Whirly Posted January 29, 2023 Share Posted January 29, 2023 (edited) Hello everybody, I'd like to join the GB with this subject: Base kit will be the old Heller multiversion Mirage IIIE / R / 5BA Revell multiversion Mirage IIIE / R combined with Modeldecal sheet #92. Edited February 24, 2023 by Whirly base kit changed 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted January 29, 2023 Share Posted January 29, 2023 Hello @Whirly, welcome! this is a pretty elegant, good looking jet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted January 29, 2023 Share Posted January 29, 2023 Good evening Whirly Welcome to the Gb Have fun and enjoy your build Best regards Patrice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted January 29, 2023 Author Share Posted January 29, 2023 Thank you for the warm welcome, I hope to start soon the build! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted February 12, 2023 Author Share Posted February 12, 2023 Hello everybody! Yesterday I rescued from the basement the Heller kit with my best intentions. From a cursory look all semed ok and ready for a start: Then I removed from the sprue the fuselages and my enthusiasm vanished at lightspeed 🤬 I know old Heller kits are renowned for this kind of surprises, but this is by far the worst I've ever seen and I doubt I can get anything more or less straight from these parts. Plan B is digging out a Revell kit of the MIrage IIIE/R and mating the Heller nose: anyone has experience of this transplant and have suggestions? Thanks for looking! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filler Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 Crikey! I thought I had problems with my Heller IVP kit and it’s bendy wings. I hope you get there with your plan B as that is a great aircraft and scheme. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 Nice subject and great box top, so it’s such a shame to open the kit up to find those warped parts. I’m wondering if you start assembling the fuselage at various points (starting from the tail then moving forwards), if this would help slowly forming this kit into something essentially straight? The underside photo (besides the nose) looks reasonable, but the upper halves do need a bit of work. I don’t have any history cross kitting the Revell and Heller kits, although would think it wouldn’t be that far off. Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 That really does look awful, good luck with a solution, I've got the same decals for one of these, best I look at my kits. I'd be tempted to have a go at this one myself but I've about 6 weeks of work coming up through the hop harvest & I think that would run me short of time for this. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 18 minutes ago, stevehnz said: hop harvest Priorities! AW 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 My thoughts too. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 On 2/12/2023 at 12:50 PM, Whirly said: anyone has experience of this transplant and have suggestions? It will fit allright. I used the Heller photo nose without drama on a Revell, since the latter has it molded solid in blue styrene. Cheers, Andre 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted February 24, 2023 Author Share Posted February 24, 2023 On 2/14/2023 at 11:33 PM, Rabbit Leader said: Nice subject and great box top, so it’s such a shame to open the kit up to find those warped parts. I’m wondering if you start assembling the fuselage at various points (starting from the tail then moving forwards), if this would help slowly forming this kit into something essentially straight? The underside photo (besides the nose) looks reasonable, but the upper halves do need a bit of work. I don’t have any history cross kitting the Revell and Heller kits, although would think it wouldn’t be that far off. Cheers and best of luck.. Dave Hi Dave, thank you for your helpful advices: I will try to salvage the kit parts, it can't get much worse if something goes wrong 🙂 On 2/16/2023 at 10:08 AM, Hook said: It will fit allright. I used the Heller photo nose without drama on a Revell, since the latter has it molded solid in blue styrene. Cheers, Andre Hi Andre, just what I needed, thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted February 24, 2023 Author Share Posted February 24, 2023 I found the Revell kit, it is this quite recent.... well, this was my perception before I checked in Scalemates, which states 1989 as release date 😱 How time flies! Anyway, as suggested by Andre the Heller nose is an easy fit. I started assembling the completely useless engine just because I need something to attach the exhaust on. The kit has a lot of flash and the blue plastic is horrible, hope to cover it soon with black! Thanks for looking! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted February 24, 2023 Author Share Posted February 24, 2023 I forgot the Modeldecal sheet: at least this one seems in very good shape for its age, we'll see upon application. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 Wow…. That plastic is a real plug for ‘French Blue’, so vivid, however a good primer for your all gloss black scheme. That Modeldecal sheet also looks to be in good condition for its age, I’m confident it will behave well. Cheers.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 5 hours ago, Whirly said: a lot of flash Just wait until you have closed the fuselage and attempt to clean the bottom seam. This kit dates back to the Seventies, and it shows. Cheers, Andre 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted February 28, 2023 Author Share Posted February 28, 2023 On 2/24/2023 at 5:20 PM, Hook said: This kit dates back to the Seventies, and it shows. Oh yes, I know the kit is prehistoric. My surprise was because even this *relatively new* rebox is already 34 years old! Despite its age, it can be the base for a quick build (I hope) adding an elegant livery to one's collection. I painted the intakes before assembly because they must be dead white, will mask them before covering everything with black. I seem to miss a proper front u/c wheelwell 🤔 I added just a roof for now, will try to complete after closing the fuselages. Thanks for looking! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 Main parts are together: the fuselage joint is not that bad, much worse are the tailcone, wings and intakes to fuselage joints.... This will take some time to finish off with repeated applications of filler! Thanks for looking! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted March 7, 2023 Author Share Posted March 7, 2023 (edited) Nearly there with seam filling! I'm glad it will be overall black, this will help a lot hiding the mediocre quality of the kit. Thanks for looking! Edited March 7, 2023 by Whirly 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 Scrubbing up nicely! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted March 13, 2023 Author Share Posted March 13, 2023 Thank you Hook! All the joints are now ok, though I realized the kit rendtion at the base of the fin is not correct for a Belgian machine, not that it is really that good for any run of the mill Mirage 5 (or IIIE)... See this preserved example for comparison. I removed the whole area and built up the rough shape with plasticard, will refine with Mr.Surfacer 500 and the ECM (?) cone will be added after painting. Thanks for looking! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 Good lord, its taking a beating, i reckon you'll end up the winner though👍 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted April 12, 2023 Author Share Posted April 12, 2023 Thank you @Hewy and sorry for the lack of updates. Other commitments got in the middle and I'm getting quite annoyed by this "simple" kit: I got to the point of adding the canopy and found out a handful of issues... I managed to fit the windscreen after a robust reduction of the instrument coaming, but the main canopy is a full mm. short to make contact with it. I'm now considering leaving the canopy open, despite the lack of cockpit detail. Need some time to mull it over. Thanks for looking! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 Good grief, that’s a terrible gap. AW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 I’d say the open canopy option may be the only remedy here. Have you glued the windscreen in place yet as that doesn't seem to fit well either! Cheers and good luck.. Dave 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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