Mirage IIIc

Steven Van Dyck
I've seldom seen a sprue that was so attacked by sinkmarks on the channel nodes. It doesn't show on the model parts, but it makes the part numbers that are exactly there, close to undecipherable. Does this happen with other Eduard kits as well? I would suggest they don't place these numbers on top of sprue junctions and mould the numbers on cast paels like everybody else. I also did well to buy the improved seat. To close down the fuselage, there will be needed some strain.

Steven Van Dyck
The cockpit is painted and the fuselage halves are connected.

Steven Van Dyck
Its a bit of a job to have all the seams filled up. The hardpoints are quite blunt, I had to reshape them.

Steven Van Dyck
I chose to have the canopy open. I do not recommend to build it closed, there are some fitting problems that require sanding on the fuselage, as you can see on my pictures. The eduard PE rocket template is very useful on the Matra rocket, but I hope it works better with brass Sidewinders then with resin ones. I remember it was not precise enough for the resin fins to align them correctly.

Steven Van Dyck
The Sidewinders were more difficult because of the small parts, but it was worth the effort. I repainted the wheelbays in silver (and I also repaired a small bike for my godchild, she painted it with Vallejo's zombie inmate paint set).

Patrick Hagelstein
Nice bike! 👍 😄

Jos Jansen
Nice progress so far Steven...!

Patrick Hagelstein
This kit isn't exemplary for Eduard's otherwise very nice and very buildable kits... If I remember correctly, this is one of their first attempts at producing injected molded plastic model kits to complement their PE products and they have come a long way since. I will build any new Eduard kit without even twitching an eye, they're so good! I have this kit back home as well and (apart from being across the Atlantic) it's sitting on the Shelve of Doom..... Maybe one time I'll finish it. Until then, I keep following your proceedings over here. 😉

Steven Van Dyck
Thanks for the comments, today I used Gunze H45 to paint the underside of the Mirage and its droptanks. I shaded the panellines and then highlighthed the panels. The rockets are primed white.

Steven Van Dyck
The Light Sand color Mr.Hobby H79 was painted yesterday and shaded today. In a moment I will continue on the third color.

Steven Van Dyck
Painting is done now, let's do the decals. The Mr.Hobby H72 went on really well, but painting the tyres after spraying the gear silver was a bad idea. Even though it is Tamiya NATO black, the paint chipped upon touching and will need some repair.

Patrick Hagelstein
Yep! That brown turned out really good! 👍

Steven Van Dyck
Thanks, Patrick, now, the decals and a panelline wash are administered. I discovered that the Mr.Hobby blue is not so scratch-resistant in some places. Luckily that's limited to the droptank undersides and one hardpoint.

Dave Elsey
Just ordered one of these for myself, so good to see your advise thanks. Nice work

Steven Van Dyck
I recommend the Eduard armament upgrade if you want to use the rockets or the short external tanks.

Dave Elsey
????

Dave Elsey
That was supposed to be a thumbs up emoji, thanks for the info. Hope my modelling skills are better than my computing skills these days.

Steven Van Dyck
In this I can't provide information, I never use emoji's. But thanks anyway!

Patrick Hagelstein
👍 is done by ( y ) Dave. 😉

Patrick Hagelstein
Steven, you did put a clear coat over it, right? So it actually scratched through both the blue and the clear coat?

Steven Van Dyck
It happened at the extremities of the tanks, but also in a few spots on the underside of the wings. If the blue paint did not adhere well, the clear coat would not improve the matter. Now I just brushed some metallic paint over the chipping to simulate wear. I finished the Mirage paint with some Vallejo matt clear coat.

Steven Van Dyck
The undercarriage could now be attached, together with the ordnance. The Mirage will be on MKB Happening this sunday, but it's become very close to a tailsitter, so I have to fix it to a base.

Steven Van Dyck
The Mirage is finished, sadly its plaster base shows considerable hair fracture due to the cardboard bottom deforming while getting moist and being stressed while redressing this deformation. Even the wood frame broke, needing a complicated repair method with Wolfcraft clamps.

Augie
Lovely Mirage III on the stress cracks, weather them in.. make them look like they cracked (can and does happen)

Patrick Hagelstein
Nifty way of clamping! 😄 For small scales (1/72 and 1/48) I had good results with plastic card. Take some very rough sandpaper and drag that across to mimic the concrete surface. Then carve in the joints with a scribing tool. No humidity involved whatsoever.