PART 1/72 photoetch sets
Nieuport 11 and Nieuport 16

by Matt Bittner

These sets consist of a fold-up cockpit, seat, "box" for the seat to sit on and other cockpit parts. Exterior wise you get rigging attached to control horns; new frame (and clear acetate) for the windscreen; and some small "attachment hardware" for some of the struts.

The difference between the two sets is the Nieuport 16 set supplies photoetch skis. That's it. The instructions do show the different guns you can use on the Nieuport 16, but there are no other parts supplied for this area.

All in all I'm extremely disappointed in this set. One area that is difficult to model on the Nieuport is the "crank" used for aileron control. This is a very unique affair that PART has decided not to mold correctly. Instead they supply only a "half-moon" for the top surface of the upper wing only, and nothing for the lower part. The Tom's Modelworks French photoetch set provides these "cranks" accurately and is highly recommended.

There is one published photo showing a British machine having an actual instrument panel. PART assumes this was how all Nieuport 11/16's were. This is not so, and is unique to that particular machine (that is known). In general, the Nieuport 11/16 did not have a central instrument panel, instead "scattering" the instruments to different parts of the cockpit structure.

The other disappointing aspect with this - and all - PART WW1 photoetch is the lack of seat belts. That means if you want photoetch belts you'll have to buy the Tom's Modelworks French photoetch set anyway.

The one aspect that is really nice with this set is the seat and the "box" it sat on. Definitely more accurate than the Toko kit part.

Overall a very disappointing effort by PART. I will buy more of the Tom's Modelworks French photoetch sets instead of these PART sets.