Mirage 2000EAD United Arab Emirates

[Jabba]

For this GB I require the BM massive to make a choice for me as to what to build and before someone says do both I do not have the time. It was originally going to be 1 of 3 but I am able to shunt that one of to another GB.

 

So the choice is either to build the Modelsvit Mirage 2000C along with some FFSMC decals to make an aircraft from the United Arab Emirates AF from the Gulf conflict of 1991. The other is the Azur/Special Hobby Super Mystere B2 along with some Modeldecal markings to make the "Tiger" aircraft that appeared at the IAT at Greenham Common in 1977, which I think I attended so saw. Thank you for your help and decision.

 

 

 

 

 

[Biggles87]

Difficult choice, what about both?

 

John

[Wez]

The Mirage 2000 mate.

 

I have one of these kits,
I want to see how it comes together.

[RidgeRunner]

“Place saver, aircraft to be decided. Either Mirage 2000 or SMB-2” or both!  Seriously, though, as much as I love the SMB2 we don’t have a singe seat 2000 yet in God’s scale of choice 

 

Martin

[Jabba]

10 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

Difficult choice, what about both?

 

John

As I said in the original post I have tooo much going on to do both.

[RidgeRunner]

13 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

we don’t have a singe seat 2000 yet in God’s scale of choice 

 Go Mirage!!!!

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Super Mystere vote here. 

[Jabba]

As the majority that said something said Mirage 2000, that will the build for this GB. If I do have some extra time when that is built and there is not much going on in my modeling world (highly unlikely), I will build the Super Mystere.

[Jabba]

Now that the choice has been decided, I was going to take some more photos of the model. That was until my camera battery ran out of power after just 2 pictures. So I will make a start on this tonight and take some more photos tomorrow.

[exdraken]

great choices!

one thing though, are those M2k decals for the Gulf War period brown  camoed UAE Mirages EADs ? or the later, upgraded -9s?

maybe they are the same anyways!

thanks!

 

 

[Jabba]

With my camera battery all charged up here are some pictures of the kit and the decals that I am going to use.

 

The kit with some parts where I have started missing.

 

Kit decals plus some other parts.

 

The FFSMC decals and resin parts

 

 

The colour scheme.

 

The start that I have made with the cockpit and one of the wheel bays. To make the sides of the wheel bay I had to fold some of the edges as they are straight pieces on the sprues, but they do have cut aways so that the do fold a little bit easier.

[Jabba]

Some work has been done on this one mainly in the cockpit. I fitted the etch parts to the side consoles and then added the kit decals to these and the instrument panel. I was going to add the etched parts to this when I noticed in the instructions that some of the decals would have had to go on after the ecth had been fitted. As the decals for this area were in one piece I did not notice until they were ftted. If I had notice I could have cut off the parts that were not required at that time and fitted them after the etch. Still it has not come out that too bad. I still have to fit the control coloumn, which I will do tonight. I have also made u the instrument coaming plus fitted the rest of the wheel bays. I have made up the engine but forgot to photograph it. I have done a trial fit of the cockpit to the fuselage and it is a very positive fit.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jabba]

I have now got the fuselage together with a little wight added before it was joined up. I have also fitted the lower wing with a lot of trialing before finally comitting to gluing. I have done some trial work with the upper wings before  I glued the lower wing and they seem at the moment to fit alright, but will some more trials again before gluing. I have also made up the enine exhaust, which need a slight scrape before it went into its intended hole. The insdies of the intakes I am going to paint aluminium, as the instructions do not mention this unless anyone else does know better.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jabba]

Upper wings and intakes now fitted. Yet again the fit was quite good, just a bit of scraping to get the upper ings to fit decently. I have filled in the gaps, perhaps a bit too much, but it will come off. The fin at this moment is not fitted, yet again just a trial fit.

 

 

 

[Jabba]

Although it may not look like a fair bit of work has gone into sanding this one, especially the wing /fuselage joint. I have also now fitted the fin. I think that I am correct but can someone please confirm that I require parts C8 and 9 in the last photo for this build, as I have read that the UAE aircraft were fitted with chaff dispensers. Trailing edge flying surfaces to be fitted next.

 

 

 

 

[Biggles87]

It’s very difficult to achieve the blended fuselage/wing joint of the ‘2000 if the fit of the kit parts is less then perfect, so I can believe just how much time you will have spent on it.

The chaff/flare dispensers appear to be a representation of the french Spirale system which would make sense.

 

John

 

[Jabba]

Thanks for that, these will be fitted unless someoneelse know otherwise.

[exdraken]

 

on French aircaft it is calles Spirale systeme

https://www.mbda-systems.com/product/spirale-2000/

 

maybe export versions differ slightly, there might also be a cover fitted on some planes early on.... but definitely not the early farings (C7/C10)

 

I have not seen a EAD without the C8/C9 parts

https://www.flickr.com/photos/98874531@N08/18654742094

 

much more here:

http://32526wc.257.cz/pages/en/uae/mirage.html

 

I now that early French aircraft and Peruian ones did not have them initially.... I think all others always had some dispensers there!

 

[eclipse]

21 hours ago, exdraken said:

I now that early French aircraft and Peruian ones did not have them initially

In fact, any aircraft delivered before LPI (internal chaffs dispenser) was available (circa 1988) : First batches of Mirage 2000B/C, EM/BM, P/DP and H/TH, all delivered before this date.
But Mirage 2000EAD/RAD/DAD, were delivered from 1989... So it's OK  ! 😉

[Jabba]

Thank you both for your descriptions and pictures, very helpful.

 

I have now added the trailling edge flying surfaces (which I have since filled) and a few other bits and bobs. I am going to add the strakes by the intakes, plus a few other parts, then do a clean up and start painting.

 

 

 

[Jabba]

I have got a bit more work done on this one. I have added a few parts so that I have started painting with the undersides. Before fitting the fixed canopy I added the HUD which was a one piece glass part. I would have thought that with the etch parts one of tehse could have been for the HUD. Also when fitting the fwd glass part I did incur some small glue damage to the inside of this part as seen in the last picture. Normally I would have fitted this with Krystal Klear, but as I was required to hold it with a bit of a hefty clamp I choose Liquid Poly and so the damage. Hopefully get started on the upper camo scheme soon.

 

 

 

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good morning Jabba

 Too bad for the damage on the front windshield I find that it is always the hardest step of building aircraft models ..

Good luck with the paint job ..

Best regards 

Patrice 

[Biggles87]

Between covering part of the damage with the frame, and some creative photography angles you might get away with it.

Good luck.

 

John

PS: it just occurred to me that you might be able to get some Kleer, or similar onto the damaged area with a thin pointed brush.

 

[Jabba]

Unfortunately I found a step at the front edge of the fixed glazing so I removed it last night. I have trimmed some of the coaming away and may have a go at the inside of the part with some Micro mesh tonight. I did have looked at the front end again last night after I trimmed some of the coaming away and it did seem to fit better. Hopefully this time I will be able to fit it with my usual medium in Krystal Klear.

[Jabba]

Lighter upper camo colour painted. There was an etched grill that I added to the top of the fuselage, but I removed this as it stuck up above the line of the fuselage where it should be flush. Darker colour to be painted.