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Showing results for tags 'Mirage VPA3'.
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Well two Mirage IIIE and a VPA3 to be more accurate with the Agave nose of the latter in my opinion providing the ultimate in Mirage style. The models are based on two slightly different 1/48 Italeri (ex-ESCI) Dassault Mirage IIIE kits. No.2634 which was for a time the standard boxing with decals for four French examples along with one each from, Spain, Switzerland and Australia and No. 2674 a special release marking thirty years in French service with decals for nine options along with an additional sprue with parts for the Martel AS 37 ARM and RP30 1700 Litre drop tanks. Some parts such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder really show their age and others such as the very shallow jet exhausts need some work and spare parts/plastic tubing to deepen them. My aim was to model one in the early form of higher-visibility yellow edged markings and the other in the later toned-down form but to build both as near enough from the box as was possible with some slight changes to aerial fit and the extended jet pipes as mentioned. For the French examples the only after-market addition was the AN-52 Nuclear Weapon from Belcher Bits however for The Pakistani Mirage VPA3 with Agave Radar Nose built for a magazine article the build was a bit more complicated. Contrasting styles of French high and low visibility markings Mirage IIIE from Esc.03/003 'La Fayette' with an AN52 on the centreline was completed in the earlier higher-visibility form of the markings which required a little change to the kit decals to provide a suitable serial and sourcing a second PHIMAT. Mirage IIIE from ESC 02/003 'Champagne' with Martel ARM on the centreline was completed in the later lower visibility form of markings. Pakistan Air Force Mirage VPA3 from No.8 ‘Haider’ Squadron was converted by using an adapted form of Eagle Design’s resin set CK-19 for the Peruvian Mirage 5P4 providing a new nose, cockpit and jet pipe. The Exocet ASM came from the Airfix Super Etendard along with the carrying pylon which was extended and re-shaped to resemble that used on the Mirage and the AIM-9P were from an Esci F-4. National markings came from a Bright Star sheet while the unit tail badge was photo-shopped from an internet image of the squadron crest and home-printed.
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