Derek B Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 (edited) This kit was started at least five years ago (probably longer). Other than my completed Revell 1/144 scale CH-47D Chinook, which I completed as a HAF/HAA aircraft, this will only be my second HAF subject. The kit is the ancient Airfix 2000 kit, which is based upon the prototype Mirage 2000 aircraft, so requires a fair bit of work to bring it up to modern Mirage 2000C (or, in the case of the HAF, Mirage 2000EG) standards. The cockpit features scratch built instrumentation and controls. The fuselage required some fairly extensive rework and reshaping in order to correct shape errors and capture the subtle lines of the actual aircraft. I decided that the jet pipe nozzle was incorrect, so am replacing it with a scratch built item (along with the internal jet pipe and exhaust). The ailerons/elevons have been cut away, as these will need to be in a depressed position. Last work I have done on this kit was refining the kit cannon troughs on the underside of the forward fuselage. I am currently only working on this kit in between my current Trumpeter 1/32 build, so any further progress updates will be very sporadic and far between until the Lightning is completed. Derek Edited June 15, 2023 by Derek B Shoggz, Pascal, LSP_Kevin and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted June 15, 2023 Author Share Posted June 15, 2023 Derek Fanes, LSP_K2, scvrobeson and 12 others 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 Nice work Derek Cutting those rings for the engine must have been a painstaking exercise...! Matt Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted June 15, 2023 Author Share Posted June 15, 2023 51 minutes ago, mattlow said: Nice work Derek Cutting those rings for the engine must have been a painstaking exercise...! Matt Hi Matt, Forming 16 hoops from lengths of 0.7 mm plastic rod is a time consuming activity - especially trying to the ends glued together! (I used the internal diameter of the tube to assist me in this respect). I still need to produce a perforated internal sleeve at the hot end, which I currently have no idea how to make, and find a way to accurately detail both internal and external faces of the jet pipe exhaust, but I shall cross those particular bridges when I get to them. Cheers Derek LSP_Kevin, scvrobeson, LSP_Ray and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 Fabulous stuff, Derek! Kev Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ray Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 3 hours ago, Derek B said: Hi Matt, Forming 16 hoops from lengths of 0.7 mm plastic rod is a time consuming activity - especially trying to the ends glued together! (I used the internal diameter of the tube to assist me in this respect). I still need to produce a perforated internal sleeve at the hot end, which I currently have no idea how to make, and find a way to accurately detail both internal and external faces of the jet pipe exhaust, but I shall cross those particular bridges when I get to them. Cheers Derek Exactly why we model in 1/32nd, Derek! Nice work, though! Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted June 16, 2023 Author Share Posted June 16, 2023 20 hours ago, LSP_Ray said: Exactly why we model in 1/32nd, Derek! Nice work, though! Very true Ray, but then again, in 1/32 scale, you have to detail the detal! lol Derek LSP_Ray, Alex and mattlow 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenshb Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 Some grat modelling going on here. Didn't know the Karman fairings were so wrong in the kit - would have thought Heller got that right. Jens Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted June 27, 2023 Author Share Posted June 27, 2023 On 6/21/2023 at 12:24 AM, jenshb said: Some grat modelling going on here. Didn't know the Karman fairings were so wrong in the kit - would have thought Heller got that right. Jens Hi Jens. Am I correct in thinking that you are referring to the wing root fairings? You may have a point there, but this is the Airfix kit, not the Heller one, unless they are the same mouldings? (To be honest, I have never seen or owned any Heller Mirage 2000 kits in any scale, so I do not know how they directly compare?). Cheers Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg W Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 Love this. What a person can do with good old plastic strip and rod. A pleasure to see unfold, phenomenal work Derek! Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenshb Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 20 hours ago, Derek B said: Hi Jens. Am I correct in thinking that you are referring to the wing root fairings? You may have a point there, but this is the Airfix kit, not the Heller one, unless they are the same mouldings? (To be honest, I have never seen or owned any Heller Mirage 2000 kits in any scale, so I do not know how they directly compare?). Cheers Derek Yes, the French call the blended wing/fuselage fairings "Karman fairings". The Airfix and Heller kit are from the same tools. Jens Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted September 24, 2023 Author Share Posted September 24, 2023 In-between other things, the Mirage slowly progresses. Here I am trying to improve upon the poor kit jet pipe and engine turbine area... still much work to do. Derek LSP_Kevin, Cheetah11, LSP_K2 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted October 9, 2023 Author Share Posted October 9, 2023 The pain continues...after burner section in progress (bit of aluminium take away food tray foil work). Apologies for the post being picture heavy, but it describes the coming together of the process better than any words. Derek LSP_Kevin, blackbetty, Alex and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted October 9, 2023 Share Posted October 9, 2023 Fantastic stuff, Derek! Your scratch-building solutions are endlessly inventive. Kev Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissFighters Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 Hi Derek, Great build! I am enjoying seeing your detail solutions and admire your capacity to build cool components with some pretty basic materials. I wonder, seeing your use of Milliput here and elsewhere (e.g. Lightning), have you ever had any issues with it shrinking, especially when its used to form quite substantial structures? Tony Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now