Jump to content

Recommended Posts

As I wait for the RF-4E stencils to arrive from the ever generous and helpful Tobi (TobiK) from Germany, I decided to squeeze in one more kit for this group build; Kinetic's 1/48 Mirage 2000C...

DSC_0016_zpsiahtjywd.jpg

I'll be using some or all of the following AM parts to make a Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 of 114 Combat Wing, 331 Fighter Interceptor Squadron "Theseus" based out of Tanagra AFB.

DSC_0017_zpswiwvyjwi.jpg

Using the kit decals (Cartograf numbers) so will be doing this particular bird...

11092195086_6ca71dbe2c_b_zpski4mirzh.jpg

Unlike most HAF aircraft, the Mirages are mostly kept clean and show only little weathering, so no massive washes this time out. I started out on the cockpit. here's what's been done thus far. I really need to pull out the proper camera!

DSC_0021_zpscvugcwao.jpg

Hopefully I can get this one done in time before the GB ends, but I won't be rushing it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Another one I've got waiting to do at some point, so will be watching with interest. Like you I also bought the KASL radome and also their exhaust instead of the Aires version. The kit decals look nice and should go down well.

What load out are you planning?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Uhhh...better concentrate on the Mirage now. I got a trow back with your decals and feel bad and ashamed. But I do what I can...sending mails to friends and post a search in a german modelling forum.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The load out that I've already selected for my build is MICA IR on the outer wing pylons, drop tanks on the inner. MICA IR on starboard shoulder front and port shoulder rear, MICA EM starboard shoulder rear and port shoulder front. Finished with SCALP on the centreline. I may omit the MICA IR's from the shoulder pylons and have them clean.

You could put GBU's on it as well, can't remember off the top of my head what ones(I'll get back to you on that one). GBU-12/16 only, wasn't sure if Greece used the ASSM

No Matra Magic or Exocet missiles are carried by the M2K-5, they are confined to the older EG/BG of 332M.

HTH

Edited by scotthldr
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 4 weeks later...

So, after more travel and a week in hospital, I'm slowly getting back on the bench. Seems this GB is slightly cursed for me!! Oh well, all's better now and here is some slow progress. First, the halves were put together. In typical kinetic style, dry fitting is super essential. It took around an hour of fitting as the instructions lack ANY detail on how to place the cockpit. Parts don't align, fit is suspect and generally just a frustrating process. I ended up closing the halves without the front landing gear bay. After it was dried up I slid the bay in through the bottom cavity. Actually fit very well that way.

DSC_0036_zpso1aqsh0s.jpg

Next the wing halves were put together. A quick dry fit with fuselage shows some fun ahead with wing root gaps... :chain-gun:/>

DSC_0040_zpsctia5qnq.jpg

Painted the drop tanks using Alclad Aluminium however on checking ref pics, they seem to be a light grey. Anyone got any ideas on the exact colour?

DSC_0039_zpsrufyidvx.jpg

Next some advice if you please. I have the Pavla and the KASL radomes. The following is a picture of 1) kit piece, 2) Pavla 3) KASL

DSC_0041_zpspebqjagg.jpg

The kit piece is rubbish, however the Pavla piece shows a very slight bulbous look halfway down the radome. The KASL piece is less bulbous than the Pavla but ever so slightly more than the kit piece. Which is more correct? I'm leaning towards the Pavla right now. The KASL piece has excellent detail, however it requires hacking off part of the fuselage, so want to be sure before I take the saw out. Thoughs?

Here is the best profile pic I could find. Photo courtesy of www.airliners.net

2469783.jpg

Edited by Crazy Snap Captain
Link to post
Share on other sites

The tanks should be the same as the Light Grey in the main scheme, they do appear a slightly different tone due to the material that the tanks are made out of. Maybe add a drop of 36375 Lt Compass Grey to give it that difference.

I personally would go with the KASL nose, I haven't seen the Pavla version in person but as you say the KASL has very good detail.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I am :woot.gif: everytime I see some stuff from KASL. That would be my personal nose to go.

When doing a Kinetic Mirage, just take care of the wing position...something like "anhedral" or like that.

I the net is a report how to correct it and make the wings a bit "hanging" (so it is correct.).

Mike Evans did it!

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

Ok,

Slow progress between work and doctor's appointments but getting there. I'm almost resigned to the fact that I wont get this done in time, so I'm not going to rush it as I want to do a good job on this s3xy aircraft. Here are some updates.

Aires exhaust pipe done. Nice detail as usual. I haven't painted the actual exhaust yet as I'm mixing paints to get a good match to the colours I'm using from a ref pic of the exhaust petals. More mixing stories later...

