Hi all,
As the Sopwith '5F.1 'Dolphin' build is getting close to completion, I've started preparing my next build.
This model will represent:
Nieuport XVII (17) C.1, Serial No: N1977 of N124 ‘Lafayette’ Escadrille during March 1917 and as flown by Sgt. Robert Soubiran.







Background:
Robert Soubiran was born in France to Theodore and Clementine (Malapris) Soubiran, but grew up in New York City. As a young man, he had a knack for mechanical things and began
maintaining and racing automobiles with Ralph de Palma, the winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500.
World War One:
On August 7, 1914, three days after Germany declared war against France, Soubiran enlisted in the French Foreign Legion in Paris and was among the first group of 43 American volunteers.
He served in the Chemin des Dames sector with other future Lafayette Escadrille pilots James Bach, Bert Hall, Kiffin Rockwell, Paul Rockwell, and William Thaw.
When the French became aware of his mechanical abilities, he was tasked to drive a threshing machine to harvest the wheat within the war zone.
Soubiran served with the 2nd Foreign Regiment in the Battle of Champagne and the 170th Line Infantry Regiment.
He was injured in October 1915 and spent four months recovering in the hospital.
While there, he applied and was accepted into France's Service Aeronautique.
He underwent aviation and gunnery training at Pau, Buc, and the G.D.E. earning his brevet flying a Caudron aircraft on the 27th of May1916 and graduated on the 20th of October,1916.
He joined the N124 Escadrille Americaine (‘Lafayette’) at Cachy in the Somme sector on the 22nd of October 1916.
A year later, on the 9th of November 1917, Soubiran received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for an action on the 17th of October, 1917, when he received his first and only confirmed victory over an enemy aircraft.
His award citation read:
"An American enlisted since the beginning of the war in the Foreign Legion, where he took part in the combats in the Aisne in 1914 and in the Champagne attacks in 1915.
Wounded on the 19th of October 1915. Passed into the Aviation, he showed himself an excellent pilot, fulfilling with remarkable ardour the missions confided to him.
On the 17th of October 1917, while protecting an attack on Drachen’s (enemy observation balloons), forced an enemy to land out of control."
When the United States entered the war, Soubiran was transferred to the American 103rd Aero Squadron and commissioned as a Captain.
He flew combat patrols in the French built SPAD XIII.
He was then assigned as the 3rd Pursuit Group's Operations Officer.
On the 20th of August 1918, he married Ann-Marie Choudey in Langres, France with many of his Legionnaire and Lafayette Escadrille friends in attendance.
On the 18th of October 1918, he was assigned back to the 103rd Aero Squadron as its Commanding Officer and served there until the end of the war.
Soubiran accumulated over 400 hours of combat flight time in his 23 months with the French Air Service and in 10 months with the U.S. Air Service.
Post World War One:
On the 19th of April 1919, France made Captain Soubiran a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur and he was also awarded a second Palm to his Croix de Guerre.
This citation reads:
"American citizen enlisted in August 1914 in the Foreign Legion. Was distinguished in the infantry (wounded in September 1915), then as a pilot in the 'Escadrille Lafayette’, where he showed the highest qualities of courage and audacity."
Foot note:
Robert Soubiran owned a Kodak camera and photographed all aspects of life and death as an aviator during World War I.
Fellow squadron pilot James Normal Hall said that the ‘Lafayette Escadrille’ pilots have Soubiran to thank for the squadron's only complete photographic record.
Death:
Robert Soubiran died on the 4th of February 1949 and was buried next to wife, who died in 1982, in Pinelawn Military, East Farmingdale, Long Island, New York.

Mike

Nice! The Nieuport 17 - early 20s is either my first or second favorite bird of the war (I keep going back and forth between this and the SE5a for number 1!) Maybe if I lived long enough to get to fly the SE5a more than once every few years it would help settle my mind... Looking forward to this!

Great choice Mike. This should be a really good one and certainly appreciated by us Yanks.

He's buried at Pinelawn Military in East Farmingdale, about 10 min from my house. I'd be happy to try and find him and take a pic of his headstone for you if you like. Or at least for this thread while you build it.

Best,

James
"OvS"

*** I was able to look it up on the website. But I think I'll still take a drive and pay respects. Of the many heros buried at Pinelawn, kinda nice to be able to make a connection to one thanks to you!

Hi all,
Just a couple of updates.
All of the parts have prepared with mould seams, 'flash' and sprue tags removed.
The tailplane/elevator seam was cut through to separate the tailplane from the elevator, leaving just the hinges intact.
The upper wing ailerons were drilled and pinned with 0.5 mm diameter Brass rod to enable them to be positioned,

Mike

Hi all,
The Le Rhone 9J engine is done.
The added ignition leads are 0.125 mm diameter copper wire.
The replaced valve push rods are 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tube.

Mike

Hi all,
The wood effect parts have be prepared.
I used 'Windsor & Newton’ Griffin (Alkyd) Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna and Van Dyke Brown oil paints to represent the different wood colours.
All will have weathering applied later once other details have been painted,

Mike

Hi all,
All of the internal fuselage parts have been painted.
Weather used was 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt fine clay wash, sealed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC311).

Now it's onto rigging the cockpit detail,

Mike

Outstanding!

Hi all,
Both cockpit side frames have been cross braced.
This was done using 0.08 mm diameter mono-filament with chemically blackened 0.4 mm diameter Brass tubes.
The turnbuckles are the 'Gaspatch' 1:48th scale resin Type C.
I used resin as opposed to the metal version as the cockpit rigging is not subject to tension.

