Nieuport 17 Early and Late Differences?

[Gutzer]

What are the differences between the Nieuport 17 early and late versions?  Is it mainly the cowls?  Still waiting on my Windsock Nieuport 17 book...

Peter

[macsporran]

Main differences in the CSM kits are the upper wing centre sections - open structure visible through cellon covering in the early machines. Lots of variation in gun mountings too though.
Sandy

[Gutzer]

Thanks Sandy.  By coincidence I just received the Windsock Datafile Nieuport Fighters by JM Bruce this afternoon, so some reading tonight!

Peter

[Big Sky Modeler]

I haven't looked into this yet so I might be off, but there might be a difference in the ammunition feed.  I know early ammunition belts were fabric and wound on a drum.  The belt fed up to the gun and the empty belt then fed down to another drum.  I believe early Nieuports had this, and I have seen pictures of early Spad VIIs with this arrangement.  Later the disintegrating links for ammunition belts were used so the drums went away and were replace with boxes.

[WD]

There is also a difference in the wings, more specifically what I call the "riblets", those little demi-ribs in between the wing ribs. Depending upon serial #, some Nieuports had them, others didn't.

WD

[RAGIII]

There is also a difference in the wings, more specifically what I call the "riblets", those little demi-ribs in between the wing ribs. Depending upon serial #, some Nieuports had them, others didn't.

WD

Yep, there are No riblets on the CSM "Early" version Nieuport 17. It also has a variety of side panels and Machine gun mounting options.
RAGIII