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!!!

Sheer modelling joy then!

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!!

Good  to do.

How long till first flight ??

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!!!

You've made a good job painting them seats.

Nice looking seats.

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.

Looking good especially the seats.

It all looks equally as good to me - so well done that man.

Proper modelling.
Nice work.

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.

Another labour of love.

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