IanHx Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 (edited) Typical, you wait ages for a Dassault Mirage 4 to feature in a group build, and then four turn up at once 2020 has been a rubbish year so far in terms of modelling output for me, so doing a nice easy mojo-restoring out-of-the-box build of the Heller 1:72 Dassault Mirage 4. Edited October 11, 2020 by IanHx pic 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Nice one Ian, hope you have better luck with this one. Catalogue number 351 from 1979 originally. I've said it before but it's worth re-iterating, that upper spine joint is very long and prone to flexing, I would recommend some reinforcement. Welcome to the GB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 Thanks Wez. Looking at the kit parts and decals, it seems to be a very basic affair. Doesn't matter to me, as long as it ends up looking like a Mirage 4 from a distance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted October 12, 2020 Author Share Posted October 12, 2020 Fuselage together, wings on. Now for the fiddly landing lights in the nose. And hours and hours of second guessing whether I should have left that front fuselage aerial on after all.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 Hi Ian, I am looking forwards to seeing pics so as to see how mine might go together. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 It’s a lovely aircraft, so the more Mirage IV’s on display here the better. Yes, I agree additional WIP pics would be great when you get the chance Ian. Cheers.. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 A Mirage IVA/P is always welcome!! :). A great machine!!!! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 (edited) Pictures ? <cough> <splutter> you want PICTURES ?! oh alright then.... Vaguely triangular thing. It's a Dassault to the eyes ! Given that it's going to be a closed cockpit job, with very little visible, I didn't waste much time on the interior. Underside of triangular thing after the joins have been sanded a little Close-up of the spine . And some filler in the wing root for good measure. A pack of clamps has found a defenceless trailing edge and bring the mirage to ground... Edited October 13, 2020 by IanHx 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 I'm keen to see what you can do with this Ian, some tips for the one I have in stock & that isn't going to make an appearance in this GB will be welcome. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted October 14, 2020 Author Share Posted October 14, 2020 So far its gone together remarkably easily. Fit was generally good, the only particular care needed was when fitting the rear bulkhead to the cockpit tub, to do it while dry-fitting the cockpit tub to get the angles right. Now the nose on the other hand, needs a bit of planning ahead. Looking at the photos in the walk around section of BM (Thanks, great resource !) I can see that I might need to paint round the side landing light hole before fitting the light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted October 18, 2020 Author Share Posted October 18, 2020 What's this, another photo in IanHx's thread ? Can't be real, it's a Mirage i tell you Latest fun and games has centred around the nosecone, specifically the embedded landing lights. To try and get a sense of depth, I painted the holes black , put the clear transparencies in as indicated, and then painted the backs of the transparencies white. Or at least that was the plan.... shame it was executed by a ham-fisted ape ! Will try to clean up the seam in a bit. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted October 25, 2020 Author Share Posted October 25, 2020 Time for some more close encounters of the blurred kind Currently fitting airbrakes and assembling the landing bogies. One thing to watch out for - get rid of those ejector pin marks on the inside of the airbrake. Not just bacause they're unseemly, but because they stop the airbrakes sitting flush. The front landing gear strut will get a mention in Ian's Book Of Unnecessarily Complicated Modelling Parts ! For the moment leaving the round thingy ( radar radome ? ) on the underside off, in case I need to put a bit more weight in there to stop it tail-sitting. