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Nieuport 28 - Lt. Quentin Roosevelt


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This is Roden's 1/32 Nieuport 28 chasseur, in the markings of Lt. Quentin Roosevelt of the US 95th Aero Squadron, courtesy of Super-Scale decals.

 

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Ex-President Theodore Roosevelt's youngest son Quentin dropped out of Harvard to join the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps in May 1917, training with the newly-formed 1st Reserve Aero Squadron on Long Island. Joining the AEF in Europe, he helped establish the major USAAS training base at Issoudun, served as both a supply and training officer, before being posted to the 95th Aero Squadron 'Kicking Mules' as a replacement pilot in mid-June 1918.

 

Popular with his squadron-mates and regarded as a daring (and even reckless) pilot by his commanders, he claimed his first aerial victory on July 10th of that year. Only four days later--on Bastille Day--he was part of a massive aerial engagement at the commencement of the Second Battle of the Marne. After being reported missing, it was later learned that he had been shot down and killed behind enemy lines, and buried with full military honors by the Germans.

 

I'm a big fan of Roden's 1/32 WW1 kits, as they generally have a nice level of detail without being overly 'fussy.' The Nieuport 28 met with great acclaim when it was released...but I hardly ever seem to see one built.

 

This kit is also nicely detailed, though I supplemented the cockpit with the Part/Poland etch set. The kit has one nasty trick up its sleeve--a lower-wing fit issue--but I was able to work around it to my satisfaction (and relief) and the rest of the build was pretty straightforward.

 

Colors were mixed from Tamiya acrylics. The Super-Scale decals were complete, including the unusual squadron cowling stripes, construction stencils for wings and struts, and manufacturer's emblems for the prop; I hand -painted a bit of additional detail to the monotone mule outlines on the squadron insignia, but otherwise used everything as on the sheet, and they went down (as usual) with no difficulties. Rigging was done with EZ-Line and Radu Brinzan's nice etched turnbuckles, which I used here for the first time.

 

Enjoy

 

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1 hour ago, thorfinn said:

After being reported missing, it was later learned that he had been shot down and killed behind enemy lines, and buried with full military honors by the Germans.

First they took a propaganda photo of his broken body lying next to his crashed aircraft and made a propaganda postcard of it, though.

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4 minutes ago, Procopius said:

First they took a propaganda photo of his broken body lying next to his crashed aircraft and made a propaganda postcard of it, though. 

True. And as was so often the case in such efforts, the German authorities in question badly miscalculated its effect both abroad and at home. The former president was still popular and held in great regard by the German populace. There was considerable backlash from all quarters.

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Best Nieuport 28 build  I have seen in any scale, and in my very favorite scheme and markings, too! Thanks for sharing the story behind the airplane- I was unaware Quentin was a pilot in WW1 and met an untimely end. I keep hoping someday we will get a state of the art 28C-1 in 1/72 scale someday. IIRC, isn't the Air Force Museum's Nieuport 28 is in the same marking? Very, very nice model, and the weathering and stains are very realistic.

Mike

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Thanks Mike and Dennis!

8 hours ago, 72modeler said:

I keep hoping someday we will get a state of the art 28C-1 in 1/72 scale someday. IIRC, isn't the Air Force Museum's Nieuport 28 is in the same marking? Very, very nice model, and the weathering and stains are very realistic.

The AFM's bird is indeed in this scheme; I consulted the many photos available of it online regularly, for both structural and artistic details (and inspiration).

 

I had forgotten that Roden never released the N.28 in 1/72 scale; I guess I just sort of assumed one was out there. I remember building the old Revell 1/72 version back in the late '70s, when it was released as part of their '3-in-1' series, with markings for 3 different a/c on each kit sheet. (Probably the very first time I started accumulating 'spare' decal sets!) IIRC, the Revell kit was fairly petite and cleanly-molded...can't remember mold-release pits, since I largely just ignored them at that point...but I can't imagine it had much interior detail beyond perhaps a seat and a stick..or perhaps just one of their 'patented' lumpy pilots, frenziedly clutching at his family jewels in either sheer terror or the styrene equivalent of abject humiliation.... :D

 

Thanks again for taking time to comment.

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2 hours ago, thorfinn said:

Thanks Mike and Dennis!

The AFM's bird is indeed in this scheme; I consulted the many photos available of it online regularly, for both structural and artistic details (and inspiration).

 

I had forgotten that Roden never released the N.28 in 1/72 scale; I guess I just sort of assumed one was out there. I remember building the old Revell 1/72 version back in the late '70s, when it was released as part of their '3-in-1' series, with markings for 3 different a/c on each kit sheet. (Probably the very first time I started accumulating 'spare' decal sets!) IIRC, the Revell kit was fairly petite and cleanly-molded...can't remember mold-release pits, since I largely just ignored them at that point...but I can't imagine it had much interior detail beyond perhaps a seat and a stick..or perhaps just one of their 'patented' lumpy pilots, frenziedly clutching at his family jewels in either sheer terror or the styrene equivalent of abject humiliation.... :D

 

Thanks again for taking time to comment.

I think it's still the only injected 1/72 kit of the 28C-1. Seems to be dimensionally and shapewise pretty accurate, but as you probably remember the detail parts are pretty soft and chunky, but all can be replaced with resin or bits from other WW1 kits. Roseparts did a correct resin cowing, long ago OOP, which I have, and somebody has announced a new fuselage and cowling as a future release, but I don't recall the maker. I think it's the most beautiful of the Nieuports and one of the most attractive WW1 fighters. Puzzling as to why there hasn't been a better kit released, (should have ben a CMR release!) but WW1 kits seem to have been neglected, historically...Roden is to be congratulated for all the kits they produced, in my opinion...now, what I'd really like to see in 1/72 is a Bristol M1C! I have saved your build for future reference- it is sooo pretty!

Mike

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Roosevelt Field on Long Island was named for him, one of America's greatest airports of the 'Golden Age', from where Lindbergh and many others took off on their adventures. Now sadly a shopping mall/retail park.

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Wonderful job on this plane and a great finish.  How you got the cowl with the blue lines to come out as perfectly as you did is amazing.  I have one coming in the mail in 1/48 scale and I hope this is one of the choices for markings.

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2 hours ago, Harold55 said:

Wonderful job on this plane and a great finish.  How you got the cowl with the blue lines to come out as perfectly as you did is amazing.  I have one coming in the mail in 1/48 scale and I hope this is one of the choices for markings.

Thanks for your kind words, but...

...they're actually slightly askew. (Note no cowling shots from head-on.) l got the side 'blips' a little too low, which threw off the spacing just a bit.

However, I fancied that squadron painters were probably not graphic artists (or mathematicians), so even the 'real thing' might have wandered, just a bit. C'est la guerre.:D

 

Good luck with your project...and I hope you get the markings you want.

Cheers

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Great job on your N.28, Thorfinn.  I also agree that Roden ww1 aircraft kits still have a lot going for them.  I've also built this one in the past and think it one of the more straightforward 32nd Roden kits to build.

 

Regards

 

Dave

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  • 2 months later...

While I am impressed with the overall presentation of this kit, it is the curved blue stripes on the white cowling which absolutely stunned me.  We all know it is not or ever “easy” to achieve such perfect results but you have with this beauty.

 

Outstanding!!!!!! :worthy:

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