{"product_id":"toko-129-nieuport-11-bebe-1-72-plastic-model-aircraft-kit","title":"Toko 129 Nieuport 11 Bebe — 1:72 Plastic model aircraft kit","description":"\u003cp\u003eManufacturer: Toko\n\u003cbr\u003eKit number: 129 \/ TOK129\n\u003cbr\u003eAircraft: Nieuport 11 “Bebe”\n\u003cbr\u003eScale: 1:72\n\u003cbr\u003eBarcode \/ EAN: 4820015440204\n\u003cbr\u003eKit type: Injection-moulded plastic\n\u003cbr\u003eManufacturer origin: Ukraine\n\u003cbr\u003eRelease: 1997\n\u003cbr\u003eStatus: Discontinued\/vintage\n\u003cbr\u003eManufacturer and kit history\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eToko was a Ukrainian model company that became particularly well known among collectors of early aircraft and other less-common subjects. Its kits from the 1990s are now regarded as vintage Ukrainian tooling, and several were subsequently reissued by other manufacturers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Nieuport 11 kit was released in 1997 and is one of Toko's WWI aircraft subjects. It was later also issued by Eastern Express using the same basic mould, making the Toko boxing the more historically interesting version for collectors of the original Ukrainian production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit is relatively small and simple, but the subject was unusual enough that it has remained sought after by WWI aircraft modellers.\n\u003cbr\u003eKit contents and features\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an approximately 40-part injection-moulded kit, according to an IPMS Netherlands assessment of the Toko tooling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit contains:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Injection-moulded plastic parts\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Fuselage\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Upper and lower wings\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Interplane and cabane struts\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Rotary engine and cowling\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Propeller\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Undercarriage\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Cockpit components\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Pilot\/crew-related parts\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Lewis machine gun\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Windscreen\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Tail surfaces\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Decal sheet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Instructions\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit's four documented decal schemes are particularly interesting. IPMS confirms four schemes, while another retailer documents five possible historical subjects for the product, suggesting that boxing\/decal-sheet variations may exist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDocumented subjects include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    French Nieuport 11 of Georges Guynemer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Imperial Russian aircraft associated with Eugraph Kruten\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Imperial Russian aircraft associated with Alexandr Kazakov\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Ukrainian Army aircraft\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Belgian aircraft associated with Chouteau Johnson\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMould quality\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is definitely a 1990s short-run\/vintage kit, rather than a modern finely engineered 1:72 release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIPMS notes approximately 40 parts, some flash, and parts that can be difficult to remove cleanly from the sprues. The cockpit is quite basic and the instructions do not show the wing rigging. The lower wing has also been criticised as potentially slightly short, while the upper-wing geometry and ailerons are not completely convincing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA separate builder describes the mould as old, with fairly coarse parts and considerable sanding required.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNevertheless, the kit has a useful advantage: the basic shape is sufficiently good to make an attractive model, and the simplicity makes it suitable for a modeller wanting an inexpensive vintage WWI project.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe rigging is not supplied, so a finished model benefits substantially from aftermarket thread or fine wire. The cockpit can also be enhanced with an instrument panel and additional interior detail.\n\u003cbr\u003eThe full-size Nieuport 11\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Nieuport 11, affectionately known as the “Bebe”, was a French WWI fighter derived from the earlier Nieuport 10.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe prototype flew in 1915, and the aircraft entered frontline service in early 1916. It was a small, lightweight biplane with a distinctive sesquiplane arrangement: the upper wing was much larger than the lower wing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts combination of low weight, manoeuvrability, climb performance and speed made it particularly important during the period of the Fokker Scourge. Nieuport 11s were first used operationally in January 1916, and by February approximately 90 were reportedly at the front.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft was not originally equipped with a synchronised forward-firing machine gun. Instead, the Lewis or Hotchkiss gun was mounted above the upper wing, firing through the propeller arc without needing a synchronisation mechanism. Later installations used the Foster mounting\/rail, which allowed the gun to be raised for upward attacks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe design was built not only in France but also under licence or by other manufacturers in Italy, Russia and the Netherlands, and it served with several Allied air arms.\n\u003cbr\u003eOperational significance\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Nieuport 11 helped restore Allied air superiority during early 1916. Its appearance forced German pilots to respond with improved fighters and tactics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt also became the starting point for the development of the later Nieuport 16, which used a more powerful engine. The Nieuport 16 was externally similar but heavier, and its increased engine power led to changes intended to compensate for the additional weight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSeveral famous WWI pilots flew Nieuports, including Georges Guynemer, Albert Ball, Billy Bishop and Eugène\/Nungesser-era French aces, making the type especially attractive to modellers looking for colourful individual aircraft histories.\n\u003cbr\u003eAircraft specifications\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor the Nieuport 11, published specifications include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Length: approximately 5.8 m\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Wingspan: approximately 7.55 m\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Engine: Le Rhône 9C rotary\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Power: approximately 80 hp\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Maximum speed: approximately 156 km\/h\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Range: approximately 330 km\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Ceiling: approximately 4,600 m\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Crew: 1\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Armament: normally one Lewis or Hotchkiss machine gun\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt 1:72 scale, the real aircraft's dimensions produce a model approximately:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Length: 8.1 cm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Wingspan: 10.5 cm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts small size makes the considerable amount of rigging and wing bracing especially noticeable on the finished model.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Toko","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57509849891196,"sku":"Toko-129","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/sussex-model-centre.co.uk\/products\/toko-129-nieuport-11-bebe-1-72-plastic-model-aircraft-kit","provider":"Sussex Model Centre","version":"1.0","type":"link"}