K & W Model Airplanes Inc.| Flying Scale Models

USA # 1-1999

SCALE RC MODELER ( MARCH/ APRIL 1999 ) VOL. 26

SCALE RC MODELER [PAGE 1]
SCALE RC MODELER [PAGE 2]

The Nieuport seen inverted on the author's work bench as he prepared to install the lower wings. Note the muffler which required making a notch in the firewall and the lower fuselage stubs on which the lower wings are attached.

Also, the aileron push rods had to be slightly bent to make a proper exit through the holes in the hatch. Since the curved fuselage hatch that covers the servo trays was not fitted with a hold-down means, I ran a long rubber band over the hatch and connected it to two carburetor inlet duct tubes that project from each side of the fuselage. Given more time, I could have devised an interior means of clamping the access hatch to the fuselage. This would avoid using unsightly rubber bands that otherwise mar the Nieuport's well-scaled lines.

THE LANDING GEAR & TAIL SKID
The wheel installation could not be simpler. Bungee-type rubber bands are carefully laced around small spurs at the bottom of the landing gear fork and over the top of the one piece metal axle.

Ready for the Nieuport's takeoff, Rich and pilot Chris Spangenberg make a final runway check of the engine before letting her roll. The large rudder effectively allowed the model to track the runway centerline as soon as power was applied.

All shock absorption is contained within a 1/2" slot in the landing gear. This offers limited spring value on hard landings but it does follow the ultra simple mechanism employed on the prototype. Likewise, the tail skid is fitted with a rubber band to provide proper spring action on landing. Wire cross-braces provide landing gear strengthening and were easily installed per Manual directions. Up to this point I had expended about 18 hours in readying the Nieuport for flight.

THE FINAL STEP: MATING THE WINGS TO THE FUSELAGE
Fitting the upper wing to the cabane struts proved to be the most challenging aspect of the entire project. Though 3 Sea Bee Models pre-assembles every model before shipment to a customer, I could not get the wings and cabane to properly align. The upper wing is bolted to the cabane with four 6-32 Allen bolts. Three fit perfectly, but the fourth persisted in being 1/4N off longitudinally. Fearing I was doing something wrong, I called Bob Brook at 3 Sea Bees Models to see if I could bend the offending strut. Bob said he could not imagine what the problem was, but that he would get back to me within an hour. In less than an hour I received a call from designer Goran Kalderen in the Philippines. He approved bending the strut, but warned to make sure the top wing was tangent to the fuselage center line. How right Goran was!

A 3/4-aft view of the 3 Sea Bees' Nieuport 17 shows the precise fidelitY built into at the factory. The only items missing are either a Lewis or Vickers machine gun and a scale pilot.

     After bending the strut the wing attached perfectly, however it was 7/8H out of whack in measuring the tail post to the wing tips. Then the fun began! In desperation I grabbed the wing and fuselage and torqued them to the right until the differential was reduced to about l/4H. This was acceptable. If nothing else this little maneuver proved how stoutly this hummer is designed and built. Next carne connecting and adjusting the aileron horns to the torque rods. This step went smooth as butter with two wheel collars providing a simple method to make the final all important aileron adjustments.
    With the top wing in place and the model on its gear, it looked ready to leap into the sky and take on the dreaded Hun. But my flush of victory was short-lived. Next came attachment of the lower wings!
     The bottom wings have an attachment rod that is pushed into holes with soft aluminum tabs on the bottom of the fuselage to establish proper incidence. In my opinion a minor redesign of this fitting would ensure more positive alignment since the soft aluminum bends easily. ( For the record, the lower wings of the real Nieuports were ground-adjustable to achieve desired changes in performance.) The interplane "Vee" struts were then bolted in place, however it was now impossible to make the flying and landing wires fit! Also, the upper wing drooped and the lower wings did not have the required dihedral.
     After scratching my head a while I turned the airplane upside down on my work bench and blocked the upper wing perfectly straight. This worked! The lower wings, wires and all were now a cinch to install.
      But my rigging problems were not completely resolved. The model looked great, however I now noticed there was too much washout in one lower wing and an insufficient amount in the other. To correct this required loosening the interplane struts, adjusting the landing and flying wires and adding a smal13/l6Hbalsa wedge between the bottom of the "Vee" strut and the top of lower wing. A little twisting of the top wing then brought everything in perfect alignment. In fairness to 3 Sea Bees Models, it should be mentioned that properly rigging any biplane is always the most important aspect of obtaining top flying performance. The task is vastly simplified with "N" interplane struts as opposed to the Nieuport's "Vee" strut since the lower wing has only one attachment point.
      Solving the riddle of the wings had added another 12 hours to the assembly time, a total now of 30 hours since I'd opened the box. Placing so much emphasis on wing alignment and incidence might appear like too much overkill, but it was to payoff in spades the next day when the Nieuport took wing.

