1/48 Mirage IIIB - CEV Istres

[rom1]

Hello Britmodellers!

it's been a while since my last In progress topic here.

Here I am with my latest project, with some French flavour.

It deals with the twoseater Mirage IIIB seen at Istres air base (France) around 1996-200.
Its serial is 234 and belongs to CIFAS 328 (Bombing instruction center of Cognac, Strategic Air Forces)

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1410770/

http://aeromil-yf.pagesperso-orange.fr/les_mirage_iii_5.htm
http://aeromil-yf.pagesperso-orange.fr/Plan%20du%20site.htm

http://www.airliners.net/photo/France---Air/Dassault-Mirage-IIIB-1/0926443/L/

The airplane is painted in semi matt alu, with dayglow areas on tail and wings.

I decided to start with the Eduard base, because it is the most detailed (especially the surfaces)
Be careful, most detailed, do not mean most accurate.
The Heller kit is still the most accurate in shapes.

Talking about Heller, I actually will use the Fonderie Miniature boxing, which gives resin cockpit and white metal parts.

French review here:
http://fighters.forumactif.com/t38562-mirage-iii-b-1-48-fonderie-miniature

Let's Go!
Starting with cutting:

First dryfit tests:

Spine is from Heller

Fitting test with Eduard Intakes:

You will have to shorten the Eduard intakes to match the Miragee IIIB's one.

On the fuselage:

Major surgery is done, or more precisely, prepared.
Now some detailing. FM Seats are finally replaced by Wolpack ones, as seen on pictures beneath:

Major surgery is done.

Some work around the exhaust.

Eduard parts are enhanced with Edaurd PE 48128 and photo paper... ^^

Bye

Romain

[Vlamgat9]

This is awesome stuff. Really difficult to meld three kits together like this. Will be watching with interest as one day I want to do something similar to create a Cheetah D!

[Martian]

This looks really intriguing as well as colourful!

Martin

[Avgas]

I was told that mating these kits is close to impossible. You seem to blowing that theory out of the water. Verynice and very interesting subject - I'll be watching.

[JOAN]

Great work ! need to enhance the mine with this pe set.

I ´ll take a chair....

olivier

[rom1]

Hello guys!

thanks for passing by ;^)

The "mating" process require some patience and method, but nothing impossible.

Merci Olivier ;^)

Regards

Romain

[Marlin]

Fantastic Romain

I'll be following this with great interest as I've got the same plan for an israeli Mirage IIIB

/Bosse

[dergrunepunkt]

Nice proyect!, It's rare to see a any Mirage here, not even mention a twin seater. What a cracking job!, I have two Heller Mirage C/B in my stash and fantasized a couple of times this kit bash to build a Dagger twin seater, I rather decided to rescribe it and do some improvements, I couldn't get a resin for the cockpit but with the pictures you posted I'll "lie" a bit on mine.

Here I share you my curent build

keep up the good work!

[rom1]

Hello!

Nice work Dergrunepunkt!;^)

Then I painted the cockpit.

Base coat is "Chaos Black" from Citadel, panels are lightened with some gray in order to create conrast.

Then cleared with satin varnish.

So I can apply black and brown washes.

After that, a drybrush of grey is done.

Details are painted in white, red, yellow with humbrols.

Seats are painted with Prince August Acrylics.

I decided to build in parallel a Edurad Mirage IIIC and an AMK KFIR:

Here are the four seats:

MkIV fon the Mirage IIIB:

Dry fit for the pictures:

IIIC' cockpit:

KFIR:

Exhausts are also finished.

A base coat of Humbrol metalcoat 27004 is sprayed, then polished to reveal the metal shine.

Then washes and drybrush.

And we can close fuselages!

Putty is needed in some areas:

Intakes are quite good fitted:

We discover lines of the FrankenMirage:

Than ks for watching ;^)

Bye!

Romain

Romain

[Vlamgat9]

Great stuff. Love it.

[Antoine]

Great work, Romain.

[rom1]

Hello!

thanks guys ;^)

After lots of putty and sanding, the Mirage is polished with Micromesh clothes.

Then washed with soaped water.

Then I sprayed Tamiya TS30 direct from can.

The can is warmed in hot water before application.

With the IIIC

As for the IIIB, it will be reworked with semi matt alu from alclad.

TS30 just serves as a basis

bye

Romain

[rom1]

Hello,

I sprayed Alclad 116 Semi matt Alu right on the TS30.

First coat is then polished with a coton piece, and a second light layer is sprayed again.

Result:

Compared to the TS30 on the IIIC:

Next step will deal with painting the dayglow.

Bye

Romain

[rom1]

Hello,

Next is dayglow painting.

I started with a looot of masking:

Next is painting with those cans:

White first:

Then yellow:

And Humbrol 209:

Hard to render the reality on the pictures, but in real the rendering is very nice!

Fluo!

et voilà!

Bye

Romain

[Vlamgat9]

Stunning!

[exdraken]

wow, that's a nice paint scheme and flawlessly executed!

superb inspiration!

[rom1]

Thanks guys!

The fluo rendering is not visible on pictures.

Don't know how to do..

bye

[rom1]

Hello,

Next with painting the nose and dielectric panels.

bye

Romain

[rom1]

Hi

Next step was applying the decals.

They come from the Eduard Profipack boxing, except the CIFAS insignas and codes which come from the old Heller box.

Then I applied a classic Sepia wash with oil thinned with White Spirit.

Here are the legs.

Front strut is from Fonderie Miniature in white metal.

Main struts are Eduard ones,which I shortened at their base.

cheers

Romain

[exdraken]

perfect!

superb progress!

:)

[rom1]

thanks exdraken!

The finished pics:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234964554-148-mirage-iiib-cev-istres/

Thanks again for passing by!

Romain

[crobinsonh]

What a fantastic conversion and finish.