RE: N17 - Metal Panels?

Douglas R. Jones (djones@iex.com)
Wed, 02 Aug 1995 08:58:55 -0500

>Once again I find myself in the fortunate position of having just the right
>lunch time reading matter at hand to answer a question. The Windsock
>Datafile Special Nieuport Fighters Vol 1 has excellent colour photos of this
>area on a Nie 23, (near identical with the Nie 17 except gun position which
>is offset on the Nie 23) and other closeups in B&W of the Nie 17. The
>turtledeck is formed by what appears to be a heavy fabric covered metal
>panel. Why this should be so is not immediately obvious, though insulation
>comes to mind as a _possibility_.

Thanks! I like your choice of reading material over lunch!

I looked at this last night....when I discovered, much to my chagrine, that
it *appears* that the cheeks and front turtledeck are metal panels (I
thought just the turtledeck was). In fact a couple of the color plates show
a line of nails extending down vertically about the middle of the cockpit. I
guess these hold either the fabric to the panel or the panel to the frame.
Anyway the photos i have of the N17 in the Canadian War Museum don't show
this. It *appears* to be uncovered metal in both places but it is hard to tell!

>(Who is yet again confused by apparently contradictory information :-( )

You and me both! Time to get everything out and lay it out in front of me
and see if I can figure it out! Ain't it fun :-)

Doug
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