Special Hobby Mirage F.1AZ Armée de l'air Gabonaise 1/72 - 26oct21 decalled (almost) and resting for a while :)

[RidgeRunner]

 

I'm inching closer!
 

Today I set about masking off the "Tan" in readiness for applying the green. My method was to print the instruction paint sheet for the AZ in this colour scheme. That gave me the basic pattern. I resized to 1/72, dropped the colour out of the image (to save ink), and printed. Thereafter I compared the photos I have of the actual aircraft and tweaked the few differences in demarcation lines with a pencil. I then got out the Gyrocutter and set about getting the masks on.

 

From the image below you can see that I cut small holes on the masks over which I stuck Tamiya tape. This is for fixing to the model. For any parts that stick up or don't conform to curves I use a minute piece of White Tack to hold it down. For me this is the most accurate way of applying camouflage markings of this type.  

 

 

You can see that I masked the tank, the tailplanes and the canopy. The latter has had masks inside and out applied, so that I can paint the inside black later. 

 

For the green I used Colourcoats ACRN35 Olive Drab BS381C-298. The colour is pretty close to the aircraft. My only dislike with this paint and a few of the other Colourcoats, is the satin finish. I like to have everything in Matt. To me it gives a better, finer finish. Thereafter I can varnish as I need. Here she is with her coat on: As I've said before, I have no link to Sovereign/Colourcoats, I just like the paint!

 

 

As you can see, she is set up to  be left over night in my "paint barn" to minimise dust adherence to the paint. I'll mask and paint the intake lips tomorrow, remove all masks and make any necessary reprations. 

 

Martin

 

[Hook]

Looking good, can't wait for the Big Reveal (one of my favourite Modeling Moments!). 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[RidgeRunner]

The "Big Reveal"? Well, she had all the masking stripped away this morning and I started to think about decalling. However ........... I need to use the kit "Mirage F.1AZ" decals on the side of the nose and these are too light!!! Fortunately the decals I had printed have different options for the greys so that should be fine. However, anything that is from the kit sheet that I must use is not :(.
 

I made an executive decision to re-mask and re-paint the undersides in a lighter grey, actually Medium Sea Grey. It may not be enough of a lightening but in scale terms it probabl;y will work.

 

Here she is after the "Big Reveal", before remasking:

 

   

Back again soon

 

Martin

 

[RidgeRunner]

After a flurry of activity I got her re-masked. Fortunately I still had the paper masks I used initially and so I simply used the opposite pieces in order to follow the lines ;). Here she is masked .... again!

 

 

and, Andre @Hook, the "Big Reveal!

 

 

She needs some reparation here and there but there is nothing too bad. I will need to repaint the nosewheel leg and the main wheel housings. She now needs to cure for a day or so and I can get the other bits of painting done. I'm much happier now. Having said that, I am sure that the SH decals are too light.

 

Martin

 

 

Martin

[Hook]

She's a corker!

[exdraken]

you definitely nailed the colors!

[RidgeRunner]

12 hours ago, Hook said:

She's a corker!

I reckon so, Andre. Tomorrow I intend to get the intake lips painted, repair the few over sprays and under sprays, and hopefully then get the gloss varnish on ready for decalling. I’ll also get the interior of the canopy painted black as well as the tyres and seat, plus the various lights, sensors and aerials. 
 

7 hours ago, exdraken said:

you definitely nailed the colors!

Thanks Werner. As you will have seen, I was forced in to a lighter grey but I think it works okay when the scale is considered. The green and tan worked out okay too. 
 

if all that works okay I’ll be in time for the end of the GB!! 🤞

 

Martin

[RidgeRunner]

Werner @exdraken, I have a couple of Drakens lined up once this is done and the Sukhoi is rolled out ( obviously not part of the GB  )

 

Martin

[exdraken]

42 minutes ago, RidgeRunner said:

Werner @exdraken, I have a couple of Drakens lined up once this is done and the Sukhoi is rolled out ( obviously not part of the GB  )

 

Martin

Great!!

There is a Nordic GB going on in parallel.... do not hesitate, Drakens are always welcome

 

[RidgeRunner]

As planned I got some of the little bits painted today as well as the reparation. This was primarily where there had been a little ingress under the masks. Frustratingly, on this model and colour scheme, the break lines between the grey and camo, as well as the camo itself, are close and often at the same angles when airbrushing. Therefore it is inevitable that there is a little creep. All done now :). I got the intake grey painted too. If I was to do it again I'd do the camo first, mask it all, and then apply the grey. That way there would be less gaps for paint to blow under. 

 

She has subsequently had a good brush down to get rid of, or loosen, any dust. I then give the model a good blast with the dry airbrush. With all that done, and paint dried, I set about applying the Glosscote in readiness for the decalling stage. There isnt much to see:

 

 

Note that the grey in this image is not true of the model. It IS Medium Sea Grey without any blue tinge(not the best photo!). By Monday she'll be ready for the decals.  Here she is in her "paint barn"

 

 

 

I also started on the seat today, shaping wire for the overhead ejection cord, which I have now attached and the seat is primed. 

 

 

 

Martin

 

[RidgeRunner]

A slight delay!!! I have now seen that the "Mirage F1AZ" decal supplied with the kit is still too light. Therefore I have asked Mika at Arctic Decals if he can print me a set in the same grey as the "TR-KMP" etc, which I know is okay. I have also seen that the rescue arrow and window surround behind the canopy is the wrong colours! Wrongly I trusted a drawing I had that showed this as white with a black and yellow window surround. It is, in fact, grey. The same grey as the other lettering. Again, I have asked Mika to print these for me.

