My Gran used to warn me "There are seldom many bargains in life - you always get what you pay for...". With that in mind, you can't expect the earth from a 1/32 scale kit selling for less than £8! Nevertheless, Academy's Nieuport 17 makes a nice simple no-risk introduction to largescale WW1 aircraft modelling.

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Thanks!

Thanks Rowan.

You are probably right about those decals. But, as you said, it looks like a great stringbag starter.

I do remember this kit from hobbycraft first came out in the early 90's . The molds haven't changed since then . It has been reissued many times over . I can't remember if there is any other manufacture who produces this aircraft in 32 scale . A little surprised that Roden has not come out with one yet ! However , you are right on with it being a great kit for some one who is just starting WW1 subjects , very easy to build . Parts do have good detail , just the cockpit lacks which is good for the detailers . So everyone wins with this kit . Thanks for the review on this kit Rowan , well done .

If memory serves, doesn't the exhaust channel have to be added to this one as well?

Hi Matt

Yes, I think it does and I noted its absence in the review text. I should probably add a mention in the "Cons" too. Cheers.

All the best

Rowan

Yep, no exhaust channel as you noted.

I built it before I knew what an exhaust channel is.

I bought my Hobbycraft version a number of years ago, with the Billy Bishop decals.

The colour scheme is attractive - I even added a blue 'spinner' which Bishop had for a while. But I think it looks kind of dorky, so I didn't glue it in place. BTW - the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa has a replica Nieuport 17 painted in Bishop's colurs, with the original spinner and windscreen nearby in a dispaly case. Not far away is the fuselage of William Barker's Sopwith Snipe - a little worse for wear though.

There are a few details missing, such as you have noted, and the lack of the prominent seam on the engine cowling. Evenso the model looks pretty good, even up close.

I think there some aftermarket 1/32 scale Russian decals for the kit, and Tom's Modelworks sells brass detail sets - so lots of opporunity to add on to the basic kit.

Maybe Specal Hobby will make a kit of the 17 to accompany their Nieuport 11. Here's hoping.

Cheers, Happy biplane modeling

Greetings all;

Korean companies Academy and Hobbycraft kits are the same mold. Whatever you do don't follow the box art to set the landing gear.

Don't forget to to copper coat your fuel tank. Also the raised lacing and the fatness of the tires is a detraction. Master Casters has announced a replacement for the cowling and wheels.

Hobbycraft released at least 2 other kits of the Nieuport 17, with different markings. The first kit was for a Nieu. 17in the markings of G. Guynemer which included a "cone de penetration"

The second release was for the same aircraft with the markings of B. Bishop. No "cone de penetration" was included with this kit, as Bishop's aircraft did not have one.

There are problems in the forward fuselage resulting in an over size cowling. But cutting the exhaust channel may fix some of this. The width problem at the cowl is just a case of too much plastic. When you get it, take the fuselage halves and the cowl ring off the sprues, and clean them up. Then either tape, or hold the fuselage together and put the cowl ring up to it. It's too wide. Just sand the forward surfaces of the feuselage (keep checking) until it matches the cowl ring. Nothing major, just a few swipes should do it. I took 15 minutes. Nothing insurmountable. But the MG (s) plural, should probably be replaced with some 'Tom's Modelworks' PE stuff. The interiors are deffinately candidates for "Tom's", as they give you all the stuff that's missing.



List of aftermarket sets.

http://www.amug.org/~copperst

http://www.tomsmodelworks.com/

Greeting Sir, Concerning Bishop & the cone'. I am sure you know the cone de' penetration was strictly a Nieuport installed item and not a spinner. The "cone" was mounted to a fixed extention insterted in the propeller hub / spindle. It was stationary and did not spin or turn. So while it is possible that the British Sargent did give him a spinner from a captured German machine and attached it to the prop, it would not be considered a cone.