Nieuport 23

The change of the Nieuport 17's Alkan-Hamy synchronizing gear to a newer synchronizer necessitated offsetting the Vickers gun to the starboard, and a new 120hp Le Rhône 9Jb was frequently fitted, resulting in the Nieuport 23. It was introduced in the spring of 1917. The wings and fuselage were substantially the same as the Nieuport 17, although in autumn of 1917 Aviation Militaire 23's had their lower wings replaced with those from the Nieuport 24, which had a stronger fitting of wing to fuselage.

A good guess is that 150 Nieuport 23's served with the French (because that is how many replacement wings were ordered), but Russia also purchased or built at least 70, Switzerland 5, and the UK about eighty, where they served alongside Nieuport 17s. Like the Nie.17, RFC Nieuports 23s would have had their Vickers removed and replaced with a top-wing Lewis on a Foster mount, making them almost indistinguishable from a Nieuport 17.

Miniatures and Models
A Nieuport 17 makes a fine substitute.

1:144 Scale

 * Shapeways: ReducedAircraftFactory

1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale

 * Shapeways: ReducedAircraftFactory