The Nieuport 17 was the first great French fighter of World War I and was flown by most of the famous French aces.  Introduced in the spring of 1916, it was pivotal in restoring balance to the German-dominated skies over the Western Front and helped put an end to the "Fokker Scourge".  This Nieuport 17 was flown by Charles Nungesser, the third highest scoring French ace of the war.  The intrepid Nungesser survived the war despite numerous crashes and injuries and became even more famous in 1927 when he and his copilot disappeared forever off the coast of Ireland while attempting to fly nonstop from Paris to New York, sparking an aviation mystery that has never been solved.
Eduard #8071, 1/48 Nieuport 17