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Dassault Mirage IIIS/RS 1:48 Kinetic Models History In 1961, Switzerland bought a single Mirage IIIC from France. This Mirage IIIC was used as development aircraft. The Swiss Mirages were built in Switzerland by F+W Emmen (today RUAG, the federal government aircraft factory in Emmen), as the Mirage IIIS. Australia too, bought one French-made aircraft in preparation for licensed production. Cost overruns during the Swiss production led to the so-called "Mirage affair". In all, 36 Mirage IIIS interceptors were built with strengthened wings, airframe, and undercarriage. The Swiss Air Force required robustness comparable to that of carrier based planes; the airframes were reinforced so the aircraft could be moved by lifting them over other aircraft with a crane, as the aircraft caverns in the mountains that Swiss Air Force uses as bunkers offer very little space to manoeuvre parked aircraft. The strengthened frames allowed for JATO capability. The main differences to the standard Mirage III were as follows:- New US avionics with Changed cockpit design with gray instead of black panels New U.S. radar, TARAN-18 from Hughes Aircraft Company Use of HM-55S "Falcon" (Swiss designation of the SAAB Licence built Robot 27 (Rb27) which is similar to the Hughes AIM-26 "Falcon") Radar warning receiver (RWR) on both wingtips and on the back of the rudder Strengthened structure for use of JATO-Rockets Retractable nosecone and lengthened nosewheel leg for storing in Aircraft cavern. Four lifting points for moving aircraft in underground caverns with a crane Bay at the fin with a SEPR 841 rocket engine to double the velocity for short time or climb to 20,000 m (66,000 ft). US TRACOR AN/ALE-40 chaff/flare dispenser at the back under the end of the engine (fitted with the upgrade 1988). Canards designed and produced by RUAG Aerospace (fitted with the upgrade 1988) New Martin-Baker ejection-seat (fitted with the upgrade 1988). The Swiss Mirages are equipped with RWS, chaff & flare dispensers. Avionics differed as well, with the most prominent difference being that the Thomson-CSF Cyrano II radar was replaced by Hughes TARAN-18 system, giving the Mirage IIIS compatibility with the Hughes AIM-4 Falcon AAM. Also the Mirage IIIS had the wiring to carry a Swiss-built or French nuclear bomb. The Swiss nuclear bomb was stopped in the pre-production stage and Switzerland did not purchase the French-made one. The Mirage IIIS had an integral fuel tank under the aft belly; this fuel tank could be removed and replaced with an adapter of the same shape. This adapter housed a SEPR (Société d'Etudes pour la Propulsion par Réaction) rocket engine with its 300 l (79 US gal; 66 imp gal) nitric acid oxidiser tank. With the SEPR rocket, the Mirage IIIS easily reached altitudes of 24,000 m, an additional thrust of 1500 kp, the SEPR could be switched off and on minimum three times in a flight, a maximum use of 80 seconds was possible. In case of an emergency it was possible to jettison the SEPR Unit in low speed flight. The rocket fuel was very hazardous and highly toxic, so the SEPR rocket was not used very often, special buildings for maintenance were built in Buochs and Payerne and the personnel had to wear special protective suits. The Mirage IIIRS could also carry a photo-reconnaissance centerline pod and an integral fuel tank under the aft belly; this carried a smaller fuel load but allowed a back looking film camera to be added. In the early 1990s, the 30 surviving Swiss Mirage IIIS interceptors were put through an upgrade program, which included fitting them with fixed canards and updated avionics. The Mirage IIIS were phased out of service in 1999. The remaining Mirage IIIRS, BS and DS were taken out of service in 2003 The Model This is the fourth iteration of the Kinetic Mirage III kit, first released in 2014, you could say seventh, since three versions were also re-issued by Wingman Models. On opening the colourful box lid, which has two of the aircraft in flight, both in similar commemorative schemes, you will find nine sprues of medium grey styrene, one sprue of clear styrene and a large decal sheet. Kinetic have done a great job with the moulding, with very fine, recessed panel lines and rivet detail, raised areas where required, with no sign of flash or other imperfections and only a few moulding pips. The instructions are beautifully clear and easy to read and if the kit goes