DSC_0042_zpso1sfsrmm.jpg

Now the wing anhedral. Thanks to TobiK, I found the article by Mick Evans that shows how to rectify the issue of the slightly drooping wings that are not correctly represented on the Kinetic kit. Here it is for anyone else that want's to rectify their kit...M2K Wing Fix.

Only problem for me was that I had already attached the upper wing parts and could not replicate what Mick Evans had done. :bandhead2: Anyway, cursed a bit but then found what may (or may not) be an easier fix. I just glued together son Evergreen strips and wedged them between the MLG cavities on the inside of the model like this...

DSC_0049_zpszez6ytuy.jpg

The result? I got the anhedral effect going nicely. It passed Mick's test of the wing tips and the fuselage being able to stand flat on a metal ruler... The photo below is not the final product. I ended up taking a slice or two out of my wedge as there is a large bump on the bottom of the fuselage that was making me "over-anhedral" the wings (if that makes sense). Anyway, seems to have worked so far.

DSC_0050_zpsxzq6m7df.jpg

I dry fitted the fuselage on top and there was no great problems. The wing roots will require some filling, but nothing more than normal.

Next the fuel tanks. After looking at more ref pics, I realised I had used the wrong fuel tanks. The ones that I had previously painted were the French AF version of the wing fuel tanks. They are more curvy and bulbous than the ones used by the HAF. Turns out that there is an export version tank. Went looking in the box for these and it seems that I'm missing a spruce or two from my boxing... NOOOOOOO!!! :chain-gun: Apart from the tanks I am also missing the MICA missiles. Not sure what else is missing. Damn. Luckily I had a multitude of spares from an Eduard MK2 and a failed Kinetic MK2B I had. I found the correct tanks (already assembled, puttied and sanded mind you), a number of MICA missiles as well as 2 SCALPs! Score. The tanks were missing a piece (a circular infill part) but I used the old punch and die set and made a couple...

DSC_0054_zpsv3rkar4z.jpg

Then painted...

DSC_0057_zps6ifu2cw0.jpg

Next came the sawing off of the nose to accommodate the KASL nose cone. The KASL instructions call out that you cut the kit on a particulat panel line. I cut just before it and started sanding the rest down. Just out of curiosity I checked the fit before I reached the said panel line and found that the fit was perfect already!!! Lucky I tested when I did otherwise I would have been left with a rather large step to blend in. So a word of warning. dry fit before you get to the panel line. Not sure if it was shrinkage or something, but my nose cone definitely did not require anymore of the kit sawn off. Anyway, I filled in the panel line with putty as this would have created a non existent panel line on my model.

DSC_0058_zpsfhgj4al5.jpg

Excuse the cr@ppy photos. Now more stories from the land of mixology... I pretty much only use Tamiya and Gunze (both acrylics) and I couldn't really order any of the XtraColor or other specific Mirage colours as time wasn't an option. So I went about trying to match colours by mixing what I had. Using reference photos only confuses the situation. Depending on the lighting, the blue/grey on the M2K can look anything from a proper blue to a dark grey. The one I found to be the most consistent was this particular colour (Photo courtesy of Airliners.net)

HAF%20irage%202000-5%20008_zpsp9tjcoop.jpg

So I based my colours on this. I found that for the nose cone and light grey colours, Gunze had pretty much one for one colours. They are: Radome - H317 (FS36231) Main Light Grey - H308 (FS36375) (Thanks Scott for the tip :thumbsup:). The hard one is the blue/grey. After MUCH tooing and froing, I came up with a reciepe. This will make you 1 Tamiya acrylic paint sized jar of paint once you add your thinners. Here is the mix (deep breath now)...

5 ml of Gunze H42 (Blue Grey)

2.5ml of Gunze H308 (FS 36375)

2.5ml of Gunze H338 (FS 36495)

5 drops of Tamiya X4 (Blue)

5 drops of Tamiya X14 (Sky Blue)

20 drops of Tamiya XF1 (Flat White)

I'm sure there is an easier way of mixing this and getting the same result. This was just me adding paints till it satisfied the old Mk. 1 Eyeball. Here are the results that I tried on a spare tail (which is the same colour as the kits plastic). The photo doesn't do it justice (cr@ppy camera and cr@p lighting, but in real life it's almost dead on with the photo above.

DSC_0062_zps6ax6pyf1.jpg

Now back to work. Thanks for stopping by.

Edited by Crazy Snap Captain
Link to post
Share on other sites

Great work so far bud, and great tip for the wing correction certainly seems to be far simpler that Mikes way(as you say never like cutting into a kit unless you really have to). Also great attention to the nose alteration as well, saved yourself and eventually me a nasty step to deal with. :thumbsup:

The paint mix looks pretty good, to be honest I would say it's just a bit too Blue going by the pictures, but these photo hosting sites seems to change the tones in photographs so I'll believe you. :rofl:

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

Some progress. I painted up the intakes before installing...

