Never Again

[Wolfpack]

I spotted this on e-bay and just had to have it, if only for the markings.

The basic kit is the Monogram / Revell Mirage 2000C also boxed by Italeri and in this case, Hasegawa. Transfers by Cartograph

so how could I go wrong?

Easy really, the Revell kit is a poor relation of the Airfix / Heller 2000 and as such, deserves to be re-tooled. So what’s wrong with it?

The first omission, and a really obvious one, is the row of rivets (bolts???) down the wing / fuselage join. The exhaust is devoid of any detail and has a strange crinkley shape.

The vent on the fuselage spine looks like a piece of cheese, the vents on the side are missing, the cockpit is poor and, regardless of the photo of the real thing on the box, Revell supply the wrong drop tank a couple of Exocets and some overweight Magic missiles.

The undercarriage is molded as if the a/c has just lifted off and is too long for a static model (and is poor anyway) and the nose has a funny droop. The panel lines are raised except for the underwing, which are scribed. Apparently, this part of the mold was damaged and this is the result of the repair job by Revell. Shame they didn’t do the rest of the kit whilst they were at it.

Remedies were a Neomega cockpit set (which doesn’t fit), Airfix undercarriage legs and centre line tank and Renaissance mainwheels. The jet pipe was also taken from an Airfix kit. The nose was removed and replaced by an Airfix one sawn from a redundant kit. The instrument panel in the Neomega set is too tall therefore the front coaming won’t fit. The bottom instruments have to be removed from the panel to lower it sufficiently.

The transfers cracked on application, a surprise as Cartograph are usually very good and in spite of a gloss surface, silver at the slightest excuse.

Looks OK though, but I’m not going to build another Revell Mirage 2000 if I can possibly help it.

And now, tidy up the model room and get out the F-4G.................................

W

Edited September 25, 2009 by Wolfpack

[Howard of Effingham]

looks ok to me.

btw, iirc this option was done on an xtradecal sheet years and years back.

its application would tax most modellers i think so you were right to perserve.

[periklis_sale]

you've done a great work there mate!

[Mark]

That is a fantastic build! You should be rightly proud of that one, especially given the history behind the build!!

[alrite]

Nice job, the exhaust looks particularly good. The Revell kit is a really ugly representation of the Mirage 2000 isn't it The best way to go is still the orginal Heller/airfix molds lol.

[Tizzy]

Looks good after all the hard work.

[pigsty]

Reading this with some trepidation. NeOmega pride themselves on their cockpits fitting the target kits - and from personal experience, I can say that you don't have to sand away half the resin to make them fit. (You may have to butcher the kit, though.) I've bought their Mirage 2000 cockpit for my Heller Mirage, in the knowledge that it was designed for the Monogram job, and so I expect it to need a bit more work. But if the cockpit won't even fit the Monogram Mirage ... what have I let myself in for?

[Honeybee]

Pigsty

Don't worry, if Wolfpack can do it any body can. Nice to see it finished though,

Paul

[CornishRebel]

Lovely end result mate...

You can be well proud of your efforts.

All the best,

Phil

[andym]

Reading this with some trepidation. NeOmega pride themselves on their cockpits fitting the target kits - and from personal experience, I can say that you don't have to sand away half the resin to make them fit. (You may have to butcher the kit, though.) I've bought their Mirage 2000 cockpit for my Heller Mirage, in the knowledge that it was designed for the Monogram job, and so I expect it to need a bit more work. But if the cockpit won't even fit the Monogram Mirage ... what have I let myself in for?

I thought the Neomega cockpit was actually for the ESCI/Italeri kit?

Andy

[pigsty]

So it is. In that case Italeri must have issued two and I've misread the references again. Ah well, it wouldn't be any fun if it was easy, would it?

[Wolfpack]

Pigsty

The Italeri kit is the same as the Monogram/Revell one with the same problems. I think Neomega followed the kit coaming which is too high to get the HUD glasses in. Touches the windscreen donchaknow.

W

[thx6667]

The Italeri kit is the same as the Monogram/Revell one with the same problems.

Your sure about that? The Monogram kit has raised lines whereas the Italeri kit has recessed which suggests its a repop of the Mirage 2000 ESCI did in the 80s.

Unless Italeri have reboxed the Mono kit in the meantime?

Edited September 26, 2009 by Jonathan Mock

[AnonymousDFB1]

I like it, well done

[imatt88]

It sure looks like a Mirage to me. Nice build

[Gary C]

Your sure about that? The Monogram kit has raised lines whereas the Italeri kit has recessed which suggests its a repop of the Mirage 2000 ESCI did in the 80s.

Jonathan is correct. There have been three different toolings of the Mirage 2000C in 1/48th;

The Heller kit which was reboxed by Airfix and then Eduard and is probably the best of the lot;

The Esci kit which was reboxed by Italeri and has probably the nicest surface detailing of them all;

The Monogram kit which is probably the poorest, has raised panel lines and has been reboxed by Revell and Hasegawa (although this was for the Japanese market only).

The Neomega cockpit set is designed to be, and is, a drop fit in the Esci/Italeri kit, not the Monogram one.

For those interested there's a decent kitology here;

http://edsaircraft.co.uk/Models/Articles-M...kitsummary.html

Edited September 28, 2009 by Gary C

[Wolfpack]

Thanks Gary. I sit corrected.

W

[Julien]

Man that looks good, shame it was a chore.

I remember seeing that aircraft in 97

If I remember rightly got an award for solo display.

Also xtradecal do those markings in 1,72 as I used them;

Julien

Edited September 29, 2009 by Julien