Author Topic: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV  (Read 1116 times)

Offline lone modeller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5300
The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« on: May 12, 2023, 05:58:45 AM »
Evening All,

The Gordon Bennett Air Trophy was started in 1909 and was an international racing competition for land planes. The first country to win the race in three successive years would be the outright winner and keep the trophy. It had similar rules to the Schneider Trophy for float planes: the competition was to be held annually in the country of the previous winner. The country which won the competition for three successive years would become the outright winner and keep the trophy. The race consisted of competitors flying over a set distance and the times measured and compared to find the winner.

The 1910 competition was won by C. Graham-White so the 1911 competition was held in Britain. The site chosen was Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent as this was the home of the Royal Aero Club and the site of the Short Brothers aircraft factory. A light railway ran nearby so aircraft could be transported by rail and if necessary serviced and repaired easily on site. There were 6 entrants to the 1911 race from France, Britain and the USA.The US competitor and winner was C. Weyman who flew a Nieuport IV with a 100 hp Gnome Omega Omega two row rotary engine, with a speed of 78.1 mph (125.69 kph).





The Nieuport IV was designed as an air racer but was bought for military use by several countries before the outbreak of WW1 and was used by France and Russia in the early months of that conflict.





There is a kit of the Nieuport IV by Amodel but I chose to scratch build mine using plastic sheet, rod and strip with wood for the propellor. The tail number was drawn and printed by me and is based on a photograph taken at Eastchurch during the competition.







Thanks for looking.

Stephen.

Offline KiwiZac

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2589
    • My Linktree
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2023, 06:26:05 AM »
Once again you present a lovely model of a type I'd never heard of. Excellent work Stephen!

Offline RichieW

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1966
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2023, 08:34:34 AM »
One down, five to go. That's a lovely little racer Stephen, I'd never heard of the type or even the Gordon Bennett Air Race. I have learned a lot about aviation history as well as modelling from this thread already.

Richie

Offline Tim Mixon

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 819
  • Main focus is 1/72 WWI
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2023, 09:09:38 AM »
Very inspiring Stephen. To think you scratch built the whole thing is amazing.  Nice history lesson as well. 

Offline kensar

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2503
  • Reshaping the world - one piece at a time.
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2023, 09:22:53 PM »
A very nice result, Stephen.  This one was controlled by wing warping?
I wonder why monoplanes weren't developed to a greater extent than they were by the British and French during the war.  There are several pre-war monoplane examples known (I'm thinking mostly French - Bleriot and this Nieuport).

Looking forward to the next racer.

Offline DaveB

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 988
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2023, 09:24:12 PM »
Impressive scratch building work as ever, Steve -

Incredible where you find the obscure types as well ......

Regards

Dave
As we say in fencing, what's the point!

Online macsporran

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1657
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2023, 10:04:00 PM »
"Gordon Bennett!" (to quote Del Boy!) that's a machine I never thought I'd see modelled!
Lovely scratch build, Congratulations.
Amazingly clean design for its time.
Sandy

Offline RAGIII

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18793
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2023, 01:08:58 AM »
Another amazing build Stephen. I always enjoy watching your builds come together! Although the Nieuport IV is obscure didn't the Italians use one prior to WW1 for the first bombing mission ever? I can't recall the specifics so I could be wrong. Beautiful results on your racer and I look forward to the rest!
RAGIII
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler

Offline lone modeller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5300
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2023, 05:25:00 AM »
Thanks everyone for the very kind comments - they are much appreciated.

Ken: the machine was controlled by wing warping. The reason why monoplanes were not more widely adopted in WW1 is usually attributed to the high landing speed of monoplanes and the resultant high accident rates among pilots who had had little experience flying. Certainly the RFC/RAF banned monoplanes during the 1920's and early 1930's, very largely for that reason. There were many pre-war monoplane designs, including examples from Short Brothers, Bristol and other British companies in addition to the French, but they did not become popular I suspect for the reason given above.

Rick: the first aerial bomb to be dropped in anger occurred on 1 November when Guilo Gavotti dropped bombs from his Etrich Taube. Several countries including Britain had a few examples of the Nieuport IV but the Russians seem to have made the most use of them: they manufactured approximately 300.

Stephen.

Offline RAGIII

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18793
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2023, 03:50:49 AM »
Thanks everyone for the very kind comments - they are much appreciated.

Rick: the first aerial bomb to be dropped in anger occurred on 1 November when Guilo Gavotti dropped bombs from his Etrich Taube. Several countries including Britain had a few examples of the Nieuport IV but the Russians seem to have made the most use of them: they manufactured approximately 300.

Stephen.

Just found this, apparently My 70 year Old Memory isn't totally Terrible  ::)

From Wiki:

Italy's 1st Flottiglia Aeroplani of Tripoli operated several Nieuport IV.Gs during the Italo-Turkish War, one of which became the first aeroplane to be used in combat when it flew a reconnaissance mission against Turkish forces on 23 October 1911.[14] It narrowly missed out to a Bleriot XI with the same unit for the honor of being the first aircraft to drop a bomb on enemy forces. The pilot who carried out this mission, Capt. Maizo, also became one of the first victims of anti-aircraft fire when he was shot down by an Austrian cannon weeks before the war ended in 1912.[14]

RAGIII
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler

Offline lone modeller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5300
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #10 on: May 29, 2023, 07:57:15 AM »
Thank you Rick for the information about the first bombs to be dropped from an aeroplane. It would seem that there is some disagreement about that important event - I used Wiki too....whhich just goes to show that the published sources which are quoted there clearly do not agree!

Stephen.

Offline RAGIII

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18793
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2023, 12:35:35 AM »
Thank you Rick for the information about the first bombs to be dropped from an aeroplane. It would seem that there is some disagreement about that important event - I used Wiki too....whhich just goes to show that the published sources which are quoted there clearly do not agree!

Stephen.

Yep, The info published is done so by individuals like You and Me  ::) I originally read about the Italian Nieuport IV in the instructions of a 1/48th resin kit. I don't recall the Maker  8) Looking forward to the next two  ;D
RAGIII
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler

Offline Davos522

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 745
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2023, 10:47:01 PM »
Exquisite. I'm absolutely loving this series of models, I'm nearly as big a fan of pre-War aeroplanes as I am of the Great War... especially the early racers. Are you familiar with the late Tom Foxworth's labor of love The Speed Seekers? It's a goldmine of ideas for models, my copy is dog-eared and festooned with tape-flags marking potential projects (most of which I'll never get around to).

Dave V.

Offline lone modeller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5300
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2023, 07:32:39 AM »
Thank you Dave for your reply and generous comment. I was not aware of the book that you mention, but I will look it up and see if I can find a copy as I too am very interested in the pre-war types. In fact I have a couple more on my list when I finish this series of Gordon Bennett racers.

Stephen.

Offline Davos522

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 745
Re: The Gordon Bennett Air Race 1911: Part 1 Nieuport IV
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2023, 09:46:25 AM »
The Speed Seekers covers the whole gamut of early air racing, from the Gordon Bennett days up until the awesome supercharged V24 Macchi M.C.72 in 1934, but most of the emphasis is on the Interwar period. Lots of general arrngement drawings and a few color profiles on the end papers, the ISBN number is 0385060505 if you want to do a search for it. If you can't find it send me a PM, I'd be happy to look and see if it has anything you might be particularly interested in for future projects.

Dave V.