Copper State 1/32 Nieuport XI Early

[scvrobeson]

After going through the Aerocraft Miles, I'm heading back to WW1 with the CS Nieuport XI Early kit. This is another beautiful kit from the Latvian company, and I'm very interested to compare it to the XXIII that I already did from them.

 

When the kit was announced, I made sure to pre-order it for the additional 3D printed engine and additional decal scheme. I'm also adding the 3D printed seat and interior details-

 

 

 

 

Comparing to the kit seat, you can see why 3D printing was necessary to get the right look and number of holes in it-

 

 

The extra decal scheme for Georges Raymond's plane really jumped out at me, I'm deciding between his or the classic Jean Navarre scheme for this one-

 

 

 

The last addition to the kit is the Copper State masks for the plane, allowing you to paint on roundels, rudder flags, as well as the blue edging around the fuselage and wings-

 

 

Progress has begun with cleanup of ejector pins in the fuselage sidewalls and hatches, and beginning on the firewall. The firewall was painted using Gunze Super Metallic shades, and the French Blue came from AK's 3rd Gen acrylic line. The oil pump and magneto were picked out in Vallejo Xtreme Metal Steel. This will take some weathering, as what I do to the engine and firewall will help set the vibes for the rest of the build.  I hope you all enjoy, please let me know what you think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt 

[LSP_Kevin]

Nice start, Matt. Excellent photos, too!

 

Kev

[scvrobeson]

Much appreciated Kev. Still trying to improve the pictures on each build.

 

 

Matt 

[2996 Victor]

Hi Matt,

 

I'll be following your build, if I may - I've been eyeing up this kit recently and it looks great.

 

You've made a great start, very effective and exacting work. Looking forward to your next update!

 

Cheers,

Mark

[scvrobeson]

Before construction can really begin, the woodwork must be laid out. After cleaning up the ejector pins in the side panels, paint can start flying. A pre-shade is carried out using Gunze Cocoa Brown, and highlights are put in with MRP Radome Tan and RLM 04. The latter color is only added to some parts to warm them up. MRP Ochre Wood is then misted on everything to provide the base shade for the wood, and to help tone down the pre-work.

 

Woodgrain is applied then using mixes of Vandyke Brown, Shadow Brown, and Burnt Umber oil paints. It is dabbed on across the parts, and then flat brushes are used to wipe off the excess and impart the correct texture to the panels. Smaller brushes are used to help apply knots and small grain patterns, while wider brushes cover the larger parts of the panel until I am satisfied with the look.

 

Now that it's done, these will sit for the next couple of days until the oils are dry, and a light coat of clear yellow/orange is applied over them to seal and finish them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't mind those couple of ejector pin marks on the sidewalls, those will be covered by other parts as the cockpit is assembled.

 

This is another top-notch CS kit, let me know what you think of the work so far.

 

 

Matt 

[Sam_D]

Superb!!!

 

Will be keenly watching your progress as I’ve got one of these (well, a late one) in the production queue👌

 

Sam

[2996 Victor]

Top notch! Your woodgrain technique looks superb.

 

Mark

[scvrobeson]

Thanks gents! I always enjoy the woodgrain process, it's fun to be able to fine-tune it how I want.

 

 

Matt 

[Martinnfb]

Lovely work as always. will follow with interest.

Cheers

Martin

[scvrobeson]

I've started working on the cockpit, and have it partially assembled. I added the internal rigging with Inifini's 1/48 rigging line and Gaspatch 1/48 turnbuckles. Engine controls were added to the rear side of the firewall, and details continue to be painted in. The tach cable doesn't really go anywhere, but it will be impossible to see inside of the cockpit.

 

 

 

Hopefully I'll get the rest of the cockpit done this weekend, and can look at closing up the fuselage. Let me know what you think.

 

Matt 

[MikeA]

I don't often come here these days due to an obsession with large scale cars. However this drew my attention. That wood work painting is amazing, but the rest of the paintwork is also a standout and should really look the part when peering into the cockpit. Beautiful!

 

Mike

[scvrobeson]

Thank you very much Mike, I appreciate the nice comments.

 

 

Matt

[scvrobeson]

Still working my way through the cockpit, now it's time for the rudder pedals and control stick. First step was to drill the holes for the rigging lines, which was all done with a .3mm drill bit between the control wheels and the frames, and the rear bulkhead. A small slit was also sawed into the rocker with a Tamiya saw blade to help give the control line a secure place to sit. Parts were picked out in AK's French Blue and Navy Blue-Gray to add some variation and interest, then a wash of AK Paneliner for Gray and Blue was added on for relief. The control wheels were picked out in Vallejo Steel.

 

The rudder pedal straps were bent around the handle of a paintbrush to get the curves right, then were installed with medium CA.  Next step will be installing these pieces into the starboard side of the cockpit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let me know what you think

 

Matt 

[2996 Victor]

Looking fantastic, Matt, absolutely spot-on!

 

Mark

[scvrobeson]

Thanks very much Mark!

 

 

Matt