded by his family, myself included.

[Procopius]

A bit more progress this morning before I left for work. It practically falls together. Quite a pity that Eduard seem to have given up on the 1/72 WWI market.

[Procopius]

Annnd just a bit of primer.

Funeral tomorrow; I'm to serve as pallbearer and do a reading, so I imagine I'll largely be a spent force for the rest of the day, but will try and get some more work done in the afternoon -- if I feel up to it.

[dazdot]

Firstly, i'm sorry for your loss.

secondly that's coming on nicely isnt it

darren

[Tomoshenko]

Very nice work, especially the wood effect. Will have to give that technique a go myself. Forgive me for posting pictures on your thread, but here is a piccie of the Nieuport I took at Duxford which may be of some use or interest. Sadly in French livery though.

[Procopius]

Sadly in French livery though.

Alas!

Hard to tell from this angle. but is the panel forward of the Native American head metal, or merely silver-doped, d'you reckon?

[Dave Fleming]

Alas!

Hard to tell from this angle. but is the panel forward of the Native American head metal, or merely silver-doped, d'you reckon?

On the real thing it was wood:

http://users.skynet.be/fa233213/En/RealAircrafts/Nieuport/Nie23.html

[Procopius]

Thanks, Dave!

[Procopius]

I had a profoundly negative experience with Misterkit's Nieuport Silver Dope acrylic tonight trying to spray it on the Nieu. 17. First, after shaking it for a geological era, I tried thinning it with IPA and spraying, but even at very low (~10 PSI) pressure settings, I was getting great dried clumps of paint on the model, even when spraying from only an inch away. Okay, fine. So I cleaned off the model, and tried again, thinning with water. This time it was too thin and wouldn't cover. Had to clean off the Nieup with windex and rethink my life. May just use Tamiya XF-16, but I did pay six euros for this bottle of paint. Very frustrating.

[Stew Dapple]

Hi PC,

For Misterkit acrylics, Stephen Lawson advises water as a thinner and low pressure for spraying (see the 'Recommended method of use' section here)

Which would explain why your first attempt didn't come off very successfully; for the second attempt... at the risk of sounding patronising, could it have just been your mix being over-thinned and failing where a greater paint:water ratio might have succeeded?

Failing that at least you have the Tamiya to fall back on, but if you have bought this Misterkit paint specifically for your Nieuport it would be nice to actually use it.

Cheers,

Stew

[Procopius]

Thanks for the linky, Stew! I tried again, and while not perfect, I think I'm making some progress with the Misterkit silver.

[Procopius]

Hullo all! Sorry for the radio silence for the last few days, but I caught a cold from my wife/wife's students/old men on the train who will not cover their mouths when they cough even though it's gross as heck and, delicately-ordered shoddy modelbuilding (shodelbuilding? yes!) machine that I am, my tolerances were kicked totally out of whack. I only managed to do one thing in the past three days, one thing, and that wrong.

Note carefully the position of the blue-white-red in the drawing. Now look at the rudder. Now back to the drawing. Now to me, slowly knitting a noose for myself out of rigging thread. As you can tell, I normally model WWII or later subjects, and so I put the red at the front, as the RAF did after coughmumble. Yes. Anyway.

I painted the plane with Misterkit French Silver Dope, which is far, far and away the most finicky acrylic I've ever used, even worse than the rather loathsome Xtracrylics, which thus relegates it to the category of paints essential only because nobody else makes those colours in Acrylic and thus they have you by the short and curlies and can get away with anything, quality wise. I will say, however, than none of the Misterkits I used on the SE5a were this temperamental, so I can only assume this is a property of their metallics. Or something. The cowl is painted with alclad, because I've read that some Nieuports left it in bare metal, but it's hard to tell in person or in the photo.

[Ettore]

Very nice considered the scale !

Ettore

[dazdot]

For a poor paint you've managed well. Nice finish that