Nieuport 28 by GrandpaPhil - Roden - 1/32 - PLASTIC

[GrandpaPhil]

I am building the Nieuport 28 flown by then Lieutenant and later Captain Eddie Rickenbacker in 1918.

 

 

The kit looks to be quite excellent with all appropriate markings:

 

 

 

I haven’t built a Roden kit before, but they look good and I’ve heard good things about them.

 

[GrandpaPhil]

Lots of subassemblies getting ready for final cleanup and prep work prior to initial priming and base coating.

I only build in plastic every once in a while, so I’m having to recall some skills.

 

I will now vouch for Roden’s quality.

There is very little flash and the molding is nearly perfect.

 

Everything has been going together pretty much perfectly.

 

I will warn inexperienced builders that there are no alignment pins on the fuselage halves.

 

I have never built a WWI plane in plastic before.

 

The rest of them were balsa for me.

Edited Wednesday at 11:51 PM by GrandpaPhil

[davec]

Thanks for the thoughts about Roden.  Not sure my pile of wingnuts kits will ever be finished, but if I ever work through them, I will try one.  My dad's stash had a lot of Roden models, but keeping the wingnuts ones alone gave me as many WW1 planes as I will have time to build. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.  Looks like your model is coming along great!!

[GrandpaPhil]

From what I have seen and heard, the Wingnut Wings kits are the best WWI plastic kits ever made.

 

The plastic and the style of construction of this kit reminds me a lot of the wargaming miniatures that I have built.

Edited Thursday at 10:23 AM by GrandpaPhil

[Dave_E]

I’m watching. 🍿🥤👍

[Wawona59]

I built the 1/48 Roden N28 in 2018 as part of a WW1 centennial display at the Seattle Museum of Flight.  One feature of the Roden kit that I found interesting that I really liked was that the cockpit is built outside of the fuselage and then carefully slid in place through the front before the engine and cowling are installed.  The N28 is one of my favorite WW1 aircraft due to its sleek lines and that it was the first fighter employed by the American Expeditionary Force.  I think you will enjoy this build.

 

[davec]

Quote

From what I have seen and heard, the Wingnut Wings kits are the best WWI plastic kits ever made.

Other than a single 1/48 Eduard kit I haven't built anything WW1 other than WNW, so I can't really comment on "best."  I will say they are amazing in terms of their research, detail, and engineering.  They were a little bit on the expensive side, but they occupy me for 3-4 months each, so worth the cost.  Copper State Models has gotten a great reputation as an alternate with the same quality.  I have one of their Nieuport's on the shelf and am looking forward to finding out how good they are.

[GrandpaPhil]

 

20 hours ago, Wawona59 said:

I built the 1/48 Roden N28 in 2018 as part of a WW1 centennial display at the Seattle Museum of Flight.

This one is going to a friend of mine’s office and in one of their display cabinets.

 

We’re planning on putting a 54mm figure of Eddie Rickenbacker standing next to the plane, all mounted on a wood base with model railroad grass to simulate a grass field.

 

All subassemblies are made now and awaiting priming and painting.

 

I test fitted everything a little bit ago.

 

Everything fit perfectly.

 

The next step will priming everything black and then painting the interior stuff.

 

I only have the paints for my anchors for the Esther at the moment, but that will cover most of the model except for the camouflaged exterior.

 

I need to get into my stash of eyebolts for the rigging and install them before final assembly.

 

 

Edited Saturday at 12:04 AM by GrandpaPhil

[Wawona59]

Nice work so far!  I'll be following along and hope to see more of your work on this project.  I have a Nieuport28 in my stash.  It's the 1:16 Model Airways kit.  I'll get to it someday after I get my current projects finished and delivered to the recipients.

 

 

[GrandpaPhil]

Thank you all very much!

 

The model is primed black:

And a faux-metallic engine and engine bay, with a dashboard that won’t be visible, lol.

It looks a lot better in person.

[king derelict]

Very nice. Such a lot of really great detail in that kit. I’m going to have to try another Roden kit.

alan

[GrandpaPhil]

Thank you very much!

 

I have the model initial assembled and know how I want to do the diorama:

The initial base coating for the underside of the model is done:

I wanted to put Eddie Rickenbacker in scale standing next to his aircraft, but that figure sold before I got a chance to but it.

 

The remaining ones are rather expensive and also in an unsatisfactory pose.

 

So, I’m just going to make my own!

 

Eddie Rickenbacker stood 6’ 2” tall, which makes for a 2 5/16” figure in 1/32 scale.

 

I like this picture so it is the one that I will use:

I have a posable artist’s marionette which I will use to design the carving.

The pose still needs some work and adjustment, but that will get done once I finish the plane.

 

I have never carved a full human figure before, but I have never let that stop me before.

 

One thing I learned here is that you don’t know what your full capabilities are until you push your limits.

 

I have carved/made 3 figureheads, to include the HMS Victory, and 2 sets of stern carvings before.

 

I carved the carvings for the Revenge and I made a set of stern carvings for the Winchelsea while on a business trip one time (which are unfortunately not in a usable scale).

 

All came out reasonably well, so…we’ll make some wood shavings when the time comes, and see what happens.

 

 

[GrandpaPhil]

The initial base coating is done:

It had a 5-color camouflage scheme which I duplicated to the best of my abilities.

 

I don’t have an airbrush, so everything was freehand brush painted.

 

I will finish touch ups and minor details, and paint the engine cowling, the struts, part of the propeller, and the vertical stabilizer, white the next time I work on the model.

 

Then it’ll be time to add some eyebolts and decals, attach the upper wing and on to rigging!

 

Then it’ll be carving time!

Edited 2 hours ago by GrandpaPhil