Norman Veber's Nieuport Ni-17
(click the image to go back)
Lufbery's Nieuport 17 was armed by both a non-synchronized
Lewis machine gun on the top wing and a synchronized Vickers
machine gun atop the cowl. Lufbery was known to inspect
and polished each bullet in his gun's drum to help avoid
the frequent jams for which the Lewis guns were known.
Norman added a trigger cable made of .007" Detail
Master wire and painted both machine guns with Floquil
Weathered Black and dry brushed with Floquil Gun Metal.
The seat back provided in the kit was painted with Floquil
Earth and covered in Gunze Clear Orange to represent varnished
plywood. Norman fabricated the button-tufted seat cushion
from shaped styrene and painted it with Floquil Earth,
Testors Leather, and Gunze Clear Red, topped with Aero
Master Flat Clear and a light gray wash to bring out the
details.
Added cockpit details include: canvas panel behind the
seat with cross brace wires and photo-etch turnbuckles,
lower cross arms added to the control stick for aileron
control linkage, control lines from the rudder bar, and
aluminum and copper wire for gauge cables.