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Dassault Mirage 2000D - (1/72 Italeri)


gengriz

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My second Mirage kit of the year. Italeri's 2K is a nice kit, reflecting the elegant flowing lines of the Mirage 2K, although it represents the early company demonstrator, not a production aircraft and is also somewhat confused as to whether it is a 2000N or 2000D (it lacks the dorsal flare ejectors and has a pitot where it should not).

P9290123.jpg

The kit went together reasonably well, but with the usual (at least in every kit I've done) Mirage kit wing joint problems at the leading edge roots and after undersides. However, the canopy was a real disappointment - it was obviously designed to be built opened and did not fit together at all well; slightly too short for the gap and huge spaces between fwd and aft canopies. I had 2 goes at fitting it together before I was happy (actually I gave up). After the first go I tried polishing with toothpaste (which usually works well), but the paste got through the gaps. I tried using water to wash it off, but that made the Krystal Klear go white, so the whole thing had to come back off to remove it and the toothpaste (aarrgh!).

I also removed the kit's nose pitot (only applicable to the 2000N), but the subsequent nose reprofiling wasn't entirely satisfactory (I think the kit radome is actually too long). Oh and I forgot to put lead in the nose (rushing again - I have subsequently hidden some in the fwd gear bay) so its a (very finely balanced) occasional tail-sitter.

To finish off I used my new bottle of Windsor & Newton artist's acrylic matt varnish - and it is absolutely superb. Sufficiently thin to be nicely self levelling (i.e. no brush marks) it gives an even and consistent finish that is less shiny than the Humbrol Satin Cote, but not as matt as the the Matt Cote. It also avoids the slightly translucent effect that the Humbrol satin seems to impart to the underlying paint. Just what I was after and thoroughly recommended !

P9290128.jpg

Fred's Modelling Website

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What paints did you use - enamel or acrylic?

Hi Cloggy,

Mostly enamels, all brushed - Humbrol 164 Dark Sea Grey and Revell 65 (yeeuch, I like the colour, but it goes on like spreading chocolate). Then a coat of Klear, decalled, then oily wash (v.thin Humbrol black), then 2 coats of varnish (acrylic as stated above). The rest of the details are painted using various Humbrol enamels.

Fred

Edited by gengriz
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Hello Gen,

Lovely build and painted Mirage 2000, you did it justice.

In general : the Italeri kits is in fact a N model (nuclear strike), with a weapon config of a D (air to ground). D has a different spine and more antenaes on the tail etc. More, the general shape of the kit is "so so", the nose especially and the wings, wich are rather of a Mirage III.

This of do not detract the quality of your model ...

Cheers

Stef (#6)

Edited by Stéphane
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Hi Clive,

The picture below shows the stuff I have been using. I bought mine from Cadbury's Garden Centre (!) near Congresbury, but I also noticed at the weekend that HobbyCraft (in Bristol at least) has a good range of them.

FredT

PA080097.jpg

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Hi Clive,

The picture below shows the stuff I have been using. I bought mine from Cadbury's Garden Centre (!) near Congresbury, but I also noticed at the weekend that HobbyCraft (in Bristol at least) has a good range of them.

FredT

Brilliant, I've been after a brushable matt varnish for ages, I'll give it a try.

Clive

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