Mirage IIIE - High Planes Models

[CT Modeller]

Mirage IIIE No.458 / 13-PP

EC 2/13 ‘Alpes’, Colmar – Meyerhiem, France, 1967

 

The 1967 Battle of Britain ‘At Home’ day at RAF Coltishall was very special for me. I remember being there with my Dad and my Uncle and was equipped with a camera at last! This was the first time I had seen a Mirage IIIE amongst all kinds of other amazing aircraft and I was determined to model No.458 / 13-PP or its brother  No.415 / 13-PK also on display that day. Well it took 50 years but I finally got there. This is one of the photos I took on that day :

 

 

 

Thank you High Planes Models for a kit that captures the shape and details of the Mirage IIIE very nicely. I actually had the Australian IIIO kit but all the parts are there to make a IIIE. To be honest, I was expecting the fit of parts to be much better (the main joints required a lot of filler) and the panel lines are overdone (a tad too Matchbox trench like) but it certainly looks every inch a Mirage. I built the old Heller kit just before it to try out some finishing ideas (see pictures) and it certainly shows its age in comparison.

 

 

Finish was basically AK Extreme Metal AK481 Polished Aluminium sprayed over a Tamiya grey primer undercoat. Wing panels were a mixture of Xtracolour Dark Sea Grey and Aluminium with some panels highlighted with Daler Rowney ‘Goldfinger’ silver (previously marketed as ‘Rub N Buff’). Most small access panels were painted Light Aircraft Grey. Panel lines were highlighted with a sharp HB pencil before coating the whole thing in Klear before decaling. Decals were mainly Modeldecal  from various sheets. National insignia came from an IPMS sheet. I had to cut out the centres of the roundels and use the central blue disc from the next size down roundel to get the proportions right. For some reason early Mirage national insignia didn’t conform to the more usual  1/3 red/white/blue proportions. I tried out some ‘standard’ roundels on my Heller model of No.492 / 3-JN but they didn’t look quite right – see photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Antoine]

Just splendid!

Congrats!

[Woodziee]

Nice job. They both look great.

 

Edited June 18, 2017 by Woodziee

[Rabbit Leader]

Nice Mirages.... actually from the photo's you've posted the Heller kit still looks the part and from a distance is probably a little more refined out of the two.

I'm sure your aware that this High Planes Mirage has been retooled, now having more restrained panel lines from the first edition.

Either way - you've done the kit justice.

 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Vultures1]

Nice job.  I agree with Rabbit Leader, that Heller Mirage doesn't look too shabby at all

[Viking]

Ooh beautiful, the NMF is superb on both of them, and that red trim really sets them off well.. How many of us build to remember days out as a kid 50 years ago, quite a few I expect!

 

Cheers

 

John

[exdraken]

Very nice classic Mirage IIIs!

You captured them very well!!

[MikeR]

Nicely done!

 

Mike.

[woody37]

Lovely finish, cracking nmf look

[kapam]

Amazing - great NMF, as good as I've seen.

[cngaero]

Some lovely work in a classic jet.

The Mirage III design has always appealed to me and you have done a lovely job with both of these. The metal finish is outstanding.

Thank you for sharing them.

[Mountain goat]

A wonderful pair. The HPM one looks great - but I must say the Heller one has a remarkable quality of its own. Great job!

 

Jay

[dolphin38]

Great looking Mirage and a very nice finish, I have the new revised moulding in my stash which corrects the trench like panel lines. 

[Horatio Gruntfuttock]

Lovely builds - both of them. I have the HP Mirage IIIO as well and occasionally open the box, give a shudder and carefully pop it back in the stash! You have done a wonderful job on this 'Milliput monster'. You are correct in that HP have captured the look of the plane really well. That AIrfix one looks great as well.

[CT Modeller]

Just now, Horatio Gruntfuttock said:

Lovely builds - both of them. I have the HP Mirage IIIO as well and occasionally open the box, give a shudder and carefully pop it back in the stash! You have done a wonderful job on this 'Milliput monster'. You are correct in that HP have captured the look of the plane really well. That AIrfix one looks great as well.

 

I did the 'look and shudder' thing for about 2 years, then finally took the plunge. You know how it is when you take the first parts off the sprue and you're determined to make this the best model ever? That lasted for a few days until I realised I was going to need a ton of filler in the wing to fuselage joints, than it became one of those 'just want to get it finished' things! Anyway I was quite pleased with the result overall and I might try one of those re-tooled kits sometime to see if the fit has improved along with the panel lines.

 

Chris

[Meatbox8]

That is a magnificent looking Mirage with a beautiful finish.  The Heller kit looks terrific as well. I too have a particular affinity for the type because when I was growing up 'The Aeronauts' aka Les Chevalier Du Ciel was my favourite programme on the telly.   Mirage IIIs, like EE Lightnings, to my mind always look better in natural metal.   I've often thought the Mirage III is under-kitted for such a significant and iconic fighter but this just shows that great models of the aircraft can be produced despite the limited amount of options.  Have you tried the RV Models Mirage IIIC?  I have it in the stash and it looks pretty good to me.

[CT Modeller]

Just now, Meatbox8 said:

That is a magnificent looking Mirage with a beautiful finish.  The Heller kit looks terrific as well. I too have a particular affinity for the type because when I was growing up 'The Aeronauts' aka Les Chevalier Du Ciel was my favourite programme on the telly.   Mirage IIIs, like EE Lightnings, to my mind always look better in natural metal.   I've often thought the Mirage III is under-kitted for such a significant and iconic fighter but this just shows that great models of the aircraft can be produced despite the limited amount of options.  Have you tried the RV Models Mirage IIIC?  I have it in the stash and it looks pretty good to me.

 

I don't have the RV kit, but I will certainly be doing a IIIC soon. I have the AML kit which looks a bit of a challenge with all kinds of resin and stupidly small PE bits, but it will just have to be either 2-LE or 2-LK which I saw at the 1966 Coltishall At Home day.