Carousel 1 AirCraft 6141
Nieuport Nieuport 11 Bebe Diecast Model
Escadrille Americaine N.124, Norman Prince, Verdun, France, 1916 | Limited Edition
1200
Pieces Worldwide |
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| 1:48 Scale | | Length | | Width |
|---|
| Nieuport Nieuport 11 Bebe | | 4.75" | | 6.25" |
Norman Prince was the son of the wealthiest man in New England, with homes in Massachusetts and France. He took flying lessons under an alias to avoid notice of his father. When Germany invaded France in 1914, Prince imagined an all-American squadron flying for France. He reached Paris in January 1915 and began lobbying the French for an all American squadron, and for himself to enlist as an aviator. Separately, William Thaw, who had enlisted in the French Foreign Legion in August and already begun pilot training, and Dr. Edmund Gros, an American physician in Paris, were working at the same end. The French resisted, because many Frenchmen wanted to join Aviation Militaire. Eventually French authorities realized an American squadron could mobilize American sympathy for France. Prince enlisted in the Foreign Legion in March and was sent to flying school. He earned his brevet on 1 May 1915, and was assigned to pilot Voisin bombers. On April 16, 1916 N.124,the Escadrille Americaine (name changed to Lafayette Escadrille in December 1916) was formed at Luxeuil, on the quiet Vosges front. The first seven Americans were Prince, Thaw, Victor Chapman, Elliott Cowdin, Bert Hall, James McConnell, and Kiffin Rockwell. All were wealthy, educated idealists except for Hall, who was an adventurer. They were commanded by Capitaine Georges Thenault. Training began with a single Nieuport 11, which Prince promptly wrecked, possibly because of his poor eyesight. On May 19, the Escadrille was sent to Bar-le-Duc, near Verdu, the bloodiest battle of 1916. Prince became frustrated when other pilots scored victories but he did not. On August 1 he went "balloon hunting" with Le Prieur incendiary rockets, while Hall flew cover. Prince flamed an observation balloon despite heavy ground fire which damaged both Nieuports, but the balloon was not confirmed despite Hall's corroboration. Prince was credited with a German Aviatik on 23 August. On 9 September Prince shot down a Fokker. The squadron returned to Luxeuil on 14 September. He scored again on 10 October. The British and French planned a large bombing raid on the Mauser factory at Obendorf, Germany, on 12 October, and Prince was one of five pilots from the Squadron flying escort. Prince and Raoul Lufbery attacked four Fokkers, and each of them scored a victory. Returning at dusk, Lufbery landed safely but Prince failed to see the telegraph wires which caught his Nieuport's wheels, and caused a crash which fatally injured him. Three days later, he died for France.
First flown in 1914, the Nieuport 11 Bebe (Baby) was a militarized version of a French competition aircraft, which possessed the performance and maneuverability inherent in a racing platform. The Nieuport 11 biplane design-with its fixed two-wheel undercarriage, biplane wings, open-air cockpit and front-mounted 80 horsepower Le Rhone 9C rotary piston engine-allowed it to outmaneuver German aircraft. Armed with a single 7.7mm Lewis machine gun mounted to the top wing assembly, the aircraft was primed to turn pilots into aces. Variants were streamlined with improved horsepower and additional wing bracing. © Copyright 2003-2025 The Flying Mule, Inc.
Carousel's 1:48 scale Nieuport 11s capture the elegant styling of this sesquiplane (one-and-a-half-wings) biplane with a full size top wing and narrower cord lower wing. Both wings feature simulated stretched fabric covering. Fine gauge wire is used to recreate the structurally significant bracing wires found between the wings and landing gear, and an exceptional amount of this wire is also used for the control surface rigging. Additional details include a beautifully simulated wood propeller and engine with cylinder head detail, which spin freely and in unison. A detailed Lewis machine gun and simulated braced wooden "Vee" interplane struts and tail skid complete the model.
© Copyright 2003-2013 The Flying Mule, Inc.
The Carousel 1 "AirCraft" range presents highly-detailed, ready-made diecast models of military aircraft. Carousel 1 have an excellent reputation for producing superbly accurate diecast models of racing cars and their "AirCraft" range is worthy of the same praise. Aircraft in the Carousel 1 AirCraft range are carefully researched and reproduced with a level of detail that is unmatched by most other manufacturers in this scale.
Carousel 1 "AirCraft" diecast airplanes feature:
- Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
- Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
- Interchangeable extended/retracted metal landing gear with rotating wheels and rubber tires.
- Extremely detailed cockpit interiors with glazed instruments.
- Detailed removable pilot figures.
- Spinning metal propellers.
- Accurately detailed underside with concealed screwheads.
© Copyright 2003-2025 The Flying Mule, Inc.
