A previously-unposted build from a while back, this is the 1990s-vintage Hobbycraft 1/32 Nieuport 17 in its re-release by Italeri just a few years ago. Among the lavish multi-scheme kit-supplied markings were these for the camouflaged mount of the much-decorated French ace René 'Père' Dorme.
The kit itself is straight-up Hobbycraft, fairly basic, with a low parts-count and not much detail, but with generally-accurate-looking lines and dimensions. I dressed up the cockpit with seat harnesses and a few geegaws...my favorite being the (scratchbuilt) 'roller' type map carried by numerous pilots beneath the cockpit coaming. I made mine with a few styrene scraps and a reduced online map image printed out on tissue paper.
René Dorme served as an artilleryman in North Africa in the pre-war French Army, but requested a transfer to aviation duty once the war began. Training first as an aerial observer, then as a pilot, he was posted to Escadrille 94 in June 1915...but was injured in a crash before seeing active service. After recuperating, he finally got into combat in March 1916, and began making up for lost time with a truly Gallic vengeance. In just over a year before being KIA in May 1917, he was officially credited with 23 victories -- though his true total was undoubtedly much higher. To quote from Wikipedia:
"Dorme had 23 aerial victories officially confirmed. Unconfirmed claims amount to 19 more listings. Dorme was notoriously lax in filing combat claims, sometimes only doing so when prompted by wingmates. The haphazardness of his victory list has led to speculation that he scored as many as 43 victories, or perhaps even 70 victories."
Eventually exchanging his Nieuport for a SPAD VII, Dorme fell in combat to Heinrich Kroll of Jagdstaffel 9 on May 5, 1917. Despite the well-known nickname he carried on the side of his cockpit -- 'Père,' or 'Papa' -- the ace was only 23 at the time of his untimely death. A recipient of the Légion d'honneur, Médaille Militaire and the Croix de Guerre, he was repeatedly commended for his skills as a brilliant pursuit pilot and the audacity (and sang-froid) with which he regularly carried out his missions...having been personally cited in army orders on numerous occasions during his all-too-short career.
Great fun to build...as are all the Hobbycraft WW1 birds I've had the pleasure to tackle. Hope you enjoy the shots.