 

Having scoured the images I have and matched against the decal sheets I think that is all that needs to be changed - I hope! More fool me for not being diligent enough when I started out with this........ . Meanwhile I will get all the other decals on and await Mika :). At the moment he estimates a three week lead time.

 

Here she is part way through decalling today:

 

 

I can continue to get on what I have and then she will have to be set aside for a while.

 

Martin

  

[Shorty84]

Hi Martin,

 

that's a pity with the decals. Don't you hate that when such issues rear its ugly head so far into a project? But she looks gorgeous already, so I hope you'll receive your correct decals soon to finish her.

 

Cheers

Markus

[RidgeRunner]

Absolutely, Markus @Shorty84 although it is my fault too for not doing a thorough check at the outset. I wonder what grey paint SH had in their mind. It must certainly have been very light (and inaccurate) for the decals to show enough. 
 

I am fortunate that Mika is so accommodating of my occasional hiccups ;).
 

It does mean, sadly, that she won’t be done by the deadline of the GB. And I thought I was doing so well!!! ;(. 
 

I am really pleased with her, though, and have another in the plan :), an Ecuadorean. 

 

Martin

[Terry1954]

Looking good Martin. Love to see the decals going on. This one is going to look particularly attractive I reckon.

 

Terry

[RidgeRunner]

All the decalling, apart from the few items I am waiting for, are now applied. Here is a view of her before she is packed away in "the Barn" for a couple of weeks:

 

 

Apart from the remaining decals I just need to varnish again ready for a wash and weathering (a little), paint the interior of the canopy, the seat, the tyres, the dorsal antenna (yet to be cemented in place) and then get the rest of assembly done. 

 

Martin

 

[Hook]

Mighty sweet! She's a beaut.

[modelling minion]

Looking excellent Martin, great to see the decals going on.

You have done a great job on this scheme.

[Courageous]

Hi Martin, just caught up with your thread and it sounds like you've had quite a trial with the painting and now the decals. She is looking rather nice, not far to the finish line.

 

Stuart

[Wez]

I've been very remiss and should have been following this thread from the start, shame on me!

 

You've done a great job so far mate and you've got a great looking Mirage there, well done!

 

Regarding the darker colour on the intakes, could it be an anti abrasion coating?  It looks darker, like gloss varnish applied over a matt finish.  Just a thought.

 

Hopefully Mika will come up trumps soon.

 

Good luck with this

[RidgeRunner]

On 10/26/2021 at 3:28 PM, Hook said:

Mighty sweet! She's a beaut.

 

On 10/26/2021 at 4:41 PM, modelling minion said:

Looking excellent Martin, great to see the decals going on.

You have done a great job on this scheme.

 

On 10/28/2021 at 7:40 AM, Courageous said:

Hi Martin, just caught up with your thread and it sounds like you've had quite a trial with the painting and now the decals. She is looking rather nice, not far to the finish line.

 

Stuart

 

1 hour ago, Wez said:

I've been very remiss and should have been following this thread from the start, shame on me!

 

You've done a great job so far mate and you've got a great looking Mirage there, well done!

 

Regarding the darker colour on the intakes, could it be an anti abrasion coating?  It looks darker, like gloss varnish applied over a matt finish.  Just a thought.

 

Hopefully Mika will come up trumps soon.

 

Good luck with this

 

Thanks chaps. Regarding the intake lips, Wez, I've gone for a slightly darkre colour to mimic that  effect. You are all generous in your comments and I hope that one day soon she'll shine in the GB gallery and on my shelf :). 

 

Martin 

[eclipse]

2 hours ago, Wez said:

Regarding the darker colour on the intakes, could it be an anti abrasion coating?  It looks darker, like gloss varnish applied over a matt finish.  Just a thought.

 

Good remark ! In the middle of 90s, French Air Force did the same, applying protective fiberglass on the edge of intakes, Leading edges of wings, tail and elevators.

[RidgeRunner]

Thanks @eclipse

 

The South African machines don’t have this (apart from the intake lips) in the images I have so that worked out ok :).

[RidgeRunner]

Hi all!

 

I am very pleased to say that while I was away and walking the halls at SMW, my decals arrived from Mika :). I am therefore set up to get these applied and to move forward. Today, though, I've made some changes to the masking and painting around the windscreen. Having seen the fabulous Mirage display at Telford and talking through maskng with Martin (@Lightningboy2000) I realise that despite starting with SH masks and rejecting them, and then using Eduard's offering, they are still wrong. I have therefore taken a sharp cocktail stick to the lower frame to remove some paint down to the join line and masked with strips of 2mm Tamiya tape. After a pass or two with the Colourcoats green I am back on track :). 

 

 

I now need to get the intakes roundels re-applied, the last decals applied, and she'll be ready for a further GlossCote in readiness for a bit of weathering and staining next week (The Flory wash needs a dry gloss surface). I know I will still miss the deadline but I am really close!

 

More soon

 

Martin 

 

 

 

[Lightningboy2000]

Glad to be of assistance Martin, seems most masking sets are designed around the kit canopies instead of being true to the real thing. You're on the home stretch with this one by the looks of it.

[exdraken]

Looking great!

Give it a push!