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Mirage IIIB


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It's a GB for French subjects. It would just be wrong if there wasn't a Mirage III. :D

So I will be building one. A Mirage IIIB to be exact.

M-001.jpg

I have chosen a French version included in the kit markings, ECT 02/002 Côte d'Or based at Dijon in 1982. However, if I can find markings for a 1960s vintage aircraft, that may change.

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I think Mirages are like French women, or is it French women are like Mirages.........I'll stop before I get in trouble!

What do you mean? Pointy nose and bent legs, as well as being hard to land?

Man, you met the wrong ones!!!

Enzo, your choice of the Escadron Cote d'Or is great! The best squadron badges on the fin of all the Dijon Mirages!

I hope you keep this choice.

How is the PJ kit? Deep recessed lines like their latest single seater kits?

Have fun!

JR

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I think Mirages are like French women, or is it French women are like Mirages.........I'll stop before I get in trouble!

What do you mean? Pointy nose and bent legs, as well as being hard to land?

Man, you met the wrong ones!!!

Enzo, your choice of the Escadron Cote d'Or is great! The best squadron badges on the fin of all the Dijon Mirages!

I hope you keep this choice.

How is the PJ kit? Deep recessed lines like their latest single seater kits?

Have fun!

JR

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Enzo, your choice of the Escadron Cote d'Or is great! The best squadron badges on the fin of all the Dijon Mirages!

I hope you keep this choice.

I will. I did some research and it seems that aircraft was with the same unit in the mid-70s with the same markings. That's early enough for me. :)

How is the PJ kit? Deep recessed lines like their latest single seater kits?

I believe it is the same kit with a different nose and spine. So yes, deep recessed panel lines. I'm going to live with them though. I'll attempt to reduce the depth with Mr Surfacer and Alclad primer and I won't use a wash to highlight them. On the positive side, I won't have any trouble masking the panel lines! :D

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I'm losing track of the number of builds you have on the go but I'm really looking forward to this - I love Mirages!

There's a certain elegance about the two seaters too.

Does the kit give you the earlier exhaust for the B?

Wez

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I'm losing track of the number of builds you have on the go

Five, with another two to come... :mental:

Does the kit give you the earlier exhaust for the B?

No. The aircraft is actually a IIIBE, which I believe is externally identical to the IIID. To make an original IIIB I would have to source the longer exhaust from somewhere else - maybe an old Airfix kit. I'm happy to build this one OOB.

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No. The aircraft is actually a IIIBE, which I believe is externally identical to the IIID. To make an original IIIB I would have to source the longer exhaust from somewhere else - maybe an old Airfix kit. I'm happy to build this one OOB.

To make a B (derived from the C) you would need (among several other differences...) the rudder with the kink near the base. The BE, derived from the E, has a straight rudder.

But the BE is a nice choice.

JR

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Here are the sprue shots.

M-002.jpg

M-003.jpg

M-004.jpg

M-005.jpg

The panel lines are quite heavy and pronounced. PJ Productions have designed the kit to be all things to all people and the majority of the kit is used in the single seat boxings. As you can see, as single seat nose is included here. That means that the parts breakdown is quite complex. The resin parts duplicate some plastic parts on the sprues - external tanks and ejection seats. The plastic ejection seats are quite nice anyway, so they can be used elsewhere.

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These sprues look good!

Better too deep panels lines than raised ones!!! (Chinese proverb).

To add to my "to get" list.

JR

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  • 2 weeks later...

The nose section and fuselage are ready to be assembled. Sadly, a bit out of focus. :wall:

M-006.jpg

Not much to be seen in the cockpit area. The pabels are resin. The front panel isn't cemented in place yet and fell over as I pressed the shutter...

M-007.jpg

The fuselage parts and nose are assembled. I went a bit nuts with the nose ballast. ;)

M-008.jpg

Main assembly complete. The wings and fuselage have some major gappage which I have filled with Milliput.

M-009.jpg

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Another fast job Enzo!

The two-seater does look indeed very good! The panel lines do not seem to be that deep from where I sit...

Great show!

JR

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Looking good so far Enzo!

Looking at the sprues this kit looks very similar to the High planes kit, are they the same moulds?

Rich

Edited by Rich G
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Nice quick work, Enzo!

I can confirm that the plastic originates from HPM, and the resin and PE bits are added by PJ.

Edit: Hmm, I'm not so sure about the resin bits, as HPM produces them as aftermarket products, and the guy who runs HPM did extensive research on the tanks (dimensions, shape).

Edited by EricP
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Well I've made the HPM 'IAI Dagger' kit in the Argentine markings, but that kit didn't have the PE or Resin bits, so the PJ kit looks to be a good buy.

Rich

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Edit: Hmm, I'm not so sure about the resin bits, as HPM produces them as aftermarket products, and the guy who runs HPM did extensive research on the tanks (dimensions, shape).

No doubt that explains why the tanks are on the plastic sprues and then duplicated in resin.

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No doubt that explains why the tanks are on the plastic sprues and then duplicated in resin.

The plastic ones are way undersize, and as mine is the HPM kit, with no resin ones, I'm currently fattening mine up

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  • 2 weeks later...
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