The Nieuport Aircraft Encyclopedia Part 2: WWI Two-Seaters
By Matt Bittner
Authors: David Méchin & Michel Bénichou
Publisher: Aeronaut Books
ISBN: 978-1-964637-42-6
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 223
Following the release of Part 1, David Mechin has released Part 2 in his Nieuport Encyclopedia, this one dealing mainly with the two-seaters. Here's how Part 2 is broken out:
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: The Nieuport-Macchi Parasol
- Chapter 2: The Nieuport 10
- Chapter 3: The Nieuport 12, 12bis, and 20 with 110hp Engine
- Chapter 4: The Mysterious Nieuport 13
- Chapter 5: The Nieuport 14
- Chapter 6: The Nieuport 15
- Chapter 7: Other Prototypes
- Chapter 8: The Conversion to Training Aircraft: the Nieuport 80 Family
- Conclusion
- Specifications
You could say the famous single-seat fighters actually started with the Nieuport-Macchi Parasol as that was the first design allegedly created by Gustave Delage - the main engineer at Nieuport - where he mounted the wing above the fuselage. But it wasn't until the Nieuport XB B - derived from the earlier single-seat Nieuport X - when the Nieuports took on their sesquiplane (where the lower wing is narrower than the upper) appearance. The first production Nieuport XB Bs were unique because they had the observer/gunner stand through a hole in the middle of the upper wing to shoot his gun while the pilot was flying from the rear cockpit. It wasn't until the second production run where the pilot was in the front cockpit, and the observer/gunner manned the rear cockpit. All other French two-seat designs followed suit.
While as mentioned the book covers the two-seaters produced by Nieuport, it also covers the Nieuport 10 single-seat fighter which makes sense to be a complete coverage of the type. You can see in the chapter break down how the rest of the two-seat designs followed. There are 350 photographs in this tome, as well as 54 color profiles rendered by the author. In addition, the book also has what appears to be 1/48 scale drawings on each type.
Modeling-wise the Nieuport 10 has been covered by Omega Models and Tom's Model Works in resin, while in injected plastic Special Hobby has released models of both the single- and double-seat versions in 1/48. In 1/72 there were resin kits from HR Model, Roseplane (how I miss Rosemont Hoppy Shop), Classic Plane, VAMI and TC Berg (which is quite the beautiful kit); in injected plastic there were kits from Merlin Models and HR Model (which I am currently working on). In 1/144 there was a resin kit from SRAM.
For kits of the Nieuport 12, there were vacs by Formaplane and Roseplane while SRAM released both it and the Nieuport 20 in 1/144 resin.
Choroszy Modelbud has released 1/72 kits of the "trainers" in resin, but otherwise all other two-seat Nieuports have not been done in kit form. If any one area was in need of being updated in kit forms it's the Nieuport two (and single seat, in terms of the Nie.10) seat aircraft. It's unfortunate there has never been a kit - in any scale - of the Nieuport 14 which DID see front line service, albeit in limited numbers.
Regardless of the model scene, this is a must-have book for the French WWI enthusiast and definitely for those of us (definitely "me") who love the Nieuport aircraft. Very highly recommended.
Contact Aeronaut Books direct for ordering information.