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Mirage IIIS Swiss Air Force


MatterOne

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Hallo Marcel
 
 
you may remember, I asked you to build a Swiss Mirage not too long ago... looks like I have to do it myself. Of course I regret this.

 

 

Hello Robert, yes I thought of that conversation as soon as I saw your opening post  :)  Seeing you build a Mirage IIIS of course motivates me to build one also, but realistically it's just not at the top of my list so that measn it is many years away.

 

Anyway, I do hope you produce a full conversion some time down the line :punk:

 

Cheers,

 

Marcel

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Instrument Panel

 

 

Today I have been working on the instrument panel. Since I target an early Mirage IIIS in NMF it is a bit more difficult to find the correct sources. The Internet is great but in this case I have to rely on the book. To satisfy the copyright rules of this forum, I contacted Peter Gunti & Olivier Borgeaud and received permition to use the pictures and drawings contained in ‘Mirage – das fliegende Dreieck. Thanks a lot! By the way… the book weights about 2.7 kg…. there is a lot in it.

 

Now, scratch building is definitely no virtue of mine. I do not intend to create masters for later resin castings. There are simply others who are really great at that. My intention is to show you in what areas the Mirage IIIS is different, what should or could be done, and eventually, how I overcome the task ahead.

 

To start with, I created a base for a new IP. Pieces of sheet plastic with various holes punched into them. To make this easy, I cut some masks that I created from the drawing for the IP. With the stickers on the plastic sheet it was easy to cut out the shape and punch the holes into the right position. I guess, the real work just started. This IP needs to be dressed up. Switches, levers and lights. Also I ordered some Airscale Instrument dial decals for the holes I punched.

 

 

new-IP.jpg

 

 

IP-Mask.jpg

 

 

best, Robert

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bonjour Robert,

je suis très content de te voir sur le site.

je vais "surveiller" tout cela.

A bientôt

 

jean-paul poisseroux

 

good afternoon Robert,

i'm very happy to see you on the forum

i'll "tracking" every things.

so long

 

jp

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A little more work on the IP – mainly some stretched sprue to simulate buttons and switches, then some primer as a make up for the photo shooting. I'm pretty happy how this looks. Of course… this is just the base with the holes for the instruments in the right places… the moment of truth comes when some paint is on and the airscale decals are in place. Of course, the coaming is still missing.

 

Now – I will continue work on the other cockpit parts – maybe some additional details, but I will go with the kit parts as far as possible. I do not see a lot of need for modifications except maybe the aft bulkhead.

 

 

Mirage-IP_2.jpg

 

 

The good looking piglet is here for distraction only

 

 

Come to think of it… I must hire a pilot!

 

 

best regards,

Robert

 

 

 

Hello JPP

 

I hope that life treats you well. I welcome your comments and suggestions, as you certainly know this subject very well.

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Interlude

 

 

The pilot – what qualification does it take to be a pilot? In 1/32 scale certainly the looks.

 

The Mirage IIIS served in Switzerland for almost 30 years. Generations of pilots, and certainly many political changes, changes of threats and tasks that faced them. We are looking at 1966 – 1968, the timeframe I want to place this build. The Cold War was pretty hot – even hotter during the time the politicians had to make their decisions. The enemy was expected to come in high and fast. That's what the Mirage and the TARAN, with the associated Hughes HM-55 S (AIM-26B) Falcon was selected for. To protect the pilot at high altitudes, a pressure suit was required.

 

 

 

That's what we are looking at:

 

EFA-25 ventilated suit

ARZ 30 partial pressure suit

SGP-21 leather protection suit

EFA T-21 helmet

ARZ-33 life preserver

Swiss made Pilotenschuhe 63

 

Actually, the suit was designed in France. Obviously not by Karl Lagerfeld but rather my Michelin. For more details, visit Flightgear.ch

 

 

I follow my pilots profile with some pictures representing the time we used to live in… the elder one of us:

 

 

Mirage_Pilot_2.jpg

 

This is the pressure suit without the protective cover

 

 

Mirage_Pilot_3.jpg

 

the same group again, standing in front of a Mirage. I selected this picture, because we can see the type of ejection seat release grip was used.

