[WWI] Special Hobby and Omega Noop 10s in1/48

[Karen Rychlewski]

On Aug 8, 2009, at 3:13 AM, Mikko Saarela wrote:

> The shape of the fuselage is really the only thing that is  
> bothering me in the Special Hobby kit. Should the fuselage cross  
> section taper downwards like it does in the Ian Stair drawings in  
> WS Datafile 68? Or should the fuselage cross section be more or  
> less rectangular, like it is in the Special Hobby...

Indeed, it's very difficult to judge the cross section from photos.  
But the Ni. 10/XB drawings in the Datafile and Mike Fletcher's  
collection of period drawings and plans show the fuselage as slightly  
narrower on the bottom. The description of the 10/XB in Nieuport  
Aircraft of World War One by Ray Sanger also states that the plane  
retained the fuselage shape of the earlier Type X monoplane, that is,  
narrower at the bottom.
The Datafiles for the Ni. 11 and 17 are missing from my shelves, but  
Fletcher's plan of the Ni. 17 shows the same narrowing. So I think  
it's safe to assume (until other evidence surfaces) that the early  
Nieuports did not have strictly rectangular fuselages but rather they  
narrowed slightly toward the bottom.
The reason for that? Who knows? Maybe Mr. Nieuport thought it looked  
nicer    :-)
Bittner, what's your take on the question?

Karen
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