A couple of Mirages

[Biggles87]

While waiting for an improvement in the weather, I turned my attention to the Mirage 2000 yesterday and added a few of the Renaissance etched parts to the cockpit and the tub to the starboard side of the fuselage. I have found that the instrument panel and coaming can be fitted after joining the fuselage halves so that’s what I did.

 

Today I starting the fuselage to wing join, which I am gluing  section by section starting at the rear using quick setting Plastic Weld glue and holding it in place as I go until it sets. Unfortunately the fit is not quite ‘ square ‘ and so I will have to settle for a gap somewhere, which looks like the forward underside join,  but it’s already beginning to look like a Mirage 2000. 

The Renaissance control surface set includes some intake/outlet pieces, one of which fits on top of the fuselage spine and is represented in the kit by an oversized wedge shape which I have hacked off a little too enthusiastically leaving a depression to be filled before the resin replacement can be attached. Also included in the set are the fairings for the control surface actuators which look much better than those on the kit, which have been removed.

Looking ahead to the selection of stores, I have decided to follow a suggestion by @exdraken that in addition to the centreline tank two Matra Super 530s would look right on an early 2000C,  so as there are no aftermarket items available I will try to enhance the two missile ‘ shapes ‘ provided in the kit, but more of that later.

That's it for now, any comments welcome.

Stay safe;

 

John. 

 

[Nikolay Polyakov]

On 24/08/2020 at 11:26, corsaircorp said:

Hey Gents !! One more multibuilder on here !! 

Now we need to add a new Multi-Group-Builds topic to the Group Builds area - this will be something... unusual. 🤫

 

Nice progress on Mirages, John! 👍 These kits looks interesting, have a nice build(s).

[bigbadbadge]

Excellent progress John,  I have found that resuming stalled builds they seem to progress quite quickly.   That certainly seems to be the case here too.  Great work. 

Chris 

[Biggles87]

Thanks for the interest everyone.

I don’t know about a Multi -Group-Build Nikolay, I usually have trouble completing one in the normal GB time span.

Thanks Chris, I’ve figured out your game, you’re just trying to get me going on the Spitfire Vb again. However I do agree that sometimes when you pick up something you just about gave up on for whatever reason it can renew your enthusiasm.

 

John

[bigbadbadge]

Rumbled 😉, definitely gets the old Mojo going again John.

Chris

[Biggles87]

Proceeding at my usual snail’s pace made even slower by outside ( literally ) influences:

 I have brush painted another coat on the green and generally tidied up the demarcation lines and a coat of Kleer has been applied to even out some of the patchiness. The Master pitot has been added, after dropping it and wasting 15 minutes looking for it, ( found between sock and shoe ) and the radome painted with Tamiya NATO Black. The anti-glare area between the radome and forward edge of the windscreen will be painted black once the inflight refuelling probe has been added. I masked the underwing tanks using my ‘wavy’ scissors ( bought many years ago from a haberdashery in the UK ) to cut the tape  and painted the green areas. While waiting for the tanks to dry I attached the main undercarriage legs and doors, and made some adjustments to the nose wheel leg. The Neomega set supplies a replacement nose wheel bay which is deeper than the kit item so I had to lengthen the leg accordingly. Without the wheels the ‘ sit ‘ is little too nose high but as the mainwheels have a larger diameter than those on the nose this should be corrected once everything is in place. 

 

 

 

Wing/ fuselage join completed on the -2000 I have attached the intake strakes, the aerials on either side of the fin and the brake parachute fairing under the tail. The three resin outlets for the fuselage spine and above the wing roots have somehow become separated from the rest of my Renaissance set so unless they miraculously reappear, will have to be fabricated.I still have the replacement piece for the tail cone and have removed the kit part in preparation for fitting it. I have removed the representations of the control hinge fairings from the undersides which will be replaced by the Renaissance pieces after the control surfaces are in place, but I cannot decide yet wether to fit the ‘ Spirale ‘ decoy equipment at the rear of the wing roots, as I still haven’t decided on the final markings which could determine wether these were fitted.

The centreline drop tank and missile pylons have also been added as these will be the same colour as the wing and fuselage undersides, and I have started work on improving the look of the Super 530 missiles. The most  obvious thing for improvement are the ‘ wings ‘ which appear in photos to be significantly thicker than those of the kit items and chamfered to sharp leading edges so I have added some Plasticard either side of the originals which will be sanded down at the leading edges. The rear fins also appear to be much too thin and will be dealt with similarly. 

 

As usually happens after the photos, I’ve spotted a couple of areas which need some attention before I continue, but I think I’m finally getting there.

 

Comments/criticism/advice welcome as always.

 

John   

 

 

 

[Hamden]

 

Nice looking pair, I shall look forward to the next update

 

  Stay safe       Roger

 

[bigbadbadge]

Great update John and Great paintwork too, looks stunningfella, they are coming on well.   The recommencement of the Spitfire is getting closer !!!😉

 

Chris

[Biggles87]

Finally decided on some markings for the -2000. Hannants have a reprint of Berna Decals 48011 which has tail markings which include storks/cranes which I always associate with early Mirage 2000s, so I’ve  just ordered one. Still not sure if the ‘ Spirale ‘ system would have been carried. Any advice on the matter and suggested colour matches would be gratefully received.

 

John.  

[corsaircorp]

Very good choice John !!

CC

[exdraken]

6 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

Finally decided on some markings for the -2000. Hannants have a reprint of Berna Decals 48011 which has tail markings which include storks/cranes which I always associate with early Mirage 2000s, so I’ve  just ordered one. Still not sure if the ‘ Spirale ‘ system would have been carried. Any advice on the matter and suggested colour matches would be gratefully received.

 

John.  

If you mean the storks, that would be 1/2 cigognes  the others are sea gulls I think .

 

I think you could go either way with the ECM...

Put them on, they look great and as you also use R530s,  better bet I guess!