SH 1/72nd French Mirage IIIC

[Hook]

Here's mine!; 

 

 

Probably she'll end up (sorta, knowing my builds...  ) as a NM Cigognes bird. I'll probably won't start until the weekend.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Col.]

Good to see your thread open Andre

[Wez]

Great choice Andre, good luck with it!

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good morning Andre 

 Welcome aboard ,  Very good choice I think that you will enjoy your build ..

Best regards 

Patrice 

[Wings unlevel]

Much prettier than an F-35, I will concede! 🤣

[Hook]

7 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

Much prettier than an F-35, I will concede! 🤣

That is setting the bar quite low, but I'll take the compliment.   

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Hook]

On 10/1/2024 at 7:40 PM, Hook said:

I'll probably won't start until the weekend.

 

And I did! Obligatory bits shot:

 

 

Most of my modelling time this weekend was spent applying about 200 decals to two F-35's, but at least I got the office started:

 

 

The headrest on the left had a sink mark om top that needed sorting with some sprue goo, which has since been sanded down. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

 

[Col.]

Some rather nice detail on show within those parts. Tempting...

[Hook]

On 10/7/2024 at 8:20 AM, Col. said:

Some rather nice detail on show within those parts. Tempting...

Come on, you know you want to.   

 

I finally managed to get some work done - yesterday was rather rainy which thwarted my airbrush possibilities, but it gave me some time to do preparatory things like putting toghether the rest of the cockpit, masking the canopies, assembling the main wheels, adding bits B41 to the main gear wells and adding the non-cannon panel to the lower wing / fuselage bit on the upper left: 

 

 

And today - result!: 

 

NATO Black for the intake walls on the fuselage, exhaust bits, wheels and cockpit bits apart from some olive drab for the seat cushions, and some Aluminium for the landing gear parts, intakes and outer canopy which all reveiced a primer layer of Black first. 

 

Let the assembly commence! 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

[Col.]

4 hours ago, Hook said:

Come on, you know you want to.   

Oh yes, I certainly do, there no lack of kits in the stash but yet another distraction always comes along.

 

Good to see you getting started with this one.

[Hook]

On 10/20/2024 at 8:49 PM, Col. said:

Oh yes, I certainly do, there no lack of kits in the stash but yet another distraction always comes along.

 

Good to see you getting started with this one.

Thanks!, it was nice to have some modelling time. Work and family tend to come first. 

 

I managed to finish the office yesterday: 

 

 

I might neeed another layer of blue on the masking tape seatbelts, but otherwise she's good to go. 

 

 

 

Some parts like the exhaust inners and the shock cones received some metallic pigments via a cotton swab - I love this stuff, just compare the loook of the treated shock cones to the MLG doors that are just Aluminium paint at the moment:

 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Col.]

Shiny shock cones

[Hook]

On 10/22/2024 at 11:00 AM, Col. said:

Shiny shock cones

Indeed!, I love metallic pigments. 

 

Some quick pre-work updates - seat belts received a second layer of blue, much better methinks, and I assembled the Atar exhaust pipe:

 

 

I also added the C style aft fuselage fairings in anticipation of closing her up:

 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Hook]

Some more assembly done - she's beginning to loook like a Mirage! 

 

Atar pipe and cockpit offered up to the starboard fuselage half, correct vertical tail prepared for fittting: 

 

 

Some nose weight added - I use a roll of roofers' lead, which will probably last me a lifetime: 

 

 

It's clamping time!, I also added the main and nose wheel wells to their corresponding bits:

 

 

Shiny shock cones fitted: 

 

 

And intakes completed as well as lower wing fitted - everything just snaps into position on this kit so far:

 

 

Next will be fitting the lower forward fuselage / nose gear bay combo, on my previous SH IIIC this was a bit of a bear to fit without gaps. Probably my own clumsiness.  

 

Fingers crossed!

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good morning André

 Very good job she really looks like a Mirage now ..

Patrice

[Hook]

On 11/3/2024 at 11:51 AM, TEMPESTMK5 said:

Good morning André

 Very good job she really looks like a Mirage now ..

 

 

Thanks!, really one of the most pleasing shapes in aviation.

 

Upper wings fittted ("clicked into position", even) - she looks even more like a Mirage now IMHO: 

 

 

Bottoms up!:

 

 

Fit of the lower forward fuselage was much better than anticipated. Also I fitted the SEPR rocket engine and the centreline Matra R530 pylon. 

 

Next step will be some more sanding on the only bits I wish were different on this kit - some raised detail on the lower wing that has to be removed.

 

After that, I will fit the elevon fairings. She will be fitted with the clean outboard fairings without the AIM-9B rails, because nothing screams more "early Sixties" to me than "Eh, you know what, Pierre, how about bolting a honking big rocket engine to a jet fighter after our midday bottle of vin rouge just to get a single AAM up to 20,000 feet as fast as possible, non?"

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Col.]

Taking shape nicely Andre

 

20 hours ago, Hook said:

..nothing screams more "early Sixties" to me than "Eh, you know what, Pierre, how about bolting a honking big rocket engine to a jet fighter after our midday bottle of vin rouge just to get a single AAM up to 20,000 feet as fast as possible, non?"

Now I'll never be able to look at an early Mirage III without that scene playing in my head

[Hook]

On 11/6/2024 at 5:08 PM, Col. said:

Taking shape nicely Andre

 

Now I'll never be able to look at an early Mirage III without that scene playing in my head

You're welcome. 

 

Small update - I have added bits like the spine scoops:

 

 

, elevons, wing fuel tank pylons and the probes around the rear end, and I have started the landing gear - it was a bit fiddly, but I managed to get everything lined up.

 

 

I had hoped to be able to squirt some primer on her, but the weather was terrible all weekend, thwarting my plans for a backyard airbrush session.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

[Dads203]

Looks very much like a mini version of the Eduard kit in terms of part breakdown.

Lovely tidy build so far. 

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good morning André

Very good job so far ..

Best regard

Patrice

[Hook]

Thanks for the nice comments, @Dads203 and @TEMPESTMK5! It's a thorougly enjoyable kit.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Hook]

Long time no update! I needed to sort out some unsightly upper nose seamage: 

 

 

 

Admittedly I stalled a bit - I'm depending on the weather to be able to do some airbrushing, since I have no indoor facilites that will not infuriate the family. 

 

My last attempt was a bit of a disaster - the aluminium paint dit not perform well, making a lot of sanding and paint removal necessary. So here is where we are now:

 

 

Hopefully the second attempt at a NM finish will be more successful. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

 

 

[Wings unlevel]

NMF is a demanding mistress! Good luck taming her. 😂

[TEMPESTMK5]

Hi Andre

 Sorry to read that ...

I wish you best of luck for your attempt at the NMF you still have time before the 29th ...

 

Best regards

 

Patrice

[Col.]

Call this one a test coat Andre