1/48 French Mirages

[John the Yank]

I was fortunate to get an Eduard 2000D/N on order from Hannants last week before they sold out again. The question I have is: Why haven't they re-released the 1/48 ESCI/Italeri F-1CT/CR, or Heller 2000C, or FM F-1. For all the damn models I've collected over the years I really have no one to blame but myself for not getting them, but certainly there is a market for them, just look at how fast the 2000D/N sells out. Why are the F-1's so rare, anyone care to speculate?

JTY

[AnonymousER99]

I was fortunate to get an Eduard 2000D/N on order from Hannants last week before they sold out again. The question I have is: Why haven't they re-released the 1/48 ESCI/Italeri F-1CT/CR, or Heller 2000C, or FM F-1. For all the damn models I've collected over the years I really have no one to blame but myself for not getting them, but certainly there is a market for them, just look at how fast the 2000D/N sells out. Why are the F-1's so rare, anyone care to speculate?

JTY

John

Gotta be honest man. I think the Italeri reissue of the F.1 sold because of the new weapons and it was in my opinion ESCIs best overall kit along with the S-3. Funnily enough when I saw the prices on ebay I went to my LHS and bought all four for 80 bucks and resold them on ebay for a 500 dollar profit!! I found that the Europeans were the ones buying them for some reason. I have a couple myself so it was a pure profit making measure.

If you really want a Heller Mirage 2000C I have one in the stash. Got something to trade??

Mike

[Stephen]

They were in the Italeri catalogue for a year then discontinued. I don't recall them selling particularly well and certainly they weren't retained as one of Italeri's staple items like the F-117 or F-16.The popularity is as Mike says due to new weapons and an upgrade without having to resort to resin. I picked a few up and I'm glad.It's possible that Mirages don't sell well outside Europe although I believe that the F.1 is available again in Europe as part of a"Paints included set" catalogue number 72618

http://www.kits-discount.com/new_kits/deta...en&depart=0

Stephen

Edited October 23, 2007 by Stephen

[WolvoWill]

Not sure why they're so rare, you don't see many 2000s or F-1s built up either, never mind kits for sale!

Myself I'd love to have a go at an F1CT, and also a Mirage 2000 (would like Eduard to re-issue the Heller 'C' kit with new parts so as to make a 2000-5 or a 2000-9). I hear rumours that the latter is due later this year, but as for the former, am still on the look out for the updated Italeri kit!

Edited October 23, 2007 by WolvoWill

[AnonymousER99]

Not sure why they're so rare, you don't see many 2000s or F-1s built up either, never mind kits for sale!

Myself I'd love to have a go at an F1CT, and also a Mirage 2000 (would like Eduard to re-issue the Heller 'C' kit with new parts so as to make a 2000-5 or a 2000-9). I hear rumours that the latter is due later this year, but as for the former, am still on the look out for the updated Italeri kit!

Will

Do you happen to have the kit number for the updated Italeri kit?? I know a couple of my LHS have Italeri 2000s on the shelf. I can grab one if its the one you are after.

Mike

[GreenDragon]

The 1/48th Mirage F-1 was the first Esci kit I built, excellent fit, recessed detail and lots of decal options. Second Esci kit was the 1/48th Tornado arghhhhh! I still have nightmares about that one! 3rd was the Mirage 2000 Prototype, excellent fit and recessed detail and a while ago I did the Italeri reissued 2000C for a SAMI review. About 25 years later and it still fits excellently!

Personally I could really do with a state of the art kit of a Republic of China Air Force 2000 with the full electronics, flares and Mica missiles fit. Are Tamiya, Hasegawa, Heller Airfix, Trumpeter, or Hobby Boss reading this?

Edited October 23, 2007 by GreenDragon

[WolvoWill]

Will

Do you happen to have the kit number for the updated Italeri kit?? I know a couple of my LHS have Italeri 2000s on the shelf. I can grab one if its the one you are after.

Mike

Many thanks for the offer, whilst I say 'I'd like to build <insert noisy jet aircraft here>' rather a lot I'm actually trying to avoid buying anything else for the next month or so, unless its exceptionally rare or limited availability!

The re-released italeri Mirage 2000 you speak of is actually fairly obtainable this side of the pond when compared to the other Mirages, it essentially being the Esci kit reboxed with new decals. Its not a bad kit, but the Heller kit is still the best representation of a 2000, and sadly the rarest (Esci/Italeri and Monogram/Revell of Germany offerings are positively common in comparison ). With rumour of an Eduard release of the Heller 2000C with added resin goodies of a similar ilk to the 2000N/D repop, I think I'll wait a bit before considering any Mirage 2000!