DSC_0063_zpsbvlvkrky.jpg

Then I began the assembly of the fuselage and wings. As expected, there were some gap issues. I think the wing anhedral fix exacerbates the problem a bit, but the intakes are a pain as well. The instructions call out to attach the two intake parts together before attaching to the fuselage, but I think adding them one by one would have produced a better fit maybe. Not sure.

DSC_0067_zpssev6qwua.jpg

DSC_0066_zps2iiukop6.jpg

The KASL nose fit beautifully. Almost seamless! Nice stuff...

DSC_0069_zpsjunxtwtc.jpg

Now ready for gap filling and sanding...

DSC_0070_zpsvsy80ylw.jpg

Edited by Crazy Snap Captain
Link to post
Share on other sites

Progress continues at a snail's pace. Work is nuts, the weather is cold and wet and doctors are bleeding me dry. Anyway, painting. Laid down the light grey (Gunze Aqueous H308). Of course some adjustments were needed in the sanding and puttying dept but nothing too major. I then laid down my custom blue grey. Looking at it it looked too dark and too blue (Scott, you may now say "I told you so" :)/> )

DSC_0078_zpsfbvbvfyc.jpg

After finishing all the blue grey, I sprayed the H308 lightly over it until I lightened it to my eyeball's liking. Turned out pretty good I think. In the background is the pic I was using as a ref

DSC_0080_zps9bwwofrp.jpg

DSC_0079_zpsgv1ntcaw.jpg

And the original photo...(Photo courtesy of Airliners.net)

HAF%20irage%202000-5%20008_zpsp9tjcoop.jpg

Touch ups now and then gloss coat...

Edited by Crazy Snap Captain
Link to post
Share on other sites

Told you so :explode: !!! Only joking Andrew, I think the Mirage colours are the hardest to gauge as they change with every photo you see. I'll be using the Xtracolor ones on my build, but I have doubts that the darker of the Grey's is correct.

Your end result looks pretty convincing though, so good work :thumbsup:/>/>

Edited by scotthldr
Link to post
Share on other sites

You know those days when you're having a top day at work, you catch the early train, score a free coffee because you've reached the 10th coffee on your cafe loyalty card, things just seem to be going right for you, and you know, you just KNOW, that something is going to f@$k up. Something is going to punvh you right in the kidneys because...life.

I came home today to a rather sullen looking 5 y.o. son.

Me: What's up buddy?

Son: I broke your plane dad."

And you KNOW he's talking about the one you're working on. The one that's almost complete and was looking good. I walked into the garage and to my work bench to find this...

DSC_0082%201_zpsyj1oxufz.jpg

He had tried to sticky tape the nose back on. I couldn't be angry at him, but BLOODY HELL!!!! It's beyond repair. The nose can be salvaged for a future effort, but one of the flaps is missing somewhere in the back yard, as is the wing tip and both canards. The Aires exhaust is pretty badly damaged. The vertical stab is snapped clean off. I just wanted to cry... I'm cursed!!! I haven't finished a build for some reason or another for over a year now. A busted 1/32 f-16 (my fault), a failed KH 1/48 Jag, 1/48 MiG-29 9.13 and now this. I swallowed my disappointment and have now turned to the RF-4E and Tobi's decals. I'll break this curse yet. That or I'm calling in a priest for a full exorcism... Damn you modelling gods, damn you to a putty filled hell.

Edited by Crazy Snap Captain
Link to post
Share on other sites

Aaah man, I feel for you, that's the 3rd build in this GB to have came a cropper, maybe there is something on the go?

I wouldn't bin it just yet though, put it away for a week or two then re asses, the missing bits may turn up in the meantime.:thumbsup:

If I stayed in Sydney I would treat you to a :beer4: tonight.

Next time give your son this" :wasntme: "

Link to post
Share on other sites

Dont get me wrong Andrew, but...lol...my kids broke a couple of my models a loooong time ago and will always be a good story for your modelling friends! Now your son is only five, but it gets worst when he is older and he points out all your "mistakes" in your models...I know!!!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Urghh, what a mean murphy to strike in that GB! I know that feeling and that frustration coming up...it is not about the $$ that go into the trash now, moreover all the passionate modelling hours and elbow grease that was for nothing now!

And yes, I would go with scott and you in Sidney for a homemade fruit müsli! cheers!

(Ows, have I told you lately that I made a fantastic Tsatsiki in my kitchen? Only creamy yogurt, cucumber, garlic, salt n bit olive oil??)

(And now I keep my fingers and toes crossed that you can finish the RF ... straight and smooth...but please! Lock it away when ever you leave your bench!)

Edited by tobiK
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...