Olimp

1/72 Curtiss JN-4H/JNS-1

Kit Number: P72-002

Reviewed by  Brian R. Baker, IPMS# 43146

MSRP: $9.99 Web Site: www.olimpmodels.com Note: I reviewed the JN-4D version of this kit in January, 2006 ( read review ), and this review is of a later variant. All comments apply equally to both examples, and photos of both aircraft will appear in this review for comparison. History The Curtiss "Jenny" was one of the most famous airplanes of all time, not because it was a particularly high performance type, but because it was in the right place at the right time, and because it was produced in such large numbers that it was inevitable that it would have a tremendous impact on American aviation, not only during World War I, but for many years thereafter. Any serious modeler who has not heard of the Jenny is seriously literacy-challenged, although there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of reference material available on the type. Profile Publications did an issue (No. 37) on the type many years ago, and there is a very good account of the type's development by Robert Casari entitled U.S. Military Aircraft: The World War I Production Program: Vol. 3, The Curtiss Jennies. This information-packed publication was published by Military Aircraft Publications, 6 Applewood Drive, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601, but it was published in 1975, so it would probably be available used, if anyone was so foolish as to part with one. Peter Bowers' Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947 is also very useful, and all three of these have three view drawings and photos useful to the modeler. There have been many articles written about the airplanes, and several are still flying in restored form, so information shouldn't be a problem. When Curtiss decided to build a training airplane, they hired B. Douglas Thomas, who had worked for Avro and who was at the time a designer for Sopwith. A two seat biplane trainer was designed, using the Curtiss OX-5, a 90 hp. Water cooled engine. The Deperdussin control system was used, where fore and aft movement of the control yoke actuated the elevators while the wheel worked the rudder. The ailerons were actuated by a yoke fitted to the pilot's shoulders, and he merely leaned in the direction that he wanted to bank the airplane. After going through series development, starting with model J and N, the designs were combined to make the Model JN, and a few of these aircraft were obtained by the U.S. Army and Navy in 1915. As the war progressed, a Canadian branch of the Curtiss Company was established at Toronto, and the plane was produced with some modifications, one of which was the replacement of the Deperdussin control system by a standard stick and rudder system. The Canadians produced the JN-3 for a while, and later began production of the JN-4, which differed slightly from American models. The Canadian JN-4 was popularly known as a Canuck. Strangely, Olimp has not seen fit to produce a kit of the Canadian model, although converting the early JN-4A shouldn't be much of a problem. Many Canadian Jennies were used to train Canadian and British students in Texas, and this is where the American training program really took root. Kelly Field was the result. The first major American production model was the JN-4D, which was intended as a primary trainer. Thousands were built and distributed to American flying schools throughout the country, but in 1918, the need was realized for a higher powered aircraft for advanced training, one that could bridge the gap between the slow, sedentary primary trainer models and the fighters and other high performance types in use in Europe. Vought had developed the VE-7, which was far superior to anything Curtiss produced, but production was a long way off, and the plane was much more expensive, so the Army settled for a version of the JN-4 powered by a 150 hp. Hispano-Suiza water cooled engine. This gave the airplane a more respectable performance, and plane was redesignated JN-4H, although it would be known to pilots as the "Hisso Jenny". Many of these JN-4H's, and JN-6H's, which featured some aerodynamic improvements, were also used for training air crews, such as gunners, bombardiers, and photographers. However, when the war ended, the Army found that it had hundreds of surplus Jennies and smaller numbers of its rival, the Standard J-1. Nearly all of the OX-5 JN-4D's were sold as surplus, thus creating the basis of civilian aviation in the twenties. These were used for barnstorming and flight instruction, and few pilots from that era could say that they had never flown a Jenny. Most Americans of that era had their first airplane ride in a Jenny. Charles Lindbergh learned to fly in one. A Jenny was also the first agricultural airplane, being used to apply "Paris Green", a pesticide dust to combat a forest infestation in Ohio in 1922. According to reports, the Jenny was a nice flying airplane for the times. It was reasonably stable around all axes, and had no vices. It made an excellent primary trainer, and its relatively low power taught students to plan ahead. I recall my father recounting his experiences flying the Jenny, and he said that he had a lot of forced landings with the airplane, although that may have been the result of flying a high time older engine. However, the OX-5 had some basic mechanical problems, such as the required lubrication of the exposed rocker arms before every flight, and I'm sure that this problem increased with the age and flight time on the engine. Anyway, he never damaged the airplane in an emergency landing, as it came in low and slow, and there were a lot of farmers' fields where a safe landing could be made, repairs completed, and the airplane flown out with few problems. That's why, when I was learning to fly, forced landings were emphasized, and I'm glad that they were, as I've only had one, and I flew the airplane out safely after repairs. In the Army, the Hisso-powered JN-4H's and JN-6H's were not sold, but kept by the Army and Navy, and these were used by Regular, Reserve, and National Guard units up into the late twenties, when Congressional appropriations finally allowed for new equipment. Some were rebuilt and redesignated JNS, for JN-standardized. They were not JNS-1's as often quoted, even in the kit materials. The Navy also used some JN-4H's and JN-6H's, and in fact, at one stage of the war, the Navy had priority in its flight training programs, since they were training pilots and aircrews to combat what was felt to be the greatest German threat, the submarine. In addition, the Navy developed the N-9, which was essentially an enlarged JN-4 with longer wings and floats. The Kit Olimp has produced a series of five "Jenny" kits that includes the following: · P72-001 Curtiss JN-4A/D Early version · P72-002 Curtiss JN-4H/JNS-1 Hisso Version · P72-003 Curtiss JN-4D Late Production Version · P72-004 Curtiss JN-4HG Gunnery Trainer · P72-005 Curtiss N-9H Navy Floatplane Trainer

