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258 - French Heavy Metal Part 2 - Mirage F1


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Second build in Phase 2.  This is the Heller Mirage F1.

 

The kit was originally released as a new tool in 1978. The original boxing hard parts for the single seat F1C and two seat F1B.  After that it was released in a number of different boxes, all of which had the F1B option removed.  Depending on the sub-tyoe depicted, there were new parts.

 

This is one of the later kits, released in 1998.  As an F1CT it has an extra sprue to provide the later style fin and the humongous belly tank.

 

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This is the additional sprue.

 

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5 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said:

Going by that picture on the box, its no surprise these kits sold so well.

 

 

Indeed!  The markings represent an aircraft based at Bangui in the Central African Republic as part of the 1997 UN peacekeeping mission.  The weapons load has no offensive weapons whatsoever so I imagine this is the fit for the ferry flight to Bangui. Hence the humungous belly tank.

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5 hours ago, Enzo Matrix said:

The original boxing hard parts for the single seat F1C and two seat F1B.  After that it was released in a number of different boxes, all of which had the F1B option removed.  

 

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When I bought one of the photo box kits after having the original and black box issues  I couldn’t believe they did this. Does anyone know why they did this?  

 

I must dig out one of the early or black box kits with the later boxing and compare that sprue and see where (and even how) they removed the relevant parts. 

 

If I ever feel like buying another one of these I always look for the early or black box issues. 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Enzo 

 

First of all thank you for the additional 2 weeks extension of this GB.

Will this give you enough time for the completion of this one, and have you made any progress since we last heard from you ?

 

Cheers Pat 

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13 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

 have you made any progress since we last heard from you ?

 

Fallen back into bad habits in that I haven't updated the thread as often as I should. :wall:  Let's put that right.

 

Cockpit sprayed with Tamiya XF-69 NATO black.  I have also used a Yahu instrument panel.   Not much room in the nose for ballast, but plenty of room in the fuselage.

 

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Main assembly completed with just the intakes to be fitted.  Assembly of the fuselage is a bit fiddly given the seperate spine which is a legacy of the original boxing's two-seater option.  That meant I had to do a fair bit of filling and sanding so that much of the raised detail on the upper fuselage has gone.  I'm not going to let it worry me.

 

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Intakes fitted, windscreen and cockpit masked.

 

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and primed with my usual grey auto primer from a rattle can.

 

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Sprayed overall with Tamiya XF-91 Yokosuka Grey.

 

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The disruptive pattern has been masked with Blutak worms, masking tape squares and Copydex.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

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