¹⁄48

A load of Tripe

history

This 1/48 scale model represents the experimental triplane built by Nieuport in 1916 using the fuselage from a Nieuport 17. At least 3 were built, the original French one was painted in the typical Nieuport four color camouflage as used on the Nie 16 and early Nie 17. It was armed with a synchronized Lewis gun. Two later ones were built and supplied to the British, both finished in aluminum. They were armed with a synchronized Vickers gun.

the model

The model was built using a resin conversion set made from SPIN Model. The fuselage was from the Eduard Nieuport 17 kit. The interior had many modified and scratchbuilt parts and wire for all reinforcement and control wires. The engine was a resin copy of the 110hp LeRhone that came in the DML Fokker Dr.1 kit. The wings and tailplane were airbrushed as well as the fuselage in the four color camouflage, using a light gray green, dark green, chestnut brown and red brown over light blue lower surfaces. Then all wing and tailplane outlines were masked and the outer edges were painted in intermediate blue to represent the edge paint used on the camouflaged Nieuports. This same color was used for metal parts like landing gear and cabine struts, and the reinforcement tapes on the wooden interplane struts. The center wings were attached with brass pins to holes drilled in the correct position. To finish things off I rigged the aircraft with EZ line and turnbuckles made by Bob’s Buckles.