Polish biplane fighter Nieuport 17 C.1 COBI 2998 - Great War 1:32

Did you know:

• We all know the legendary German Red Baron, who became a true icon, but the aircraft that shaped the course of the First World War were produced by the French company Nieuport Avions. Perhaps we don’t hear adventurous stories full of fearless heroes flying Nieuport fighters, but these aircraft worked the hardest for the victory of the Allies and became the Silent Legend.
• The brilliant designer Gustave Delage had been working on a new aircraft since 1914. Even then, he knew very well that the future of military aviation lay in monoplane designs as we know them today. After considering the available technologies, materials, and manufacturing methods of the time, he decided on a proven biplane construction.
• When the first Nieuport 17 aircraft reached the front in 1916, the German high command called them the “Best aircraft of the day”. With excellent maneuverability and climb rate, the fighter had no competition in 1916.
• The wooden structure made of lime and ash wood was light and sufficiently strong. A technical curiosity was the ability to adjust the angle of incidence of the lower wing for slow flight to reduce minimum speed. However, this feature was never used, because as aviation developed, aircraft flew faster and faster.
• Perhaps the only imperfection was wing flutter at maximum speed, which occasionally resulted in the lower wing breaking off. This aerodynamic phenomenon could not be explained by the science of the time.
• Several British companies also produced Nieuport aircraft under license. The design was even copied by Germany, which manufactured it under the name Siemens-Schuckert D.I.
• After the end of the First World War, Poland acquired 5–10 Nieuport aircraft through requisition following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian army. This particular aircraft, number 11.01, was seized as war booty during the fighting near Lviv, repaired, and subsequently incorporated into the Polish Air Force.
• The most famous Polish pilot of the Nieuport 17 C.1 with number 11.01 was the American Cedric Fauntleroy, who volunteered to fight in the Polish–Soviet War from 1919.
• The aircraft was irreversibly destroyed on 26 February 1920 during a failed takeoff near Toruń. On that day, it was piloted by Polish officer Jan Malecki.
• A total of approximately 3,600 aircraft were produced.

Technical specifications:

• wingspan 8.16 m, length 5.80 m, height 2.40 m
• empty weight 375 kg
• maximum takeoff weight 560 kg
• powerplant: 9‑cylinder rotary engine Le Rhône 9Ja with an output of 82 kW
• maximum speed 170 km/h
• service ceiling 5,300 m
• climb rate 5.7 m/s
• fuel tank capacity 77 l
• endurance 1.75 hours of flight
• armament: 1× synchronized Vickers machine gun (7.7 mm) + 1× Lewis machine gun (7.7 mm) on the upper wing
• crew: 1

From the memories of Cedric Fauntleroy:

“I couldn’t just sit at home and read in the newspapers about the atrocities committed by the Bolsheviks. No one thought that after the catastrophe of the Great War people would die again, but the Russians didn’t care.”

About the COBI building set:

• the COBI 2998 set is made of 274 high‑quality ABS bricks
• Great War collection 1:32
• pad printed – no stickers
• highly detailed design
• made in the EU