Nieuport 17 ProfiPack by Eduard

1/48 scale
Kit No. 8033
Cost: $19.00
Decals: 5 versions, two for French ace Charles Nungesser, one for American ace Raoul Lufbery
Comments: Highly detailed front-line fighter; includes photo-etch

History

The Nieuport 17 C1 appeared at the front in early May 1916. The design followed the previous successful versions of fighting “sesquiplanes” Nieuport 11 C1 and Nieuport 16 C1. Nieuport 17’s were armed with an unsynchronized Lewis gun on the top wing, or a synchronized Vickers machine gun mounted on the fuselage and firing through the propeller, or both. Besides the French Air Force, these light and nimble fighters also served in the British Royal Flying Corps, the Belgian, Russian and Italian Air Forces, and also with the fledgling American Air Corps. Nieuport 17’s were license built in Russia and Italy by Duks and Nieuport-Macchi, respectively. The type continued to operate in several countries for many years after the Great War.

Specifications

Wingspan: 8.16 meters
Length: 5.8 meters
Height: 2.4 meters
Maximum Speed: 165-170 km/hour
Powerplant: 110hp LeRhone 9J
Weight (empty): 375 kg
Weight (maximum take-off): 560 kg

The Kit

Eduard’s Nieuport 17 Profipack is molded in beige plastic and consists of 50 injected molded parts and a small fret for photo-etch components for the engine, machine guns, pilot’s seat and other cockpit controls. The kit features machine gun configurations that are specific to individual versions of the Nieuport, as represented by the decals. There is also a simple, easy to follow diagram for the relatively small amount of wire rigging required.  Eduard’s Profipack kits feature photo-etch frets and in this case, clear film for the windshield. Here, PE parts for the pilot’s seat, machine gun, engine and windshield are visible.

Markings

The decals appear to be of very high quality and come in five versions:

1) Aircraft No. 1490: Light green and olive drab camouflage pattern, bearing a white skull and crossbones, coffin and candles inside a black heart on the fuselage; from Escadrille N. 65, flown by Lt. Charles Nungesser (45 victories) during July 1916

2) Aircraft No. 1895: Overall aluminum paint scheme, bearing a white skull and crossbones, coffin and candle inside a black heart on the fuselage; from Escadrille N. 65, Charles Nungesser’s most popular and famous Nieuport17, Fall and Winter 1916

3) Aircraft No. 1844: Overall aluminum paint scheme, bearing a profile of an American Indian Chief with a feather head-dress; from Escadrille 124, flown by American Adjutant Gervais Raoul Lufbery (18 victories), Autumn 1916

4) Aircraft No. 2614: Overall aluminum paint scheme, with symmetrical red and green on the outboard sections of the underside of the wings representing the Italian tri-color, bearing a black stallion rearing up on its hind legs on the fuselage; from 70 Squadriglia of the Italian Air Force, personal aircraft of Capitano Francesco Baracca (34 victories), Spring 1917

5) Aircraft No. 2232: Overall aluminum paint scheme, bearing a helmeted head of a medieval warrior on the fuselage; commander’s aircraft of the 2nd Fighting Wing of the Russian Air Force, Captain Jevgraf Nikolayevich Krutyenyi, May-June 1917.

Conclusion

This is a remarkably detailed kit of an effective French fighter of the Great War respected by its German and Austro-Hungarian opponents.