Now onto the other rigging, including the rudder and elevator control cables,

Mike

I was trying to put a screw back in my eyeglasses frame earlier and it took half an hour and three mugs thrown into the wall, so...yeah...

Hi all,
The rest of the cockpit pre-rigging is done.
Rudder and elevator control cables.
Cross bracing wires for the rear seat frame and lower rear of cockpit.

Now it's onto cockpit construction,

Mike

Fabulous. Your building skill and attention is amazing. Anything I would do would look like a lump of clay compared to yours.

She's coming along very nicely bagger. I'm surprised to note you haven't done the N17 before. She's such an iconic cutie.

Hi Catch,
I did the Nieuport 11 'Bebe' of Navarre some time ago.
I bought a Nieuport 17 from 'Copper State Models' when it was first released then won another in a competition.
Only just got around to building one of them,

Mike

Hi all,
Cockpit assembly is done.
It's not the easiest cockpit to assemble.
The aileron control rods have hardly any location pegs into the base of the control column.
This mean that when cemented, they flop around as they have no other support.
Their tops also need to be aligned correctly to their exit slots in the fuselage top panel.
The carburettor air intake pipes are separate and need to be cemented onto the crankshaft.
Again, these need to be aligned correctly with their exit openings in the fuselage side panels.
As usual, much of the cockpit detail will not be seen on the completed model.
Especially the vertical/horizontal bracing wires and rudder/elevator control cables below the pilots seat.

Now it's onto completing the fuselage build,

Mike

Surely the Bebe is the cutest warplane ever built? Well, in my view anyway.

But I'm looking forward with relish to the completed N17 bagger. Your work is masterful. An obsessive labour of love I'd wager.

Hi all,
Well the cockpit is now, as usual, mostly hidden now the fuselage has been assembled.
I've modified the fuselage top decking panel to accept the replacement 'GasPatch' Vickers machine gun.
This required trimming back the ammunition feed chute from the cockpit ammunition container.
Also widening and lengthening the locating slot in the decking panel.

So now onto the painting stage of Aluminium dope finish,

Mike

Hi all,
Weapons done.
The Lewis machine gun is the kit part.
The Vicker's machine gun is a 'Gaspatch' replacement,

Mike

Mike -- This is a sign of the true craftsman you are. Craftsmen put the effort in to get things right even if it's "not much seen" in the finished work. As usual, bravo. I love watching your work come together.

Hi all,
Moving on.
Airbrushed with 'Alclad' Duraluminium (ALC102).
Covered with 'Aviattic' clear linen effect decal, although against the Duralumium base coat it can barely been seen.
Airbrushed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC311).
Weathered with 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt clay wash then resealed.
Decals are a mix of kit supplied decals and the 'Kiwi Resin' Lafayette decal set.

So now it's onto pre-rigging before assembly,

Mike

That's superb Mike! Love the silver look.

Hi all,
Moving on.
The models has been pre-rigged with 0.08 and 0.12 mm diameter mono-filament with blackened 0.4 and 0.5 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tubes.
The landing gear, tailplane/elevator assembly with support struts, rudder and the interplane struts have all been fitted.

Next up is fitting the upper wing with its rear cabane struts then final rigging,

Mike

Hi all,
Upper wing with rear cabane struts fitted.
All inter wing rigging fitted using 0.12 mm diameter mono-filament and 0.4 and 0.5 mm diameter blackened Nickel-Silver tube.

Now it's onto the rear fuselage and the flight control rigging,

Mike

I can't even tie my shoelaces that tight...Bravo!

Also, the finish is Amazing!

Watching every step he posts building these models, and I still don't understand how he makes plastic look real.

Hi all,
Rudder and elevator control cables are now rigged.
Lewis machine gun and aileron control bell-cranks fitted.
Just the windscreen, extended loading handle for the Vickers machine gun and propeller to fit.

Then it's onto the figures,

Mike

I keep using the same word when I check in to see your models... Awesome!

Hi all,
Windscreen assembly, Vickers extended cocking handle and the Lewis gun trigger cable added (0.2 mm diameter lead wire from 'Plus Model').
So just the figures to assemble and paint now.
Then wait for the display case and propeller to arrive (UK postal strikes permitting of course).

Mike

Hi all,
The pilot and mechanic figures are finished now.
Apart from waiting the arrival of the display case and propeller, this build is finished.
I'll post the completed build eventually (postal strikes permitting).

Once again, thanks for your comments and support.
Now it's onto the Fokker E,IV build.

Take care and have yourselves a great Christmas,

Mike

Hmm. Those two appear to be also waiting for the arrival of the propeller and display case!

Mike;

It's been some time since I commented on your builds. I do however continue to watch the progress regularly.

I, however, could not go without commenting on the great weathering of the clothes on the two figures. They are exception! The subtle dirt and wear on the jacket sleeves and the ground in dirt and oil on the pants is awesome!!

Cudos mate, and have a great Christmas with family and friends!

Cheers!

Hi all,
Nieuport XVII (17) C.1, Serial No: N1977 of N124 ‘Lafayette’ Escadrille during March 1917 and as flown by Sgt. Robert Soubiran.

Another masterpiece!

A wonderful build done to your consistently high standards! Have always appreciated the graceful lines of the Niieup. 17 to 27 series, so this model is particularly nice to see, especially in its default silvery covering.

Cheers all & happy aero-modelling,

Just amazing!