Dassault/tnai Mirage F.1atx Plus

[elmayerle]

I want to complement you on your PW1120 approach, mine is similar, yet different, as I intend to mate a 1/100 F100 nozzle to an appropriate ring for a 1/72 J79 (well, actually, I'm using the very bogus "Spey" nozzle from the ancient (1966) Revell F-4K kit).

Thanks Evan!  You gave me the idea originally.  An unused 1/72 F-16 made the donation.  

Is the E/O ball (on say a A-6E TRAM) retractable?  Do you think there would be enough room in my Super Mirage F.1A+ for this type of mechanism?  Would it have to fully retract or just partially (to reduce the drag & aerodynamic disruption)?  Or alternatively, if I recess the E/O ball more does it even need to be retractable - or put another way, how much of the E/O ball needs to be exposed to be able to guide (for example) a LGB without much loss in capability & range of movement?

It looks great, Bryan! What kind of camo scheme and markings are you considering?

I think this Super Mirage will be part of a Texas Army Air Corps (TAAC) Territorial Garrison Air Wing based at Antananarivo AAF/IAP, Madagascar.  I think she'll have some sort of low-viz 'tropical' camo scheme.  Maybe, a mix of the last 'low-viz' camo used on the SAAF Mirage F.1AZ's & the USAF SEA scheme.      

After studying numerous alternatives, the Super Mirage upgrade program was approved by the Texas Dept. of War for low/moderate rate production.  Texas already had a manufacturing license and existing production lines & tooling for the Dassault Mirage available; these factors were a considerable plus in the Mirage's favor.  The Dassault/TNAI Super Mirage F.1ATx+ was developed as a (relatively) 'low-cost' multi-role attack fighter particularly use in a (as the low-end) of the 'low-med-high mix' in the TAAC and for colonial air garrisons/sovereignty enforcement roles.  TNAI is also developing Super Mirage F.1ETx+, Super Mirage F.1MTx & Super Mirage F.1BTx+ upgrade programs.    

Thanks &    Bryan

The ball on a A-6E TRAM isn't retractible.  As long as you have the fairing, it wouldn't need to be retractible.  Just a thought, you -might- want to reverse the ball and fairing, ball behind fairing, much the way Pack Tack is designed.  That way you don't have to keep pointed at the target to keep the sensors and/or designator on it (useful approach for highly-defended targets).  With the sensor window below the fairing when the ball is pointed forward, you could still acquire the target, but you wouldn't have to keep the aircraft pointed at or near the target 'til the weapon hit.  I suppose you could consider this a semi-conformal installation of a modern E/O pod.

[ysi_maniac]

Amazed by the model and the huge amount of information in this thread

[Bryan H.]

I've popped the E/O ball & fairing off.  I'm leaning toward cutting the E/O ball back - it will be a semi-circle (not too much aerodynamic penalty) & can rotate 360º.  The fairing should be unnecessary.  

I enjoy the idea of the Texas Army Air Corps based in Madagascar!!

I flew over Madagascar several times, and if you want I could help you a little for the camo. Personnally, I don't think the "tropical" camo (I mean dark green, jungle colors etc...) is the best solution.
Most of times, Madagascar is more yellow and light brown than green. Due to its nature of island, Madagascar is often cover by light clouds in summer (Even if it's winter for them), and in winters there is plenty of big clouds, hurricanes etc...

For my part, I chose a mix of light green, sand and light grey in order to color my Madagascan F-18 Hornet: http://polluxdeltaseven.free.fr/Hornet%20M...r%20Preview.jpg

I chose light, pastel and low-viz colors.

I hesitate with some blue instead of the grey. It all depends if your aircraft is supposed to fly over the seas.



I hope my description of Madagascar view from the sky will help you!! 

Thanks!  I'm now thinking maybe something like a cross between the Spanish Mirage F.1 - semi-arid camo scheme & the last SAAF Mirage F.1AZ low-viz scheme (the nice one with the grey on the fin & on all but the upper surfaces).

Bryan  

[Bryan H.]

Here's the revised E/O turret - sans fairing.  I just cut the E/O ball down & took out the fairing.  I replaced the fairing with the low-profile (radar?) bump for visual interest.  The pics are a bit blurry but I think you can get the idea.  I haven't glued anything down yet - so I can adjust the bits if I need to.









How does it look now?

Thanks for the input &   Bryan