Mirage IIIEBR 1/48 - Aztec decals on!

[exdraken]

One cannot have enough started kits I think,,,,, while one is drying, youcan always sand some parts, or rescribe something, or else,,,

so I decided to do another Mirage with canards, this time it is set to be a Mirage IIIEBR of the Brazilian Airforce (FAB), or F-103E as they used to call them

the kit will be the ancient ESCI/ Italeri kit for an Mirage IIIE, still mor or less the only choice out of the box.

As I bought a Neomega resin cockpit once for it and also got an AML exhaust nozzle, I really wanted to build it once.... so here it is....

parts are already partially rescribed, the raised lines were quite crude. (as is my rescribing for the moment...)

Resin parts are cleaned and dry fitted, so far so good! here some pics:

hope it turns out at least somehow decent!!

Werner

Edited November 20, 2014 by exdraken

[jgrease]

Nice!

[exdraken]

AML exhaust nozzle before painting:

fits very well and looks very nice (and light years ahead of the kit part...)

Edited September 5, 2014 by exdraken

[exdraken]

some progress:

I actuall have to say that although the ESCI / Italeri kit really doesn't have a good reputation and it looks quite crude in the box, it is actually not that bad!

first: fit is GOOD

second: the upgrade parts (in my case Neomega cockit and AML exhast ) really show their worth

third: it looks like a Mirage III (which is good in itself!)

have a look:

only dry-fitting, no glue yet here:

and cockpit:

maybe better without eyeballed fuselage halfs....

cheers,

[Vesa Jussila]

Very nice Sir!

[Airfixer]

Great project!

I'm firmly convinced that your WIP will be a treat to watch, so count me in closely following it.

Cheers,

Erik

Edited September 10, 2014 by Airfixer

[exdraken]

thanks everybody,

Great project!

I'm firmly convinced that your WIP will be a treat to watch, so count me in closely following it.

no progress fro the time being, as vacation came first!

not sure if it will be that great though, as I said before, the kit is nothing really special, BUT I was surpticed by the close to excellent fit of it and the resin parts so far!

paint scheme will be more of a challenge though I think!

[shark 64]

you can't go wrong with Mirages in any scale. nice start on yours.

Oliver

[Biggles87]

Looking good so far, the resin will make a huge difference.

[horrido109]

Very nice start. I'll be following with interest.

Victor

[exdraken]

Mirage is externally more or less comlete, just noticed that I forgot the Doppler radar bulge on the lower nose...:

here some updates:

canopy fit is mediocre at best, will display it open I think!

canards were scratch built form an old F-16 wing... (historically a littel complicated, I know ), the template coming from the Aztek Mirage decal sheet

best regards, Werner

Edited October 2, 2014 by exdraken

[philtn]

The cockpit looks very nice! Any chance for instrument decals?

Looking forward to the ejection seat and your paint job!!

[LT Motta]

Hello Werner,

A fine choice! I'm following to learn... I would like to do the same project!

[exdraken]

The cockpit looks very nice! Any chance for instrument decals?

Looking forward to the ejection seat and your paint job!!

actually I put some instrument decals, just forgot to post the photos.... not the best, but anyway

here you are:

will have to change the canards a bit, looks like the one on the instructions are for a Kfir, and they are quite a lot bigger!

anybody knows if Mirage canards generally are smaller and of different shape, or is this only the case with some users? Switzerland and Brazil definitely used smaller ones.... are they he same?

[exdraken]

canards update....

I decided to use the templates from FCM decals, they seem to be the same as used on Swiss Mirage IIIS DS and RS variants.

comparing these to photos that seem fine to me.

can anybody enlighten me concerning Mirage canards please?

here my reshaping effort...

the leading edge angle is definitely steeper, and the span is shorter now

regards, Werner

[Giorgio N]

canards update....

I decided to use the templates from FCM decals, they seem to be the same as used on Swiss Mirage IIIS DS and RS variants.

comparing these to photos that seem fine to me.

can anybody enlighten me concerning Mirage canards please?

If I've understood the matter correctly, the canards used on the Swiss aircrafts do not require great structural modifications while larger units would need more work on the intake structure. The "Swiss" canards are known as C.70, meaning their surface is 70% that of the Kfir canards.

Looking at pictures, I agree that the EBR seems to have the same canards of the Swiss aircrafts.

Good work on this one, looking forward to seeing more ! The Mirage III is such a beautiful aircraft !

[Vlamgat9]

The SAAF's Cheetah Ds and Es had the 70% size canards too.

The Cheetah Cs had full Kfir sized canards - which rather reinforces the probability that the Cs were rebuilt Kfir airframes supplied by Israel.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Vlamgat9

[LT Motta]

Hi Werner,

I believe those templates are over sized. I've got my canards and few bits from here: http://www.eagledesigns.50megs.com Lucas is a really nice guy and make a "special selection" for me.

He sent "small canards" to me. Checking references it does make sense:

(pictures gotten from internet and used only for information purpose)

So comparing my resin canards (what I've got from eagle design) they match with 1/72 scale template...

Hope I could help you.

Edited October 11, 2014 by LT Motta

[exdraken]

thanks you very much everybody!

great help on the canards!

so to sum it up, Aztec s templates are to big, maybe the are correct for the Kfir (C2 onwards) and Cheetah C

LT Motta, also thanks a lot for the great pictures! Some of them are new to me...

I dinally used the templates provided by FCM decals, they are a lot smaller, close to the 1/72 ones from Aztec.

Picture to follow soon!

cheers , Werner

[exdraken]

was promising photos yesterday, here they are:

hope the canards look the part!!

some clean up around the windscreen and she is ready for the paint shop

and now also with the quasi obligatory metal pitot tube from Master! hard to imagine doing one without...

Edited October 13, 2014 by exdraken

[exdraken]

base color for the " camoufalge"

I think it is to lemon like for now... will give it another coat, a little more intense yellow

[Col.]

Another nice Dassault delta coming along there

[exdraken]

very colorful and a little messy .....

I am a bit afraid of taking of the masking tape.... but will finally have to!

[exdraken]

hmmm. some bigger problems than hoped for!

the yellow paint peeled away on quite large areas with the masking foil...

still looking like a Mirage!

Radome and doppler radome in flat black

sooo... masking again!

this time with a different, less sticky masking tape!!!

[SHAR67]

How do matey

if your using acrylic based paints then try adding a drop of cellulose thinners to the paint, it helps the paint to adhere to the the model. I use this method and I can't say I have ever had this problem, also try putting the masking tape on your forehead this helps take some of the stickiness from the tape hope this helps bud great looking Mirages both of them.

Clive