together as well as their recently released F-18C apparently does, then it will be a joy to build. Construction begins with the assembly of the six piece ejection seat, which, although nice, doesn’t have any belts to finish it off with, so you will have to resort to aftermarket items. The single piece cockpit tub is fitted out with an upper rear bulkhead, alternative instrument panel, depending on whether you are building the S or RS versions, joystick, rudder pedals and several black boxes. The kit comes with full length, split, air intake trunking with either side being assembled from two parts, and joining together just before the fan disk once the fuselage halves are closed up. There doesn’t appear to be a problem with join lines as they will be so deep within the fuselage you will be hard pressed to see them. With the intakes fitted, the cockpit tub, three piece nose wheel bay, two piece exhaust, with separate nozzle, and the separate fan disk are glued to one half of the fuselage, after which the fuselage can be closed up. Two holes on either side of the fuselage need to be opened up and the four lifting eyes fitted, for when the aircraft is hung from the ceiling of the tunnels that the Swiss used at the time. The fairing aft of the cockpit is then attached, along with the two outer intake fairings, which also need to have two holes drilled out for the canards, and the two upper pitot probes fitted just forward of the cockpit. The two upper wing panels are then attached to the single piece lower wing panel. This assembly is the fitted with the upper and lower airbrakes, two piece rear under-fuselage fairing, and two lower panels, with side of the fairing. Shame the rocket motor panel isn’t included, but I guess you can’t have it all. The wing assembly is then glued to the fuselage assembly and the whole model begins to look like an aircraft. The undercarriage is assembled next, with the three piece nose-wheel attached to the yoke, which in turn is attached to the nose wheel leg, which is then fitted with the lower nose bay door, landing lamps and scissor link. The assembly is then glued into position, followed by the main door, upper front door and main actuator. If you wish to pose the undercarriage up, the doors will need to have the fixing pins, and in the case of the main door, the actuator removed. The lower panel, underneath the cockpit is then fitted, along with a pair of probes and a pair of aerials. The main undercarriage are ach made from a three piece wheel, three part leg and two doors, which again need the pins removed if they are to be posed closed. A bit more detailing includes the fitting of the fin fillet, canards, two upper fuselage intakes, a panel above the rudder, the windscreen, canopy and a choice of nose cones. The simple S nose is made from two halves and the pitot probe, whilst the camera nose for the RS is made from two halves, a lower panel, a camera bar insert and the pitot probe. On the underside of the wing the flight control actuator fairings are attached, and there is a choice of flap fairings depending on whether the modeller wishes to pose the flaps retracted or deployed. The same goes for the two pylons. The separate flaps and flaperons are then attached, followed by two, two piece drop tanks finishing the build. Whilst the kit comes with another pair of tanks, rocket pods and a pair of missiles, these aren’t used with this variant. Decals The decals appear to be designed and printed by Kinetic themselves; they look pretty good, being in register, good colour density and quite glossy, which matches the glossy scheme the aircraft should be painted in. There are large and small roundels, plus a set of low vis roundels. The kit does come with a full set of stencils and warning symbols. The options are:- Mirage IIIRS R-2110 “Mirage Swiss Farewell” Staffel 10, Swiss Air Force, Buochs Air Base, 2003 Mirage IIIRS R-2116 “Mirage Swiss Farewell” Staffel 10, Swiss Air Force, Buochs Air Base, 2003 Mirage IIIRS R-2111, Staffel 10, Swiss Air Force, Buochs Air Base, 2002 Mirage IIIS J-2327, Staffel 16, Swiss Air Force, Sion Air Base, 1998 Conclusion I’ve not seen other versions of the Kinetic Mirage, but I really like this one, and I’m not normally an aircraft modeller. There is something special about the Mirage III series that brings back memories of seeing them at airshows when I was a kid. The options and colour schemes with the kit will make a nice addition to any collection.