Nieuport 17 | Escadrille N. 62, N. 1662 | Chipilly, November 1916

This Nieuport 17 was piloted by a man who i would call a hero. Paul Albert Pierre Tarascon, despite losing his right foot in an aerial accident during his training, would go on to score twelve aerial victories during the Great War, with ten more likely. During WWII, he would also participate in the French resistance against Nazi occupation. After fighting and surviving two world wars, he would go on to live a long life, dying at the age of 94, June 11, 1977. This parrticular Nieuport, "Zigomar 4", was the one he flew during the summer of 1916. 

The eduard kit is by far the best option for this little aircraft at 1/72. The toolings are rather old, but it still has a good level of detail, and more importantly very good fit. 

The cockpit is rather simple ,and i chose to make no improvements to kit. I painted a rough wooden texture with a dark yellow base and brown oil paint. 

Exhaust pipes drilled through. 

Le Rhône 9J engine painted and weathered up. Valve rods have been added with stretched sprue. 

 

Fuselage painted with Tamiya LP11 Silver. The real aircraft was fabric painted silver, so a natural metal finish would be unrealistic. 

Fuselage components painted and decals applied! 

Complete! 

A lovely little kit from Eduard once again! 

I really like the chipping on the engine cowling, achieved with heavy chipping varnish from Ammo and Tamiya flat red. 

Bracing wires are madfe with Rigging ultra fine from Ammo. 

 

This might be a somewhat unpopular opinion, but i absolutely love the new Eduard decals: they are very thin but also durable, work very well with Tamiya mark setters, and under a clear coat they disapper as if they were painted on. 

I hope you like the result as much as i do!