I know that the subject of seats in WW I aircraft can be as arcane and hotly debated as WW II Japanese a/c coloring and markings. I know, for example, that in many cases pilots put their own favorite seats in their planes, sometimes just a comfy chair strapped down somehow to the frame or floorboard (when there was one). I know that factories installed wicker seats, and some factories installed sheet metal seats. I have started an Eduard (I swwear I can’t seem to post anything this week without using that firm’s name. I do apologize, and it’s not always deliberate.) Nieuport in Russian Service from their new Limited Edition series (this kit comes with colorful markings for four planes, the big, colorful markings sheets and equally large decal sheets being the trademark of these Profipak reissues. Two of these Russian Nieuport 17s have the raciest WW I fuselage art I’ve ever seen). I’m doing one with a very naked mermaid (for some reason, she’s only a fish up to her knees). But back to the subject.
This kit has a very nice photoetched seat with multiple folds that went together beautifully, the back curving around the seat bottom with not fiddling or effort at all. It’s all in the heating, or annealing, no doubt about it. For those new to PE, always take a match or lighter and hold the flame under the parts you’re going to bend or curve for just a very few seconds. This will make the metal curve around things like round seat backs curve around the base and stay put, without snapping back. You’re not left holding it while it dries, and having, as so often happens with PE, it wind up stuck between both of your fingers, getting ripped apart as you remove it. Does anyone identify with this? Well, annealing will help to avoid such things.
Back to the question: This is obviously a sheet metal seat. The perforations or lightening holes are many and round, there is nothing to indicate it is wicker or other than metal. But what metal? Wasn’t aluminum still quite expensive back during the Great War? When it was first put into general use in the 19th Century, for a time aluminum was worth more than gold.
So I’m wondering what color this seat should be painted, if at all, and if anyone has any insight into what it should look like. Is there an online reference for such things? I have every website known to aviation bookmarked so that I can’t find anything, but not much accurate WW I stuff. Since this seat is very conspicuous, obviously, I’d like to have it look good. I wouldn’t even know how to go about giving a wash to something like this.
Tom, isn’t there a Nieuport at the Air and Space Museum in DC? I know they’ve got a SPAD. Maybe someone there could help you. Good luck!
Greetings Sharkskin. The perforated seat was a plywood backing usually on a plywood based seat. The cushion was either black, or brown leather. There were two types of seats used on the Nieuport single and two seater aircraft. These were metal (aluminum backed or plywood backed.) The idea of altering a frontline machine was frowned on in frontline units as the machine was seen as govt. property. Usually the tech sgt, waffenmeister or master sgt assigned the aircraft maintence duties wouldn’t allow "comfy chair " installations despite some reports to the opposite. For more info check out http://theaerodrome.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=16 for the models title. Doing a search here will give you just about anything you want to know on WWI aviation in modleing. Note I have a Nieuport 21 image where the skin and fairings are removed for repair. The aircraft is a trainer and the standard metal seat has been recovered with a thick padding and a sort of tuck and roll leather facing. Maybe this is the type of seat you were refering to? Good luck. StephenLawson