Eduard 1/48 Mirage IIIC Conversion

[CraigSargent]

Received the new AML Tsniut reconnaisance nose in the mail at the end of March, and decided to get started on the Eduard Royal Class Mirage IIIC I've had sitting around since it was first released. AML provide the new nose, ventral fuel tank, and cable ducts under the fuselage.

I've also modified a pylon and drop tank from IsraCast's Kfir Pylon and Tanks set for the Mirage centreline, and have a turned brass pitot from Master Models to add to the front. The Tsniut nose Mirages were both powered by the ATAR 9C engine which requires a different exhaust and shorter rear fuselage. The came courtesy of Martin (also available under ArmyCast).

I also removed the outboard underwing pylon missile rails and substitued a pair taken from a Hasegawa AV-8B with some added detail and a pair of correct AIM-9Ds from the Hasegawa weapons set. The gun ports under the fuselage were filled with Tamiya Light Curing Putty and sanded smooth. I have also had to fill and rescribe the panel lines on the starboard side of the tailfin as the two halves were misaligned during the molding process by Eduard.

Assembly is now around 75% complete, but need to detail the instrument coaming, add the gunsight and seat, some of the small photoetch parts and add the camera to the nose section. Pics to follow.

[Marlin]

Received the new AML Tsniut reconnaisance nose in the mail at the end of March, and decided to get started on the Eduard Royal Class Mirage IIIC I've had sitting around since it was first released. AML provide the new nose, ventral fuel tank, and cable ducts under the fuselage.

I've also modified a pylon and drop tank from IsraCast's Kfir Pylon and Tanks set for the Mirage centreline, and have a turned brass pitot from Master Models to add to the front. The Tsniut nose Mirages were both powered by the ATAR 9C engine which requires a different exhaust and shorter rear fuselage. The came courtesy of Martin (also available under ArmyCast).

I also removed the outboard underwing pylon missile rails and substitued a pair taken from a Hasegawa AV-8B with some added detail and a pair of correct AIM-9Ds from the Hasegawa weapons set. The gun ports under the fuselage were filled with Tamiya Light Curing Putty and sanded smooth. I have also had to fill and rescribe the panel lines on the starboard side of the tailfin as the two halves were misaligned during the molding process by Eduard.

Assembly is now around 75% complete, but need to detail the instrument coaming, add the gunsight and seat, some of the small photoetch parts and add the camera to the nose section. Pics to follow.

Hi Craig,

I'm building the same aircraft.

I hope to see your pictures soon.

/Bosse

Edited April 26, 2011 by Marlin

[CraigSargent]

Pics are up.

Nose section in place - still need to do some more work to the finish in the cockpit and detail the area behind the instrument panel. Still have to add the end of the nose, pitot and camera installation.

Gun ports filled, cable ducts and lower camera installation in place. Note that it needs to be off centre, not centred as the drawings seem to show.

IsraCast Kfir centreline pylon in place and AML ventral fuel tank. Holes filled for inner pylons and wing leading edge join seam filled and sanded and panel lines rescribed.

Ventral fuel tank - needed to rescribe most of the panel lines on it as they were crooked. The small black opening at the back will be glazed with some form of liquid glass to form a window when painting is complete. Modified kit missile pylons by cutting off the rails and adding the small styrene spacers to keep the Harrier LAU rails away from the pylon as per reference pics.

Actually a lot more in this picture than first meets the eye. Martin's ATAR 9C rear fuselage piece in place. Took quite a bit of sanding of the Eduard fuselage to get them to same diameter. Tamiya Light Curing Putty under tail fin and above resin rear fuselage to fill large gap. Dropped the flaps slightly to show hydralic bleed off. Rescribed most of the right side of the tail fin to get it to match the left and had to fill the large mismatched seam at the front. Also needed to add a shim to the outboard of the inner flap section as the gap was too large.

Different angled view of the cockpit - kit includes precoloured Eduard photoetch for most of the consoles and instrument panel.

Kfir centreline droptank modified (added Eduard kit's etched fuel caps, filled two mounting holes with white rod), Master Models brass pitot, Hasegawa AIM-9Ds with some added detailing on the upper, lower still to be done, and the LAU rails from the Hasegawa Harrier.

[yardbird78]

Very nice work so far. Keep those pictures coming.

Darwin

[Two Mikes]

That is one wickedly ugly plane dude! I can't wait to see it get the treatment by you. I smell another spectacular model coming!