Proctor’s Nieuport 11 Museum Scale

[PHS]

Hope I've not posted this to the wrong forum but assuming I'm in the right place for possible input here's the following.

I find myself beginning to think in the direction of building the museum scale kit of Proctor's Nieuport 11 and wondering if any of you have any experience with the kit and the Proctor Enterprises company? The project object would be an uncovered airframe for display indoors and not r/c flight.

I would enjoy hearing from any of you and your thoughts.

Thanks for your time,

Paddy

[bristol scout]

Proctor kits are quite simoply the absolute 'Dogs Bollo-ks'---that is to say, exquisite and superb, with hardware packs to drool over.

I have not had the 'Baby' Nieuport, but I have had the Fokker DVII----though sadly all that is left are the wheels (themselves superb scale wheels)

Now a word of caution---'museum ' scale (as in the hugely expensive Hasegawa kits of SE5a, Triplane and Camel) is a relative term----even the Jap. kits need, to bring them to what most of us would term 'museum quality' loads of extra work and replaced or refined parts.

The Proctor Nieuport likewise would need major work to bring it to a likeness (museum quality) of the real one uncovered---a lot less if covered.

I suppose it depends on what level of accuracy you demand---but worth thinking about the cost, and the amount of extra work involved---the huge number of bits (expensive bits at that) that you would not use for a non flying model....

Why not get some good ---say, 1/8th. or 1/4 plans and build from them----very much cheaper and the work involved will probably be not much more than the work involved modifying the Proctor kit for what you want.

Just to re-cap though---Proctor are quite simply the very best for flying scale models---I wish I was still doing it---the Albatros DV is a beauty.

Dave.

[PHS]

Originally Posted by bristol scout

Proctor kits are quite simoply the absolute 'Dogs Bollo-ks'---that is to say, exquisite and superb, with hardware packs to drool over.

I have not had the 'Baby' Nieuport, but I have had the Fokker DVII----though sadly all that is left are the wheels (themselves superb scale wheels)

Now a word of caution---'museum ' scale (as in the hugely expensive Hasegawa kits of SE5a, Triplane and Camel) is a relative term----even the Jap. kits need, to bring them to what most of us would term 'museum quality' loads of extra work and replaced or refined parts.

The Proctor Nieuport likewise would need major work to bring it to a likeness (museum quality) of the real one uncovered---a lot less if covered.

I suppose it depends on what level of accuracy you demand---but worth thinking about the cost, and the amount of extra work involved---the huge number of bits (expensive bits at that) that you would not use for a non flying model....

Why not get some good ---say, 1/8th. or 1/4 plans and build from them----very much cheaper and the work involved will probably be not much more than the work involved modifying the Proctor kit for what you want.

Just to re-cap though---Proctor are quite simply the very best for flying scale models---I wish I was still doing it---the Albatros DV is a beauty.

Dave.

Hi Dave,

Thanks very much for taking the time to respond. You do give me something to think about. I didn't grasp that the range of Proctor kits that fall in the Museum Scale list were in fact their ‘flying scale' and that was it. I remember back when I first flew my ¼ scale Cub with a Quadra engine. I think I was more nervous than when I did my original solo in an Aeronca 7AC Champion eons before (haven't been current for years). Oh, fun memories but I'm not looking to go there again.

I had it in my head all the way back to the days that Proctor was in San Diego(?), if I remember correctly, to build one of those grand kits of his. That was during a period we were slope soaring sailplanes, r/c, close to Torry Pines, where the full size sailplane strip was with Black's Beach down below. I believe the Salk Institute is there now.

Forgive me for digressing. Anyway, the Nieuport doesn't have to be true scale. Looks like would be just fine for my purposes as long as it is of some quality. I'm more interested in the building without rivet counting. I'm a slow builder anyway and I don't think there's enough years left for me to attempt museum scale.

Again thanks for taking the time. It has always amazed me that once you have the bug it doesn't matter the scale. A kite's a kite in any size, stationary or in motion.

Paddy

[Mode One]

I've had it in my mind to build one of Proctor's or Glen Torence's kits, also. Don't know which one. Either the Proctor's Albatros DVa or GTM's Hanriot! However, their prices have sort of put them beyond my reach, today. There was a time in a former, more monetarily "flush" portion of my life where I could have swung it. I also would have had the courage to fly it back then! Now I really couldn't afford and it would sit in my basement gathering dust, not that, that isn't an important job, for model airplanes, also!

[PHS]

Hi Mode One,
I've wanted to build a Proctor going way back and in those days it was more of ‘where will I put it' than anything else. So I understand.

Maybe one of these days you'll get it worked out. Hope so. I would think building one of the large scale kites is the next best thing to building 1:1.

Paddy

[Mode One]

Although it would be fun to build one of these kits. I think a Balsa USA kit can be modified to look as good and be as scale accurate as these high priced kits at far less cost. I also find it fun to design my own airplanes, so I really think I probably never will buy one of these kits. I simply can't justify the price they're asking!

Still, I have nothing but praise for both of these kit manufacturers! They are without question the pinnacle of kit manufacturers and although I may not be able to afford their kits, obviously, others can and that is great!

[PupCam]

Originally Posted by Mode One

Although it would be fun to build one of these kits. I think a Balsa USA kit can be modified to look as good and be as scale accurate as these high priced kits at far less cost.

That's true, a number of the 1/3 scale Pups have been built for the UK Dawn Patrol group.

Some have been built as-is others modified to include thin, closer to scale wing sections but it is quite a lot of extra work. It really depends on how "scale" you want the finished product to be. I've done lots of mods to my Belair Triplane short kit, some essential and some just because I wanted to. I've found that I keep wanting to "get it as close as I can" and so ultimately what have I actually used from the kit in the end: ribs, riblets, interplane struts and cowl ring and firewall formers. I've bought lots of wood, aluminium tube and still on the look out for undercarriage tube.

I've not built any GTM kits but a friend has built the 1/3 Fokker DVI and it is a thing of real beauty. At the end of the day I think the old saying "You get what you pay for" holds true and, in general "Museum scale" will always be more expensive than "Sport scale". If you want to put the effort in you can always improve a Sport Scale aeroplane but the difference in price may not always be as great as it first seems.

Alan

[Mode One]

The difference in these kits over others, is all the cut out and machined parts are done for you. Yes, you get what you pay for; but, you can also pay yourself by cutting the parts out yourself.