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 (edited) Hi, Looking at my 1982 Heller catalogue, I have just noticed that they show two versions - a green grey camo one with the little aerials at the tip of the nose, and an NMF one without the aerials. My boxing only has instructions etc for the camo one so I presume the earliy version did not have the aerials and that they were added later on? I think your boxing is similar to mine. Looking at videos of the IV in later life and at the Yorkshire Air Museum, I cannot be certain but I suspect the airbrakes may no longer have the yellow outlined red panel on them, at least on the under wing which just appears to have a dashed red outline - there may be the same on the upper wing and certainly not the patch provided with the kit decs. Pete Edited October 25, 2020 by PeterB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted November 6, 2020 Author Share Posted November 6, 2020 YAYYYYY !!!!!!!! ( it's not a tail-sitter ) ok, progress update : wheels on. undercarriage doors on ( the large ones in the middle of the underside were surprisingly tricky, as there's nothing to support them in place ) paint selected ( as per instructions - Humbrol 27 and 102 ) Spent ages agonizing over whether 27 was too dark and not blue enough, but its fine in natural light. Next up : fuel tanks, more painting, and a nuke 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 Hi Ian, Coming along nicely. In a review I read it said that the canopies were a lousy fit, so I will be interested to see how you do. Supposed I had better make a start on mine soon - don't suppose you remember how much weight you put in? Cheers Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted November 6, 2020 Author Share Posted November 6, 2020 1 hour ago, PeterB said: Hi Ian, Coming along nicely. In a review I read it said that the canopies were a lousy fit, so I will be interested to see how you do. Supposed I had better make a start on mine soon - don't suppose you remember how much weight you put in? Cheers Pete Filled the nose-cone with fishing weights. Not the most scientific of measurements, sorry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted November 9, 2020 Author Share Posted November 9, 2020 To glue, or not to glue, that is the question..... Grown-up me says, yes glue the nuke in place. 5 year old me says "use blu-tac so you can run round the house and nuke your desktop" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted November 10, 2020 Share Posted November 10, 2020 Could always try using small magnets! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted November 10, 2020 Author Share Posted November 10, 2020 Grrr this Mirage is proving expensive..... Had to get some Humbrol 54 for the radar radome. Better stock up on black & white while I'm there. Glue's running a bit low. Shipping £6 ? Better get something else to make it worthwhile. Oh, how did an AH-1Z get in the shopping cart ? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 Hi @IanHx, how's that Mirage coming along? It was starting to look pretty good! I hope we'll be able to see it in the gallery soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted December 16, 2020 Author Share Posted December 16, 2020 On 12/11/2020 at 1:23 PM, JeroenS said: Hi @IanHx, how's that Mirage coming along? It was starting to look pretty good! I hope we'll be able to see it in the gallery soon! Coming along nicely, hope to get some pictures up before long. Work and the 'B' word keeping me away from modelling desk at the moment. Everything glued together except for the 2 tiny aerials that go on the nose probe (part 49?) which I can't seem to find on the runners !!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted December 16, 2020 Share Posted December 16, 2020 13 minutes ago, IanHx said: Coming along nicely, hope to get some pictures up before long. Work and the 'B' word keeping me away from modelling desk at the moment. Everything glued together except for the 2 tiny aerials that go on the nose probe (part 49?) which I can't seem to find on the runners !!! Great. Though you do have me wondering (as a non-native speaker) what the "B" word might be! (insert brain flash here) Oooh! I know 🙂 ... Right. This is not really top of mind for us on this side, hope you don't mind 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted December 16, 2020 Author Share Posted December 16, 2020 1 hour ago, JeroenS said: Great. Though you do have me wondering (as a non-native speaker) what the "B" word might be! (insert brain flash here) Oooh! I know 🙂 ... Right. This is not really top of mind for us on this side, hope you don't mind 😉 Thats the one Have to say that the giant blue muppet your side use to advertise the 'B' word raises a smile every time I see it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted December 18, 2020 Author Share Posted December 18, 2020 Progress picture The canopy was a right PITA to get on right - ended up having to add some filler on the right side to fill in the gaps. Still haven't found the aerials to go on the nose probe, going to have to plasticard some instead. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHx Posted December 26, 2020 Author Share Posted December 26, 2020 Decals on. one side varnished. Waiting for it to dry so that I can pick it up to varnish the other side. Proceedings somewhat delayed by the child-proof ( and apparently also Ian-proof) cap on the bottle of Humbrol Matte Cote ! Oh, and the nuke fell off ... 💥 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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