Eduard 1/72 Nieuport 17 - sometimes they make me wonder....

[RC Boater Bill]

.. about the instructions for painting!

 

Kit 7404, the currently available 1/72 N.17 Weekend Edition.   I would like to do Matton’s plane, a camouflaged plane from Squadron N.48.  Eduard describes the plane as 

“Nieuport flown by Matton during the summer of 1916 was in green and brown camouflage, with the undersides probably in light blue colour (another option is factory silver coat).”

The illustrations/painting guide show the plane with silver undersides, calling out the appropriate hobby paint codes.   (If the plane’s undersides were  “probably in light blue”, why do they show silver?? )  It leaves me with two questions:

 

1. What light blue is appropriate? 

2. If  light blue was “probably” the right color for the undersides, were the topsides still outlined, and if so,  in light blue or silver??

 

Here’s an excerpt from Eduard’s online version of the kit instructions:

 

 

[Old Man]

I am under the impression the edging was an applique tape, not something painted, like the English PC10 'wrap-around' to the lower surfaces.

 

If the under-surface is not silver (aluminum dope), I would think a sort of buff yellow (clear-doped linen with a linseed varnish, which had some resistance to the hot oil spun off from rotary motors) would be more likely than any sky blue. This finish was factory applied to 'Bebe' Nieuports, the predecessor of the N.17.

 

A memoir from the Lafayette Escadrille recounts that some pilots had the undersurfaces if their machine painted sky blue at the aerodrome. Others scoffed at the idea. It may be there is evidence Matton had this done to his machine in the field.

 

 

(on edit)

 

It's a great little kit. If you haven't built one yet you're in for a treat.

 

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Old Man