Nieuport 16c Albert Ball Amodel 1/32 kit

[Monty]

Well, I posted this in the new acquisitions thread about a week ago, but this model has worked it's way onto my bench and demanded attention... there is progress so I'll have to post something! No guarantees this will get finished though.. The kit is very much "Limited run" but has good detail in places... also the overall look is good, the decals look OK and the subject is interesting.. There is a lovely photograph in Nieuport Fighters Vol 1 by JM Bruce (A Windsock Datafile Special) of this aircraft.. Albert Ball did succeed in shooting down two aircraft with this Nieuport, but his attack on a balloon with the pyrotechnics didn't work out... Am I going to add the rockets? You bet! The kit suggested colour scheme sort of matches my impression of this machine.. I am a two-colour camo man, green and red-brown and I'm not sorry! The kit is a typical limited run affair with some flash (not too bad), surface detail is a bit soft in places, but most of the important bits are provided... except for the tubes for the rockets! I will have to make a plan...



So that flaming balloon is wishful thinking...

Amodel will have you fold the seat back in a graceful curve and glue it to the seat pan... well, lots of heat, lots of careful bending, and it's still a bit of a mess... Also folding up the fuel tank from the piece of thick plastic was a fair disaster, this won't show and will be scrapped....



And then a few bits and pieces come together, the two part cowling looks OK once assembled, the engine is started and the basics are there... There is lots of trimming needed to get that lower fuselage piece to mate with the fuselage sides and the upper wing looks just fine - an aileron is already attached!



I added a piece of stretched sprue around the back of the seat, this hides a lot of my inept bending-of-plastic and the engine bits seem to come together OK - just remove the square bits behind the cylinder heads and sand carefully to get a good fit... quite chuffed I never broke a pushrod or induction pipe so far... (Famous last words...)

Well, that's it for now... I see this is kit No: 3201, a first effort so definitely less refinement, I think...

Regards,
Marc

[RAGIII]

Well Marc, you are in Danger of becoming a Multi build Man Like Me  Great start and should be fun. I am looking forward to your progress!
RAGIII

[Monty]

Yup, Rick! Multi-builds are where I'm going... but so much fun and a golden opportunity to let things dry or settle while you attack something else! It does help my motivation too...

ATB,

Marc

[Alexis]

Really don't see many of this being build so this is a treat . Don't think I have ever had to fold a plastic part together , that is different . Following along on this one 


Terri

[mgunns]

I built the Alvero Leonardi version and it took some time.  I did it over a period of a year on and off and it turned out pretty decent.  Take your time, analyze the issues, (Lower wing fitment to fuselage, upper wing to struts) and it will turn out fine.
I don't want to steal your thread, just show it can be done with satisfactory results.

[Monty]

Thanks for checking in Terri, your support is always welcome! Mark, I am so pleased you posted your lovely 16 - it certainly proves this kit can turn out wonderfully! I do feel blogs should include lots of useful information and inspiration - otherwise they are pretty pointless! Love your colours and doped fabric, Mark, and I'm glad your decals turned out so well, I was wondering about that! On my perusal of Facebook I found this photo, and I copy it here for research purposes only...



To me, this lovely picture is important as it shows the inside of the struts that hold the rocket tubes... and you can quite clearly see the sheathing around the inside of the struts too, not represented in the kit... Probably thin sheet aluminium or steel around the strut, held with strapping of possibly metal strips... open at the rear of the struts... so I'm thinking about how to represent this, I think paper may be the best medium... Your opinions on this are welcome!

Regards,

Marc

[RAGIII]

Nice photo. I would think that paper will work fine. I have used pieces from instruction sheets soaked in liquid styrene cement for a little rigidity, and it works well! 
( thin superglue would also work I imagine).

RAGIII

[kensar]

Assuming they're metal, you may consider Bare Metal Foil or household aluminum foil glued on the strut.  Won't have to paint it then.

[Alexis]

It's aabestos cloth rolled up and strap to the struts as a form of fire proofing the struts when the rockets are launched .
Ricks method sounds most excellent but I also like Kens idea on the alum foil , but painted an off white .


Terri

[Fvdm]

If you want to make some asbestos cloth you may consider the use of some bandage.



It isn't to thick and it has a nice patern. Ricks method sounds great to.

[Monty]

Thank you Alexis, Ferry Ken and Rick for the advice. I had no idea it was asbestos.. but seems quite logical. I'm sure it shortened the life of a few mechanics! But it certainly looks like that on reviewing the photographs. I'm making slow progress on this one, it's not easy. (At least to me.) The fuselage halves are a bear to mate up at all, and that undertray up front causes great problems and needs extensive trimming to fit at all... A lot of work and fiddling went into this, and I'm not sure it's going to mate up with the firewall at all. Note the plasticard strips to help with the aligning of the fuselage halves.... The engine was a question of; Well, how does this go together at all? But I got something reasonable and then it didn't fit in the cowling.. at all. So filed, scraped and whacked off the detail on the cylinder heads in frustration... too bad... Then the cowling needed three sessions of undercoat, sand down and redo.. Lots of fun. Still needs some more, as you can see. Well, I have seen some neat builds of this kit, but mine, well, it will be what it will be...



Hope your projects are going better than this!
Regards,
Marc

[Radarman]

Marc,
As I always like to say, we can't get enough Nieuports. I look forward to your progress reports.

                                                                                                               Kevin

[Alexis]

I'm guessing you wished you had a pair a giant green hands to smash this into submission ...well you can't have mein !

More then sure that you will be able to apply your magic and wipe out an awesome build , shame about the engine detail having to be removed , how thick is the cowl ?


Alexis

[RAGIII]

The amount of work this one is taking will make it feel better when you get it completed! Keep up the good fight!
RAGIII

[gbrivio]

This looks a demanding kit, but will most probably give a great model. Looking forward to your progress on a lovely Nieuport 16.
Ciao
Giuseppe