1/32 Dassault Mirage IIIs J-2336 Geronimo

[CarstenB]

Hi all

 

After a break of more than a year, I have found the time and motivation to start my Mirage IIIs J-2336 Geronimo project (again).  So, this is my third attempt. The first attempt (the 1/32 Mirage IIIC from Italeri) with NMF (natural metal finish) was a complete disaster. The airframe metal color was rough and after I added clear coat, the clear coat peeled of:

 

 

On my second attempt (again the 1/32 Mirage IIIC from Italeri), I experimented with the metallic colours from Mr. Hobby/Gunze. The result was good average. But but it bothered me that the intake and some other details were not on a scale. See below:

 

 

In the meantime, I've done some research on NMF and made a few attempts with Alclad II metal colours. The results are impressive!  Especially if the primer is right. But more on that later. So I decided to make a third attempt. But this time with the previous kit from Revel I found on ebay:

 

 

To convert it to the Swiss version IIIs, I will use some conversion kits:

 

 

- Conversion kit: MC-UVRESIN02, Mirage IIIS early conversion kit from Matterhorn Circle

- Pitot: AM-32-090 Pitot from Master

- Exhaust: MC32001, ATAR 9C exchaust from Matterhorn Circle (sold out )

- Various PE parts: BIG3364, Eduard BIG ED Mirage IIIc Part 1 & BIG3367, Eduard BIG ED Mirage IIIc Part 2 (both discontinued)

- Wheels: 632076, Eduard Mirage IIIc wheels (discontinued)

- Decals: MC32014, Mirage III C/S/RS from Matterhorn Cirlce (sold out )

[CarstenB]

As usual I started with the ejection seat, a Martin Baker Mk.3. The seat from Revell is (as almost in all kits) very basic. Only a few details and the dimensions/thickness of the seat shell are not correct at all.

 

 

So I decied to build the ejection seat from scratch useing polystyrene sheets (1mm) and pimp them with the PE parts from Eduard (32859, Mirage IIIc interior). I am quite happy about it:

 

 

The template was very detailed photos that I found on the Internet. Here is one of the many photos:

 

Next, I added some more details: 1/32 rivets (from Quinita Studio) and the ejection handle, made of yellow and black painted 1mm wire fixed in the seat with two 2mm brass tubes:

 

 

The intermediate result is respectable:

 

 

After painting it black:

 

 

I added even more details. I know, the wont be visible in the end, but I know, they are there. 

 

 

Next part, the seat cushions. I made them out of epoxy putty and painted them with a base color:

 

 

The black seat shell got a light silver brush and the cushions the final color. 

 

 

At the end, I added the seatbelts from Eduard (32860, Mirage IIIc seatbelts) giving them a little twist by "haning" one of the belts on the ejection handle. Here the final results:

 

 

[CarstenB]

Next step, the PIT. The kit from Revell has very little detail and the instruments on the IP are not correct. In addition, there is an opening for electronic instruments behind the seat in the original. So there was a lot to do here.

 

 

First I removed the details from the rear bulkhead and created an opening for the electronic bay.

 

 

hmmm... I am not very happy with the result. Maybe after painting the PIT green-metalic and adding some details?

 

 

Nope! I am not convinced! Here a good detail shot. Thank you @MatterOne!

 

 

Therefore, I decided to start from sratch. Lucky me, I had enough spare parts from my previous trys. First, remove all details again and irregularities smoothed out with plastik sheets.

 

 

Next, I created the electonic bay.

 

 

And pimped it with the rivets from Quinta Studio and PE parts from Eduard.

 

 

The box for the electronic bay was pimped with black Braided Line 0.5mm and Connectors 0.5mm from ANYZ.

 

 

In parallel I was working on the IP from Matterhorn Cirle. First painting it metalic green.

 

 

Then added some wires, instrument housings to the front part of the IP and painted it black.

 

 

The also pimping the IP with Dials & Knobs 2 from ANYZ.

 

 

After adding the Cockpit Dials from ANYZ, the IP looks fine for me.

 

 

Finally assembling all together:

 

 

In black and white it almost looks like the original. 

 

 

[CarstenB]

As I mentioned in the beginning of the thread, I was not happy at all with the scale of try number 2. Especially the intakes were completely wrong. So I decided this time to start early with the intakes and I checked whether the dimensions were correct. The intakes from the Swiss version end short before the canopy starts. See reference image:

 

 

In comparison to the Italerie kit, the Revell kit is correct. BUT the first thing I noticed, the mould impressions are visible.

 

 

So I filled them and sanded all irregularities. After polishing all surfaces with 2400/6000 and 8000 polish paper, I primed the entire intake with Humbrol Enamel black gloss (21). 

 

 

After one day drying and polishing them again with polishing compound I used ALC-119 Airframe Aluminium from Alclad II to give it the shiny appearance of polished metal. I know, it wont be visible, but it was a kind of a prototyp test for the fuselage comming later. Here the results:

 

 

For the moment, I set it to the side to continue with the main and front landing gear bays.

[CarstenB]

Continue with the main landing gear bay. Again, the details of the kit are rather poor.

 

 

That's why I decided to improve it with the Mirage IIIc exterior accessories set from Eduard.

 

 

After I had sanded down all the raised parts, attached the Eduard PE parts and assembled everything, I painted the inside first silver then yellow-green.

 

 

After I light dirt and oil wash I added the rest of the PE parts, pimped it with some ANYZ connectors and wires to simulate pipes.

 

 

For the moment, I'm also putting this sub-project to the side.

[CarstenB]

As already explained in the thread Mirage IIIS Swiss Aire Force by MatterOne, the Swiss version has an extended nose gear to enter the mountain caverns. The entire nose gear bay was lengthened so that the nose gear would fit into it. For this reason and to fit the gear bay door from the Matterhorn Circle conversion kit, I had to remove the maintenance cover right behind the nose gear bay (see below marked in red).

 

 

As a result of this extension, I naturally also had to extend the walls of the gear bay. I used 2mm plastic sheets and pimped the walls and ceiling with PE spare parts.

 

 

The next step is to paint the lines and pimp them with additional wire lines to extend the looking closer to the original.

 

 

 

 

 

[CarstenB]

So, that's the current status. I hope to be able to post further progress here soon.

[alain11]

hi

very interesting thread !!! great job , I will follow your WIP for sure ........ thanks for sharing

Alain

[Lee White]

I don’t know if this has been mentioned, but the “long” intakes that end under the canopy are from a Mirage IIIC, whereas the “short” intakes are from a Mirage IIIE.

[LSP_Kevin]

Excellent work so far!

 

Kev

[Biggles87]

Excellent work on the cockpit and seat ( which is actually a Mk 4/6 by the way ), good to see the ANYZ parts being used.

 

John

 

Edited May 9 by Biggles87

[spyrosjzmichos]

Great work!

Looking lovely!

[CarstenB]

On 5/5/2024 at 10:14 PM, Lee White said:

I don’t know if this has been mentioned, but the “long” intakes that end under the canopy are from a Mirage IIIC, whereas the “short” intakes are from a Mirage IIIE.

@Lee White there are a few discussions on LSP regarding the intakes. I.e. thermometer from @MatterOne:

 

[CarstenB]

On 5/6/2024 at 7:50 AM, Biggles87 said:

Excellent work on the cockpit and seat ( which is actually a Mk 4/6 by the way ), good to see the ANYZ parts being used.

 

John

 

@Biggles87 I love ANYZ 

[CarstenB]

On 5/5/2024 at 11:22 PM, LSP_Kevin said:

Excellent work so far!

 

Kev

Thank you Kev.