Begemot 1/72 Nieuport 21 in Russian Service Decal First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Begemot Decals is an interesting decal company from Rostov-on-Don, Russia that offers a nice array of markings for Soviet-built and Russian service aircraft. In this release, Begemot provides a super set of decals for the Nieuport 21 of aircraft reflecting the variety of markings it carried from its days in World War I through the mid-1920s when it was retired from front-line service. Let's take a look:

This set provides 35 markings options including:

1. Nieuport 21, 1341, Sep 1917, as flown by Ensign Vladimir Kaminsky
2. Nieuport 21, 1354, Aug 1917, as flown by Ensign Vsevolod Yakovlev
3. Nieuport 21, 1668, 8th Avn Sqn, 1916/1917
4. Nieuport 21, 1572, 2nd Avn Group, spring 1917, as flown by Capt Evgraf Kruten'
5. Nieuport 21, 1514, 7th Avn Group, 1916/1917
6. Nieuport 21, 1685, 4th Avn Group, autumn 1916
7. Nieuport 21, 1710, Sevastopol Officer Aviation School, autumn 1916
8. Nieuport 21, 1719, 9th Avn Group, July 1917
9. Nieuport 21, 1810, 4th Corps Avn Group, 1917
10. Nieuport 21, 1814, 2nd Corps Avn Group, 1917
11. Nieuport 21, 1825, 12th Avn Group, 1917
12. Nieuport 21, 1869, 12th Avn Group, 1917
13. Nieuport 21, 1873, 5th Corps Avn Group, April 1917
14. Nieuport 21, 1881, 7th Avn Group, 1917
15. Nieuport 21, 1882, Avn Group of the Grenadiers Corps, 1917
16. Nieuport 21, 1889, 7th Avn Group, 1917
17. Nieuport 21, 1890, 10th Avn Group, 1917
18. Nieuport 21, 1894, 6th Avn Group, 1916/1917
19. Nieuport 21, 1895, Sevastopol Officer Aviation School, autumn 1917
20. Nieuport 21, 1970, Avn Group of the Grenadiers Corps, 1916
21. Nieuport 21, 1972, Avn Group of the Grenadiers Corps, 1916
22. Nieuport 21, 1986, pre-deployment, 1916/1917
23. Nieuport 21, 1990, 32nd Corps Avn Group, 1917
24. Nieuport 21, 2175, 8th Avn Group, 1917
25. Nieuport 21, 2180, unk Avn Group, 1917
26. Nieuport 21, 2193, 8th Corps Avn Group, 1917
27. Nieuport 21, 2239, 11th Corps Avn Group, 1917
28. Nieuport 21, unk, 19th Corps Avn Group, 1917
29. Nieuport 21, 1292, 34th Recon Avn Group, 1919
30. Nieuport 21, 1948, Avn Group Caspian Sea District, 1919
31. Nieuport 21, unk, Naval Aviation School, 1919
32. Nieuport 21, unk, Mocow Aviation School, 1919
33. Nieuport 21, 1940, Czechoslovakian Army in Russia, 1919
34. Nieuport 21, unk, Avn of the Volunteer Army Forces, 1919
35. Nieuport 21, unk, 1st Ukrainian Army Aviation Group, 1919

As you can see in the images above, these aircraft wore a variety of national markings from the beginning of their service in Imperial Russian service through their operations in the fledgling Soviet air forces. This set provides all of the distinctive production markings as well as unique artwork for selected subjects. If you're wanting to provide some interesting fighter options for the Eduard 1/72 Nieuport 21 kit, this is a set worth acquiring!

For more information about this set and the other releases from Begemot Decals, visit their website at http://www.begemotdecals.ru.

My sincere thanks to Begemot Decals for this review sample!