Monogram Mirage 2000

[silverkite211]

I've got a Monogram 1/48 scale Mirage 2000 in my possession I'm think of building. Now, I know about the radome being too small, that I need to add a refueling probe, and nevermind about that really odd burner can, here's what I want to know. Is there anything else major that needs to be done to make it a presentable kit? The canopy will be closed, so I'm not worried about the cockpit, and I'm not wanting to droop the control surfaces or anything like that. I also know the Heller kit is better, but I don't have one, and I'm not planning on trying to find one, so there it is. What about it?

And, thanks in advance.

[Impatient Pete]

Funny, I was just wonering this exact same thing today.

Pete

[trojansamurai]

IIRC, the throttle stick in the kit is side-mounted like the F-16. It should be conventionally mounted between the pilot's legs. Even with the canopy closed, this is something noticeable.

The other thing I didn't like about the kit is how they designed the attachment point for the main gear legs. Looks a little cheesy IMHO and should be removed and replaced with an appropriately sized piece of short tubing for the gears to plug into.

[jotter]

I'd ask the resident expert Ed Grantham. You can also do a search on this forum under mirage and come up with tons of info.

Here's Ed's link:

http://edsaircraft.co.uk/Models/Articles-M...al/1/index.html

It's a nice overview of EVERY Mirage 2000 kit in 1/48th

Basically the cockpit and seat would need work plus a couple of fuselage details are omitted.

[RSV1000R]

The list is long (longer than if you started with the Italeri or Heller kits):

-Cockpit - A new panel is required, as the kit one is pretty fictional. The side consoles are no better. A new MB seat would also be a better option that the kit supplied "generic" seat. Some sidewall detail would be nice too. While you are at it, you should replace the USAF pilot with an AdlA pilot.

-Burner Can- By default, you can see right through the jet, so ideally a burner "tube" and face should be built. The exterior "detail" on the burner can is completely incorrect and shows a "corrugated" effect no seen on the real article.

-Fuselage- Many refinements are required, of various vents and aerials. The cannon troughs are also a poor representation. The heat exchanger between the cannons also could have been represented better. The engine bleed vent on the spine has the wrong profile, it needs to be flatter on the top and more round when viewed from above (instead of being a pure wedge shape). The APU exhausts at the wing root also need adding (half sections of plastic tube, sanded to shape)

-Wings- The flaperons need dropping, as these are nearly always dropped when the aircraft is on the ground.

-Aerials- The SABRE jammer needs adding at the fin base, as the kit only features a blank fairing. The front SERVAL fairing is at the wrong angle, as it points down, instead of being level with the fuselage. The aircraft also features the prototype's array of pitots and sensors around the front of the cockpit. These either need filling or removing for a production aircraft.

-Panel lines - There are quite a few inaccuracies here, however they are too numerous to describe individually. The big ones that are missing are the row of bolt covers that run down the wing to fuselage joint.

-Weapons- The centreline fuel tank is the wrong shape (too bulbous) and has the wrong fin section for a Mirage 2000. The MAGIC IIs are extremely simple and again have shape issue. They can replaced with the excellent RoG MAGICS from the Rafale kit (although they would be wasted hung on this kit rolleyes.gif ). The Exocets are "Ok" however they are not appropriate for a French Mirage 2000C (You could use them for a Greek Mirage 2000 EG, however then you have a whole host of other changes to make!). The shape of the weapon pylons is also not perfect and they could do with a bit of a reshaping.

Correcting these issue would leave you with a relatively accurate model, the only issue now would be the inaccurate shape which is:

"The most noticeable problem with the shape is the width across the "shoulders" (the fuselage width at the intakes widest point). The nose is also a little short and I'm not completely happy with the way the canopy blends into the forward fuselage. The diameter around the jet pipe also looks a little large which is consistent with the rest of the fuselage."

You would then have to decide which version you would like to build. If you want a French jet, then you can build either a C S1, S2, S3, S4 or S5 (The S1 and S2 are no longer in service). The easiest to build from this kit is an S1, S2 or early S3, as this saves you having to add the SPIRALE chaff and flare dispenser in the rear of the wing to fuselage ("karman" fairings). There are decals about for most options.

Essentially, this kit is a waste of time if you are trying to build an accurate Mirage 2000. If you put a lot of work into it, as I mentioned, you could end up with something that looks fine (Jeff Stoermer has a nice one in the gallery here), however it would be hard to make it truly accurate. You know the common phrase, "You can't polish a shite" rolleyes.gif

I'd recommend the Italeri kit as it should be easy to obtain, it is cheap and it provides a better base for an accurate Mirage 2000, even though it also has its problems. The Heller kit could be described in exactly the same way.

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news. Regards,

Ed

From: http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....ram+Mirage+2000

Cheers,

Ed