THE LONG AWAITED TEST FLIGHT
     Chris Spangenberg wanted to fly the Nieuport as much as I did. Afterall, it WAS his engine up front. A coin toss settled the matter -Chris would be on the sticks for the first test hop at our club's model flying field, which included a preflight photo shoot. SRC editor Ed Schnepf showed up to take the photos while a bunch of club members looked on approvingly as I made final adjustments to the engine, controls and such.
     The morning air was cool and crisp as Chris revved the Nieuport for a highspeed taxi test. With only a tail skid, all directional control on takeoff relies on the rudder. This made Chris most anxious about torque effect on the initial application of power. Checking to see how the model would turn at speed, we were surprised to see one tire separate from the wheel when side loading was applied. Back we went to the pit for a quick repair. Tension mounted. The wind began to rise. Undaunted, Chris finally pronounced it was time to fly. It was now or never.
    At half-throttle the dandy little fighter broke ground after a straight and true takeoff roll of 50 feet. Chris beamed as the Nieuport snappily responded to every command.


The dandy little Nieuport, one of the most popular of World War I era fighters, roars off into the blue on its test hop. Only half power was needed to get airborne.

Making a series of fly-bys for the cameras he honked the model up a hundred feet into the sky and tried a few stalls. Recovering smoothly with only a tad of power, Chris then zoomed her high in a perfect loop, did a split'S' and Immelman turn and let her dive until we could hear the wind whistling in the Nieuport's wires. Banking around for a landing Chris eased off the power, let the nose raise slightly to dissipate airspeed, and three-pointed her right in front of the cameras. A hearty round of applause greeted the smooth rollout. Everyone agreed 3 Sea Bees Models' Nieuport 17 was every bit the classic of her progenitor -a sure-fire performer; a welcomed new entry to the scale ARF arena.

CONCLUSION & PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Make no mistake -ARFs are here to stay. After assembling the Nieuport I can fully appreciate the appeal of prefabricated models. They save considerable time and offer advanced design advantages that make them ideal for fun or competition flying. Having had no previous experience in ARF assembly I am amazed that it required only a little over 30 hours to get 3 Sea Bees Nieuport into the air. Also most commendable was 3 Sea Bees team responsiveness to my questions. They are to be congratulated for their product support.

With SRC editor/publisher Ed Schnepf looking on, Rich Tejada adds four ounces of lead to the inside of the cowling to establish the model's proper CG.

By way of personal assessment I would like to offer a few suggestions to make assembly, rigging and flying even more enjoyable:
1.) Owing to the rigging problems encountered in most biplanes this model is best suited for experienced modelers.
2.) The excellent final finish and appearance is superior to that which the average modeler can achieve.
3.) The rigging hardware furnished with this kit could be more in scale.
4.) A more positive method of holding the incidence of the lower wing should be devised.
5.) The Vee strut connections might be redesigned for easier adjustment.
6.) Attaching the top wing would be simpler if bolts were to extend down from the top wing and be held with a lock nut.

7.) Though the Nieuport is no trainfr, flying this model should be well within the capability of the average RICer.
8.) The Assembly Manual should be more fully illustrated with difficult to explain assembly sequences.
9.) Adding minor details such as a Vickers or Lewis machine gun will further enhance the attractiveness of the finely scaled model. Lending itself well to super- detailing, the builder may wish to add a battery of eight balloon-bl!sting Le Prieur incendiary rockets to the "Vee" struts. Squadron Signal Publications #167 on the Nieuport 17 offers a host of excellent super-detailing hints and markings.
10.) Care taken in assembly pays off handsomely when it comes time to fly this highly recommended ARF kit.

[ NIEUPORT 17-C1 K & W Datasheet ]

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SCALE RC MODELER [PAGE 1]
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SCALE RC MODELER ( MARCH/ APRIL 1999 ) VOL. 26