Bridlington & Wolds Scale Model Club Forum

Models => Modelling Projects => Topic started by: cph64 on December 15, 2020, 03:28:33 PM

Title: Mirage IIIO
Post by: cph64 on December 15, 2020, 03:28:33 PM
Started in between work on the Me 369. This is the PM Model boxing of the Mirage IIIEA which I'll turn into an Austrailian IIIO as part of my 'Places what I have been to' collection. The best review I've read about this kit is 'Stand outside a model shop and throw £5 down the drain. You get the same result'. He's not kidding, for a kit of a small number of parts there are a lot of problems, ejector pin holes, bad fitting, see through body etc. So now I'm up to facing this sort of challenge we'll see who wins the battle!!!
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: zak on December 15, 2020, 03:57:07 PM
Sheer modelling joy then!
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: cph64 on December 16, 2020, 04:13:28 PM
Yep, got to the point where I'm not gonna shy away from a challenge!!! The easy option would have been to buy the High Planes kit, but I'm a Yorkshireman and it is dear!!
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: chriswil42 on December 17, 2020, 02:03:03 PM
Good  to do.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: MSea on December 17, 2020, 05:47:35 PM
How long till first flight ?????
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: cph64 on December 18, 2020, 02:49:13 PM
Progress slowed due to pruning clothes, CDs and DVDs for Charity shops, back on track today. Engine outlet gap filled with the top from an old tube of Bostik and my one nod to an upgrade with the PJ resin Martin Baker Mk 4 ejector seat. The fuselage has been weighted and joined and requires a lot of sanding. A test fit of the wings shows gaps like the Marianas Trench, hmmm!!!
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: councilman on December 18, 2020, 06:00:35 PM
You've made a good job painting them seats. 8)
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: zak on December 19, 2020, 07:14:35 AM
Nice looking seats.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: cph64 on December 19, 2020, 03:54:27 PM
Thanks, they're painted the way Mk.4s were supplied, the later Mk.6s are a variety of greens.
Filling and sanding in progress. I've also scratchbuilt some fittings for behind the ejector seat to fill the obvious gap.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: chriswil42 on December 20, 2020, 01:58:20 PM
Looking good especially the seats.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: MSea on December 20, 2020, 02:31:46 PM
It all looks equally as good to me - so well done that man.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: councilman on December 20, 2020, 07:07:09 PM
Proper modelling.
Nice work.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: cph64 on December 21, 2020, 03:42:10 PM
Sanding down continued and then on to fitting the ejector seat, which didn't!!! I had to remove the floor I'd put in and sand down the base of the seat to get it in plus as the canopy is thick and narrow at the top the pull handles for the seat had to come off. Even with this there was still some filling to do around the canopy.
The doors for the front undercarriage are the wrong size, the front one is too big and the rear too small so the front was shortened and the offcut added to the rear. I could only find one outer door for the main undercarriage so sourced one from my spares box which was sanded down to size.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: chriswil42 on December 22, 2020, 02:33:00 PM
Another labour of love.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: Bigkev on December 22, 2020, 08:52:30 PM
Hi Chris,

Looks like you have got a lot of work to do with this one, but so far you are in the winning team.
Keep at it, it will look the part once complete.
Cheers,
Bigkev
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: cph64 on December 23, 2020, 01:36:56 PM
Most of the painting completed, colour call outs give Humbrol numbers with the undesides Light Compass Ghost Grey (aren't they two seperate colours?), given as H127, and the upper Blue (Gray) given as H145. I have both in stock but as enamels so it was out with the hairy stick. I don't let enamels anywhere near my airbrushes!!! The Carpena decal sheet painting instructions are unclear in places so I'll have to look long and hard at photos to make things out.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: chriswil42 on December 24, 2020, 01:21:02 PM
Looking good.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: cph64 on December 31, 2020, 04:32:10 PM
Finished and decalled as from 87 Sqdn 'Magpies' RAAF using the Carpena Mirage III/5 set. The decals went on well but needed a lot of searching for in the instructions, some I couldn't find so were left off. The u/c doors didn't fit properly so the main ones were put in the open position. The pitot had no detail what so ever so was filed to profile as best as with a FOD cover shown at the end. Landing lights are from Little Cars and the Sidewinders from spares as the kit ones looked too chunky.
The Austrailians never flew the IIIE so this is a 1980s 'What If'.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: councilman on December 31, 2020, 07:02:03 PM
Great stuff. Lots of skill needed to build this one.
Well done.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: chriswil42 on January 01, 2021, 01:59:52 PM
Not bad at all Chris.
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: MSea on January 01, 2021, 03:11:36 PM
Looks great Chris
Title: Re: Mirage IIIO
Post by: Red Lancer on January 01, 2021, 07:26:35 PM
Well done! I would have given up half way through