 

Now - pilots do not go to war only partly dressed - here the real thing...

 

Mirage_Pilot_1.jpg

 

Uups... a propaganda picture. The pressure suits were not very comfortable and the pilot got hot inside very quickly... to walk around, usually a cooling system was required - not unlike an astronauts space suits.

 

 

And I really like this one – beat it or else…

 

Mirage_Pilot_4.jpg

 

 

These were the times when such picture got published for effect.

 

 

A more serious picture to reflect what needs to be achieved for this build:

 

Mirage_Pilot_5.jpg

 

 

 

At least, I know now, what I have to look for… a good looking pressure suit with a pilot in it.

 

I apologize to all pilots who might feel offended by my comments - in fact I think the pictures are great. To fly wearing such a suit must have been difficult and required great skills and a lot of training since head movement and sight was very restraint.

 

 

best,Robert

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Will follow that one with attention!

Did two articles on Hyperscale in 2002 on the Swiss Mirage!!

Part 1.. http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/mirageiiisrm_1.htm

Part 2.. http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/swissmirageiiirm_2.htm

The only visible difference is a smoother nose (longer than IIIE) 15,27 meters lenght total  and a flexible higher front nose landing gear.

 

And take  a look at thoses video!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1PYiDIIZ1U

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hi 

this particular high altitude suit ( SGP type 21) were nicknamed in France " habit de lumière " this suit was made of white leather .. Renaissance model provide a sited pilot with such suit 

Alain

nice job on the IP !!!!

 

321119-pilote-mirage-annees-60.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Instrument Panel

 

 

I feel like posting the first real update. I call the IP nearly done.

 

The coaming still needs some needs some dry brushing and a flat coat, but the IP itself looks the part – that is it looks like a scale representation of a Mirage IIIS IP in the early years. This according to the system of Dr. Tarr and Professor Feather…

 

For the cockpit color mixed Gunze H89 Metallic Green and toned it down with Gunze H338 Light Gray. I airbrushed this over a black base with the intention to get some shadows in the edges and corners. I'm pretty pleased how this worked out. Then I started to highlight the switches and warning lights and applied the Airscale Instrument Dial decals. I punched them out from the decal paper with my Waldron Punch & Die set the same diameters like I used for the IP itself. This worked perfect with the exception, that I managed to crack some decals… the Data Placards come from a Mike Grant decal set.

 

new-IP2.jpg

 

 

new-IP3.jpg

 

 

new-IP4.jpg

 

 

 

best, Robert

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Thank you Alain.

 

We have a Belgian Pilot…. exactly the pilot required for this Job. I will send a letter of employment to PJ.

 

 

 

To 1 to 1 scale I wish to say, that Mirages are addictive…. Go for it!

 

Between July, 1964 and August, 1966, the second prototype of the Mirage IIIS made 295 Flights in the US. A story for itself.

 

 

J-2302.jpg

 

 

Holloman.jpg

 

 

best regards,

Robert

Edited by MatterOne
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Cockpit

 

 

I found some pictures that, to my interpretation, represent the Mirage Cockpit in the time frame I intend to place my model.

 

 

cockpit_1.jpg

 

 

cockpit_2.jpg

 

 

cockpit_3.jpg

 

 

cockpit_4.jpg

 

 

cockpit_5.jpg

 

 

 

 

compared to this:

 

cockpit_plastic.jpg

 

 

 

I wonder, what I can do to the plastic to get the look. Certainly the aft bulkhead asks for a modification - and the sidewalls for more detail.

 

Of course I hope, that the posted pictures are helpful for others that want to follow this path. If you imagine everything in black you might as well have a Mirage IIIE +/-

 

 

best, Robert

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