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Italeri RAAF Mirage IIIO. FINISHED


ericg

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Some more work. Whilst I am generally quite pleased with the kit (as well as the IIIC offering), there is some areas which I felt could have been done much better. The exhaust nozzle will need replacing with aftermarket for instance as it looks like it would be more suited to a lego kit rather than a replica of a jet once graced by `Australia's finest'. Where no aftermarket exists, or when using aftermarket is outside the scope of ones build, solutions need to be thought of to fix something which would be an eyesore in years to come when it resides in my display cabinet.

 

Here is the nozzle, having its huge (and these were already cut down from what can be seen) sprue gates removed.

 

IMG_2819_zpsccab7t7c.jpg

 

Here is the nozzle, as Italeri intended. Notice that the rods to each petal are solid lumps and certainly don't do this part of the jet justice. I guess they would look OK with a coat of paint and a dry brush, but I reckon I could tweak them to look a bit better.

 

IMG_2820_zpsc9gkauht.jpg 

 

I cut off each rod leaving the hinge bracket attached and then sanded the entire inside of the nozzle smooth. I  then used a small jig that I shaped from a length of Aluminium horizontal window blind (an excellent source of easily shaped and cut material that is ideal for scribing) I  scribed each petal in its correct place. Using the jig I was able to quickly place many scribed lines in their precise locations.

 

IMG_2967_zpsqesro6yc.jpg

 

I then used a Trumpeter scriber and a No.11 blade to give each line an undercut such that each petal overlaps its neighbour. In this picture is visible the filler (Mr Surfacer) used on the inside of the nozzle to assist with giving me a `blank' upon which to redo each petal.

 

IMG_2965_zpsyx8znf2r.jpg

 

Simple tools, complex result.

 

 IMG_2968_zpsq0xryatq.jpg

 

Now the nozzle is starting to look much better.

 

IMG_2966_zpspx3korfm.jpg

 

I then used my JLC razor saw to open up each bracket......

 

IMG_2969_zpsttu0urxv.jpg

 

Which then allowed a trial fit of a new actuator rod, made from brass. 

 

IMG_2971_zpsjrjepqjt.jpg

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Brillant work Eric.

Opened up the kit yesterday. First impressions lovely. Had a close look at a few areas that I think are questionable. Knowing the IIIO intimately these are my thoughts on first look at the kit.

 

Nozzles .... a little agricultural to say the least. (Nozzle op anecdote to come).

 

Ejection seat

This is a hodge podge of an OM4 seat with an OM6 seat. As such it doesn't really represent either. It is closer to an OM6 rather than an OM4 which is a little strange as the French only ever operated with the OM4.

The PE harness routing in the instructions bares little resemblance to the real thing. One of Martin Bakers innovations was the “Combined Harnessâ€. This has both the Chute and seat harness attaching to the Quick Release box via common fittings. Each Shoulder strap for instance is doubled up. The bright blue straps are for the seat itself with the Khaki being the chute harness. Both these attach to a common male fitting that goes into the QRB. The PE in the Kit has these separated. Looking at the instructions the piece labelled 1PE needs to have its arms joining the respective bits 3Pe. In addition 1PE needs to be the same blue (“Fâ€) as parts 4PE,5PE and 2PE are labelled. The Two crotch straps are missing all together from the PE. Leg restraint loops also need to be added. Some good colour seat images in the Mushroom Mirage III book

The diagram below shows the entire Combined Harness assembly. Not all of this is visible as the rear half of it sits behind the rear seat back cushion.The gRaphic does however illustrate how it all goes together.Combinedharness_zps9udbzscr.jpg

 

 

When the seat is dressed for flight the combined portions (3Pe and 1PE) were draped over the top of the seat laying diagonally over the drogue chute housing. This kept them off the seat back and gave the pilot free access to the seat. Each strap was then given to the pilot once he was sitting in the seat for him to route through the crotch loops then insert into the QRB

 

Once strapped in the routing looks like this:

 

SeanMK7_zpszkrj0xre.jpg

Yep its a MK7 but the colours and routing are identical to the OM6 ...which are pretty much the same anyway

 

Instrument Panel.

Pretty well done and represents a French IIIE well. However if modelling a IIIO there are significant changes required. Eric is on to these already. Primary changes are the Centre console and the Left glare shield. The kit Left glare shield has the French style R550 control/sequence lights and fairing. The RAAF version of this was a lot smaller and more refined. If modelling an AIM9 equipped Mirage then this entire fairing needs to be removed.

 

If modelling a specific IIIO then the radalt may or may not be present. Only a minority of IIIO's had Radalts fitted. Generally speaking those airframes that were set aside for PR use with the RAAF PR nose. This nose could be exchanged for the radar fairly easily.

 

Console panels. Represent a French IIIE well but a little work is required to accurately represent a IIIO. Again for the IIIO super detailer's you need to be quite specific as to what radio control heads you represent. Pre 1980 or post 1980.

 

CSF97K Gunsight

This is modelled surprisingly well. It could do with some detailing in removing the blobs that represent the Radalt lights on the left and the radar/R530 sequence lights that are on the right. In the same area is the Incidence lights block that isn't featured in the kit very well at all.

 

Intakes

there are some horizontal plates supplied as PE in the kit that fit between the Intake and the fuselage These were never a part of a IIIE or IIIO. The intake had standoff rods instead. However the stand-off plates were fitted on the IIID. A little annoying that the Intake join lies right through the middle of the Auxiliary intake blow in doors ... some sanding and rescribing going to be needed here.

 

External tanks

The “supersonic†500l “French style†tanks have dreadful raised lines which is completely wrong. The “French†supers that are represented in the kit were IRL a truly beautiful thing smooth seamless shapes. (unlike the Israeli finned versions that were jettisonable and therefore “minimalist in their construction). Its strange that raised lines were used on the kit “supers†when the 1300l and 1700l tanks are nicely done. If you are going to use the “supers†then all the raised seams need to be removed.

 

BTW the 1700l tanks supplied in the kit are not suitable for the IIIO as our 1700l tanks were scaled versions of the 1300l tanks and mounted by a large pylon the same as used on the 1300l tanks. The kit supplied 1300l tanks are correct for the IIIO

No centreline pylon is provided in the kit to mount a centreline 1300l tank. The modeller will need to make one of these (Go to it Eric …. you have the plans :)

 

ClinepylonMirIII_zpsjdcsrxwz.jpg

 

More to come as I explore the kit further.... but it looks like a ripper "Miracle" can be produced from this kit.

Edited by TTail
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Thanks alot Sean, and happy birthday to you. I am sure the guys are appreciating all of the pics and descriptions that you are contributing to the thread.

 

I attached all of the actuator rods to the exhaust nozzle and am quite pleased with the result. I still need to prime the part and do some minor tidy ups.

 

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A large improvement.

 

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Some more work on the panel and the parts count is accelerating fast. I have made some small compromises on the side panels to allow them to fit the kit without needing to modify it.

 

IMG_2987_zpsmof7dad7.jpg

 

The IP coaming is starting to get alot busier. 

 

IMG_2984_zpsoxx9wxrh.jpg

 

IMG_2983_zpsfsupr9zv.jpg

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