Obviously, the kit consists of some standardized sprues along with some specialized parts which are used for that particular model. There will be some parts left over. The kits come in relatively sturdy cardboard boxes, with the plastic parts enclosed in plastic bags. Some parts are duplicated, and you'll have some nice components for the spares box. The parts are very detailed. There is very little flash. Instructions The instructions are clear, with two standard sheets containing a total of 8 pages. Page one gives a short history in English and Russian, along with the specifications in English and metric systems. Page 2 shows the color scheme of a Navy JN-4H at Miami NAS in 1922. Page 3 gives the instructional codes, and steps 1 through 3, which go through major fuselage assembly. Page 4 shows steps 4 and 5, which covers the wing and strut assembly. Page 5 illustrates the tailplane assembly, the engine, the various struts (The Jenny had many, many struts), and the landing gear. Page 6 shows a sprue diagram. Page 7 gives a color scheme for an Army JNS in 1927, while the last page tells that the kit is suitable for any aged 10 to adult. In addition, some sources are given, and there is a fairly useful color guide, giving the color names and also the numbers for Humbrol, Model Master, and Revell. Assembly Assembly begins with the cockpit, which includes a basic frame, two seats and floor assemblies, and two sets of rudder pedals and control sticks. Small instrument panels are provided, and these go under the cockpit cover. For the JN-4H version, the lower portion of the cowling must be removed and replaced with one with different cooling louvers. The engine consists of a main block, two banks of cylinders, and a center section which I assume must be the carburetor. The radiator goes in front, and doesn't quite fit, but it is close. There are also two exhaust stacks, but these can be added later. The wings come in 8 pieces, including center sections, outer wing panels, and ailerons for the top wing only. These need to be sanded down so they fit flush, otherwise there will be a gap where the wing joins the center section. When gluing the wings together, tape down the center section and prop the wings up on something to get the dihedral effect. The photo shows how I did it. A little bit of filler is required on the fuselage and engine area. At this stage, after the wings were assembled and the fuselage was joined, I painted the major structures. I then applied the decals. Everything worked except the tail stripes for the rudder. I ended up hand painting these. They look better painted anyway. Then I joined the lower wing to the fuselage and attached the horizontals. To attach the upper wing takes a certain amount of finesse. The instructions give the commands, but they don't say exactly how to do it. I glued the main struts to the lower wing, leaving the cabanes for later. After setting overnight, I then taped the upper wing to the workbench, and glued the struts, one at a time, to the upper wing. Strangely, they came out straight, and were reasonably sturdy. I then attached the landing gear and wheels. Save the wingtip bows for last, as you'll knock them off if you attach them earlier. Also, don't install any of the top wing detail, including struts and control horns, until after you have rigged the airplane.

Rigging The real fun in doing a biplane is the rigging. This model MUST be rigged with wire or stretched sprue to look realistic. I used my electronic wire method, with very small pieces of wire rolled out straight and applied with small dabs of white glue. I've used this system for years, and it is much easier for me than using stretched sprue. There are just too many wires for that. By the way, pilots of that era used to say that there was one sure-fire method of checking to see if any of the flying or landing wires were missing. You took a pigeon out of its cage and let it go between the wings of the biplane. If it got out, there was a wire missing somewhere. Be sure to check a good three view drawing for the location of the rigging wires. Some of them aren't where you would expect them to be, and there is an aileron cable that stretches between the fuselage side and the forward pulley of the control system underneath the upper wing. This needs to go in after the interplane wires are attached, but before the flying and landing wires are in place. Think this through, as it can be very frustrating working around wires that shouldn't be there yet. Finishing Touches When the rigging is finished, with all wires and control cables in place, the model is practically done. The problem is, there is almost nowhere to hold on to the model, so it becomes very tedious to handle. The only places I could pick up the model was from the extreme wingtips or just behind the rear cockpit but ahead of the place where the elevator cables enter the rear fuselage. Just don't take any chances, and be VERY careful handling this model. If you drop it, you will invent a whole new vocabulary, one that the wife and kiddies probably shouldn't hear. Recommendations I don't know if I would recommend this model for a ten year old as the instructions say, but anyone with some biplane modeling experience should have no trouble with this one. I've built two already, and will probably build the whole line eventually. But then, I like Jennies. My Dad bought one in 1926 and learned to fly in it. That's probably why I'm so interested in airplanes. Thanks, Dad. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Oleg and Olimp's and IPMS/USA for the review sample.

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