The rare one I probably would buy were one available at a good price is the Italeri boxing of the Mirage F1CT/CR. This too is an Esci kit re-issued, but with new decals, and additional new underwing stores and 'lumps and bumps' to represent the CT/CR (the French Air Force's 'latest and greatest' Mirage F1 variant, modified for attack/recce in the late 1980s to helpmake up for a shortfall in attack aircraft and a surfeit of fighters in the wake of Mirage 2000 deliveries).

[Eric2020]

I once visited an importer of Italeri, and he told me only about several 100 models are comming from the factory. When spread over europe that would mean, that perhaps only 500 ready kits go to the EU and other countries.

[GreenDragon]

I was on Hannants site today and they've put the 1/48th Eduard/Heller Mirage 2000C with Aires resin exhaust and seat on the future releases section. Kit No.EDK1129

Also saw that AZ Models are releasing two 1/48th F-3H Demons no pics of any of them though.

If Italeri has any sense they should reissue the F-1 with a lot of decal options like in the Esci release. IIRC two French C's in the blue over silver/grey, Greek AF in same scheme as French, South African AF in a brown and green camo scheme with grey under sides and a Spanish AF one but I can't remember the colours, probably similar to the South African scheme.

Esci also released a revised kit (as the F-1C-200) with the South African attack version nose tip and repositioned pitot tube and two types of refueling probe added and these parts are still in the Italeri CT/CR version (kit No.2618 for the standard kit without the Paints and brush).

HTH

Paul Harrison

Edited October 25, 2007 by GreenDragon

[Vlamgat9]

I was on Hannants site today and they've put the 1/48th Eduard/Heller Mirage 2000C with Aires resin exhaust and seat on the future releases section. Kit No.EDK1129

Also saw that AZ Models are releasing two 1/48th F-3H Demons no pics of any of them though.

If Italeri has any sense they should reissue the F-1 with a lot of decal options like in the Esci release. IIRC two French C's in the blue over silver/grey, Greek AF in same scheme as French, South African AF in a brown and green camo scheme with grey under sides and a Spanish AF one but I can't remember the colours, probably similar to the South African scheme.

Esci also released a revised kit (as the F-1C-200) with the South African attack version nose tip and repositioned pitot tube and two types of refueling probe added and these parts are still in the Italeri CT/CR version (kit No.2618 for the standard kit without the Paints and brush).

HTH

Paul Harrison

It was great of ESCI to do the SAAF F1AZ - hardly has the commercial appeal of another F16! However, the nose shape with the extra bits you refer to isnt really right. The AZ has quite a different profile to that of the F1C. There is a guy in SA who produces a resin replacement (I have one somewhere); if anyone is interested you can contact himmthrough Chris Baxter of MaxMod Models in SA.

A rerelease of the Italeri F1 would be rather nice.

The thing I can't get over is that no-one other than Esci/Italeri have kitted the Mirage IIIE properly in 1/48, and the Esci/Italeri one is a bit of a dog (raised panel lines, no cockpit detail to speak of, dreadful burner can details etc.). I bought the Fonderie Miniatures IIIE which is basically a reboxing of the Heller IIIC with a new fuselage. It is expensive and far from an ideal solution. Come on Eduard - surely a IIIE would give all sorts of sale opportunities (conversions to the 5 and the 50, loads of decal options etc)? Or maybe sales of the IIIC were so disappointing that Ed have backed away.... ( )

[Matt Roberts]

As for future Eduard Mirages....from what I gather Eduard won't be doing them. Supposed to be the original kit (IIIC/CJ) was done with a prior software CAD program that is not compatable with the new CAD/CAM machines. So the designs were not able to be used on The new mold cutting machines they have, or something like that

Just where Hobbyboss comes into play I don't know. I'd have figured Eduard had thier market wrapped up when the HB kits came out and should have been ready to move on to the next kits in the series but that sounds like it ain't going to happen. Unless HobbyBoss decides to go fo it with the IIIE, 5, and Kfirs. They are doing a FJ-4 Fury right now so stranger things have happened.

Matt

[Mentalguru]

I was fortunate to get an Eduard 2000D/N on order from Hannants last week before they sold out again. The question I have is: Why haven't they re-released the 1/48 ESCI/Italeri F-1CT/CR, or Heller 2000C, or FM F-1. For all the damn models I've collected over the years I really have no one to blame but myself for not getting them, but certainly there is a market for them, just look at how fast the 2000D/N sells out. Why are the F-1's so rare, anyone care to speculate?

JTY

Dunno- maybe it was all just a mirage...?

[John the Yank]

Dunno- maybe it was all just a mirage...?

Could be a mirage before the rafale.