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Three Mirage F1s


Enzo the Magnificent

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I know I have a bit of a reputation for doing stupid amounts in a GB :mental:  so I would hate to break the mould.  :) 

 

Here are three Mirage F1s, using the excellent Special Hobby kit. 

 

F1-001.JPG

 

As you can see from the jumble above, only one of the kits is in a box.  The two single-seaters are from the bagged "simple kits" that Special Hobby released about a year ago.  These are simply the plastic parts with no decals, supplied in a bag.  In effect, they are Special Hobby's equivalent to Eduard's "overtrees".  

 

I will be building the following:

 

Mirage F1AZ - Gabonese Air Force.   This will use the LF Models conversion set.  @Giorgio N will be using the same set for his build, which will be a bit more involved than mine.   You can see his build here. 

Mirage F1JA - Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana  This is the export version of the F1E.  I was struck by the two green camouflage as shown on the Xtradecal sheet and a couple of photographs on the net.  @eclipse pointed out in the chat thread that the scheme is actually green and brown.  Different references give different paint numbers for the lighter colour, so this will be quite interesting to research while the build progresses.

 

Mirage F1B  -  Armée de l'air  You can't build a batch of Mirage F1s without building one in the classic French blue scheme.   It's The Law!  The Special Hobby kit provides a suitable scheme, but it is a special scheme.  I much prefer standard line jets, so I'll be using a scheme from an Xtradecal scheme.  It's really quite plain, which I like.

 

 

Let's have a look at the parts.

 

Here are the fuselage halves for the single seater.  The first batch of these kits had a slightly damaged bit at the very front of the part.  this was rectified in subsequent batches.  These parts are actually from a boxed kit which had the damage. I replaced these parts in the box with perfectly formed parts from a simple kit.  I will be using them on this build for the Mirage F1AZ. It will be having major surgery to the nose anyway, so I thought that the damaged part wouldn't be an issue.

 

F1-002.JPG

 

F1-003.JPG

 

F1-004.JPG

 

F1-005.JPG

 

F1-006.JPG

 

 

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Enzo,

What

Fabulous choice of subjects and I agree, such a line-up needs un bleu !

 

Don't forget to check out Jay's (Mountain Goat's) build thread highlighting some two-seater specifics missed on the kit.

 

What are the differences between a C and the Ecuadorian version (mostly aerials I should think).

 

Good luck with your brood.  Welcome to your GB! :P

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Hum... first of all, the radar doppler antenna under the nose, of course MK.6 ejection seat instead of MK.4, later specific chaff and flares launchers just above the keel and a new israeli RWR...

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6 minutes ago, eclipse said:

first of all, the radar doppler antenna under the nose, of course MK.6 ejection seat instead of MK.4, later specific chaff and flares launchers just above the keel and a new israeli RWR...

 

The first one I knew about.  The remainder are new to me.  Thanks for the heads up.   This build is going to be fun!  

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Wow, 3 at the same time, puts new meaning to Group build

Where do you get those "simple kits" from?

 

Love that video, and especially the one with the big centreline tank with the sharkmouth

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Okay, let's get started.

 

Here is the F1B box with its striking artwork.

 

F1B-001.JPG

 

The fuselage and extra cockpit components come on a pair of new sprues.

 

F1B-002.JPG

 

The Xtradecal sheet which I will be using.

 

F1B-003.JPG

 

Built straight from the box, here is the F1B before the fuselage halves are joined.

 

F1B-004.JPG

 

And the airframe assembled.

 

F1B-005.JPG

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No box to show for the single seaters as they are "simple kits".  No box, resin or decals. 

 

No a problem. I can get the resin and decals elsewhere. 

 

LF Models provide a resin nose and decals for the F1AZ.

 

F1AZ-001.JPG

 

The Ecuadorian F1JA will use an Xtradecal sheet.

 

F1JA-001.JPG

 

The single seater cockpit before the fuselage halves are joined.

 

F1-007.JPG

 

The first run of this kit had a damaged cockpit coaming on the port fuselage half.  As I am doing a lot of surgery on the nose of the F1AZ, I used one of the damaged kits.

 

The F1JA (top) uses the kit parts.  The F1AZ (bottom) has the kit nose parts cut down drastically with the LF Models resin part added.  The damaged area will be repaired by judicious use of Green Stuff.  Further work will be necessary when the windscreen is fitted.

 

F1-008.JPG

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A family portrait.  Say fromage! :D

 

F1-009.JPG

 

Oh... and an Airfix kit has photobombed the group.  :)   I have robbed the centreline bomb rack from the Airfix kit to use on the Ecuadorean aircraft.  When I came to look properly at the Airfix kit, which has been in The Stash for about twenty years, it seemed to be quite nice and deserved to be built.  So that is now progressing as an Old School build. I'll open another thread for that one.

 

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In addition to the Airfix kit, in The Stash I have two each of the Hasegawa and Heller kits.  I had thought of building all three as Old School builds.  But that would mean eight builds in this GB which is just sheer madness!  :mental: 

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21 hours ago, Enzo Matrix said:

In addition to the Airfix kit, in The Stash I have two each of the Hasegawa and Heller kits.  I had thought of building all three as Old School builds.  But that would mean eight builds in this GB which is just sheer madness!  :mental: 

 

Which of course, suits you to the ground, go on, you know you want to :whistle:

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This is looking like a party! Very well chosen subjects, all exotic and nice to look at. The F1AZ nose section is simply brilliant. Best looking F1.

 

Eight F1s would amount to eight times goodness. Which is an extra great amount of goodness to have. No-brainer if you ask me.:lol:

 

Jay

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I like the AZ conversion Enzo, it really is an attractive aircraft. Very nicely faired in :thumbsup2: 

 

I hope to try to make the F1BE in the same boxing as yours. It looks like it goes together well.

 

Looling forward to the next instalment - four is a lot, but eight :o??

 

Best regards 

TonyT

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  • 2 months later...

This thread is way overdue for a major update.

 

So let's look at the F1AZ.  The camouflage base colour is Xtracrylix XA1002 Dark Earth

 

F1AZ-004.JPG

 

Camouflage masked using my usual technique of Blutak worms.

 

F1AZ-005.JPG

 

The brown bits are coated with Copydex.  The green is Xtracrylix XA1001 Dark Green

 

F1AZ-006.JPG

 

Undersurfaces are Xtracrylix XA1004 Dark Sea Grey

 

F1AZ-007.JPG

 

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Moving on to the F1JA, with exactly the same stages as seen above.

 

The green is Lifecolor UA091 Dark Green FS34079

 

F1JA-004.JPG

 

Opened another can of worms...  :)

 

F1JA-005.JPG

 

And sprayed with Xtracylix XA1110 Forest Green FS34079.   Both greens were supposed to refpresent the same colour...

 

F1JA-006.JPG

 

Undersurfaces sprayed with Lifecolor UA021 Light Grey FS36622

 

F1JA-007.JPG

 

 

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The F1B doesn't require worms.  The uppersurfaces were sprayed with Vallejo Model Color 70.900 Mirage Blue.

 

F1B-007.JPG

 

The undersurfaces were sprayed with aluminium from an auto spray rattle can.

 

F1B-008.JPG

 

After a bit of detail painting, they all get together for a family portrait.  Say "fromage". :D 

 

F1-010.JPG

 

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