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1/48 Mirage IIID, A3-111 - 77SQN RAAF **Finished**


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10 hours ago, TrojanThunder said:

I may just surprise you Mike! Double build anyone?

 

Sounds good to me Ray. After all, I'd feel absolutely terrible if word started spreading around BM that we've identified the first Australian who has ever shied away from a challenge. :devil:

 

(On a serious note, just one of your builds would be enough eye-candy for me !)

 

mike

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The carnage scribing underway

34949729914_3f722ee9bd_b.jpg

 

Some wayward scribing on the wings to be fixed up (later)

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The fuselage, something I had not realised was that I had already removed the B/C tail cone, thought I had not read the Red Roo instructions and took a little too much away under the fin, I will replace it with some card later.

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Assembly started, as in my usual impatientness (is that a word), I had to press on. I found the cockpit assembly instruction quite vague as to where parts actually were positioned. I think I got most of it right but the nose wheel well ended up not sitting correctly. we will see how bad it is later and that will determine if this will be a wheels up build. There are some nice gaps on the rear fuselage walls which I think will be covered with thin replacement card walls.

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Resin being attached, you can almost see where there is too much removed from under the fin.

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Rocket bay tank fairing in place, it just needs to be faired in and some pin holes filled.

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Cockpit and fuselage together, once the glue sets some filling, sanding and rescribing to come.

34979946873_091db60a3f_b.jpg

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Ray,

 

I know what I like and I like what I see.  I'm also glad to see you haven't shied away from taking on the Heller kit and it's looking good - congratulations!

 

 

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Deep respect with the scribing Ray ! It's a thankless task but you've done a cracking job. Best of all is that you've provided me with a map of where the panel lines should be, after my elbows and 240 grit got carried away.

 

:thumbsup2::thumbsup2:

 

Onwards and upwards.

 

mike

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Round one of filling and sanding complete

 

35764486936_705efe5bab_b.jpg

 

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The cockpit needs some attention, RAAF IIIDs did not have a gunsight for the back seater, also not sure what the large protrusion in front of the rear panel is, so off it will come.

 

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Protrusion removed, and front instrument panel installed, also need to do something with those rear cockpit side walls

 

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Elevon jack fairings installed, I thought there may have been a shape issue with the inboard pair, perhaps the B had different fairings to the D? But I was wrong, a check of some reference pictures showed that were the same.

 

34995996573_9f22859962_b.jpg

 

Also the Mirage D/E(O) landing lights were on the nose gear leg, not in the fuselage so the clear part was installed and filled over. I will need to make up some landing lights from clear sprue parts as some point.

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31 minutes ago, Graeme H said:

Good to see some great modelling going on Ray, coming together very quickly

 

Have to agree and it also serves as a great prompt to pull my finger out and get on with my projects!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Being easily distracted I have been working on 4 different kits in the last week or so. I managed to get back to this one and do some more.

 

Some dodgy scribing was filled and rescribed and I have started to update the cockpits.

 

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Since the cockpits are a bit of a flight of fancy where it comes to RAAF variants I have just added some fanciful bits and bobs to busy up behind the instrument panels, also added the rear missing combing. I also reskinned the rear cockpit walls to hide the gap in the walls. Once the black paint goes on you won't see much of this anyway.

 

36022032505_5d2c841a4f_b.jpg

 

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Phew !

 

For a minute, I thought you had fallen off the planet ? Then I realised that you were just on the other side of it !  :D

 

Great progress and making me feel like a snail.

 

mike

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8 hours ago, mitchem said:

Phew !

 

For a minute, I thought you had fallen off the planet ? Then I realised that you were just on the other side of it !  :D

 

Great progress and making me feel like a snail.

 

mike

 

Like I said Mike, I am easily distracted and have been working on my 1/72 C-17, 1/72 E-8C, 1/72 CH-129 Cormorant, this Mirage and a 1/35 Chaffee :D There is also a started 1/144 747 and Shuttle that is calling out to me to do some more on.

 

I now need to replace a couple of intake scoops I destroyed when I was sanding and then I can think about some cockpit paint and getting the landing gear sorted.

 

Stay tuned, I hope to be back with an update soon,

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A true labor of love .....you got going there Ray :)

 

Really nice work the scribing looks great............Hope to see it up and done soon..........

 

I purchased the kinetic two seater recently.....if it comes on time and if I can get the high planes kit done ...I might just add it in for this g/b

 

Rgds

Brian

 

 

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Jumping back to this one from the 3 other kits I have on the go.

 

I squirted some paint into the cockpit

 

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And did some dry brushing

 

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Started to add the underside scoops that were damaged

 

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and strengthening strakes on the forward fuselage

 

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after I removed the pitot probe, which is installed just in front of the windscreen up top

 

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Up top, the pitot probes are installed along with a couple of kit supplied scoops. The vent grills on the spine have been filled they are in the wrong position and have the incorrect orientation.

 

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I also scribed in the fuel caps just in front of the scoops. RAAF Mirages did not have single point refueling like other Es and had to be filled with hand held nozzles like so.

 

Neill-Groves-A3-111-001.jpg

image from Motty's Aircraft Pages

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I have reshaped the new vents and attempted to drill them out some. I also noticed a gap in the main wheel wells between the upper and lower wing (after losing a small off cut inside) so I clamped and glued them together. There was also a length of wheel well wall where there was no wall, so out with the card and rectified

 

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I installed the gear legs as well at this time.

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The clear parts were added to the cockpit

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The crew were glued to their seats and  test fitted in the cockpit

35421232424_9ebc1caa0c_b.jpg

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4 hours ago, TrojanThunder said:

.......I also noticed a gap in the main wheel wells between the upper and lower wing (after losing a small off cut inside)

.......There was also a length of wheel well wall where there was no wall.

 

Talk about coincidences. We must be building the same model ! :clown:

 

On a serious note, I'll probably just use card to fill the gaps all round rather than clamping on my build. I'm under enough stress as it is after seeing how quickly you're progressing - it's looking exceedingly good by the way.

 

mike

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Another modeller making great progress, well done Ray.

 

It's only when you put crew into a Mirage that you realise just how small the aircraft is!

 

Didn't know that about Australian Mirage refuelling, always preferred pressure refuelling to open line, the amount of times I got covered with fuel when the filler pipe belched and blew back!  Stank worse than a Sumpie!

 

 

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8 hours ago, Wez said:

Another modeller making great progress, well done Ray.

 

It's only when you put crew into a Mirage that you realise just how small the aircraft is!

 

Didn't know that about Australian Mirage refuelling, always preferred pressure refuelling to open line, the amount of times I got covered with fuel when the filler pipe belched and blew back!  Stank worse than a Sumpie!

 

 

 

It's funny you mention the size of the jet Wez, when I got posted to my first Mirage unit is could not get over how big the Mirage was. Up until then the only single seat aircraft I had been around was a Winjeel (about the size of a Harvard) during my training

 

But then I got to see an F-111 up close and boy that was big.

 

As for refueling them, the poor engine guy checking the oils (from the main wheel well) were always in danger of a fuel shower if someone was fueling above on the wing and it was getting close to full. There was an art to not spilling fuel when getting close to full...

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On 31/07/2017 at 7:04 AM, exdraken said:

looks very nice the conversion!

 

the Heller kit is a nice kit (as a base!)

 

 

I agree, it is an easy kit to work with. I have started work on a base as well. I realised I had managed to remove the pitot probes while working on the base. The garage carpet monster got them. Looks like I will have make some new ones up.

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Trying to devote enough time to the 4-5 kits I have on the go.

 

The crew are done, I added the face blind and seat pan ejection handles made from wire.

 

35590705983_d48636de8e_b.jpg

 

and installed

 

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Time to add canopy and get it ready for paint

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