Mirage G building...

[Archibald]

I recently scrapped my old Mirage G (the remains went to the spanish F2). The former Mirage G was really a crude atempt, and used remains from various kits...

So it was time to resurect the Mirage G, this time using proper kits.
The only way of making a Mirage G is using the plane most similar, Ie the MiG-23 / 27 series. For the cockpit a two-seat Mirage 2000 (B, D or N).

The building was a real slaughter, I have now Mirage and MiG remains everywhere...

The kits...


Mirage 2000D assembly...


Mirage 2000D slaughtered


Rear part of the MiG

Main problem when using MiG-23/27 wings are the small "fangs" (dog tooths??) on the VG wings (never understood their usefulness). Well, with a good pair of scissors, they are now gone

Most difficult part of the kitbash : fitting the Mirage cockpit and air intakes on the MiG-27 aft body...
Remains of the slaughter (Mirage 2000 aft body, MiG-27 cockpit, pieces of air intakes, glue pots...)


Second atempt...with a longer rear fuselage for the horizontal tail. (last photo for the day)

[Tophe]

Wow!  

[B777LR]

I like it

[Archibald]

Thanks! (au fait, who is Tom Bonney? )
Now it has its undercarriage (from a Mirage IV).
I plan to do it in aeronavale markings, with the canopies (how do you say canopy in plural???) opened, the ATLIS pod and AS-30 from the butchered 2000D.
More photos to follow

[B777LR]

(au fait, who is Tom Bonney? )

Have a look in "general lunacy and such" and go look for "pirates"  

[Archibald]

The plane is now nearly finished.
Canopy and tail are not in place...

Undercarriage...


A photo of the real Mirage G (Le bourget 1969, Fana de l'aviation May 1999)
...and mine is below. just for fun


Lot of work to do...

[B777LR]

Looking good

[Brian da Basher]

Looks every bit the winner Archie! I love that blue scheme! B)

Brian da Basher

[Archibald]

With the remains of the 2000 and MiG-27 I have decided to make a Blackburn P.146 (saw in BSP at the end of the book). But I have to finish the Mirage G first... (oh, and also achieving this YF-23 in British markings )  

[Archibald]

Now only the decals are missing.
I used pins to make the moving pylons underwings (the pins are metallic but there's a small plastic capsule on it. The plastic is glued to the wing, but not the metal, so the pylon can move with the wings)  B)

[Tophe]

Among us, there were a T-tail man, a twin-tail man, a spat-man, now there is a Mirage-man it seems.
Will full respect,
--Tophe, the twin-tail one--
PS. Congratulations for this model, like real yes but what-if this Mirage G had been mass ordered?...  

[anthonyp]

PS. Congratulations for this model, like real yes but what-if this Mirage G had been mass ordered?...

Well, there'd be French, Iraqi, and probably Argentinian versions (with the French and Argie ones flying off of carriers).

Nice job, Archie!  Now, how about painting it overall grey and putting some USN markings on it  

   

[John Howling Mouse]

This is amazing work and seems you were able to do it very quickly.    

Do you leave the cardboard pieces as cardboard or do you replace them all with sheet styrene?  If you keep them as cardboard, how do you manage to attach cardboard (paper) to styrene (plastic)?

Would you like some sheet styrene for your fantastic ideas?

For efforts such as yours, I would be glad to help out.

JHM

[Archibald]

Overall grey ? NEVER!!
I have to found
- a Mirage-man slogan (something like the spats for BdB)
- how using plastic sheets (styrene) instead of cardboard

With strong glue, the cardboard fit nicely to the plastic of the model
I have to recognize it's nearly impossible to scratchbuild VG wings systems
Well I made the Mirage G in Aeronavale colors.

The Mirage-man now think about a possible F1E (enlarged air intakes? no problem! just try Mirage IV ones. Different nose? god bless the drop-tanks). Got plenty of M53 exhausts...
Oh, also asked on Dassault website about the Mirage F3 (the interceptor variant of the F2 which failed against the smaller Mirage F1)
There's also this Mirage-3000 (a Mirage 2000 with Tornado rear end ?)

an,d well, Mr JHM, I want to try the styrene sheet.

Last pics of the Mirage G finished.

[PolluxDeltaSeven]

Nice model!! I particulary love the last picture!!

It could be cool to see such a fighter for our Navy!!    



As you know Archie, I have an hepatitis so I also have some time to continue the old models I start months ago.
One of them is a US Navy F-117, and for it, I needed a new bay for the front landing gear. As it is impossible to find styrene in my city (one of the 3 biggest in France!!   And no good model shop !!!) I finally decide using thin cardboard...

And well, I tried with different glues, and nothing works... until I try why some putty!! And miracle, it works very well!!

So, using cardboard is not impossible, even if I probably prefer styrene (but well, with no way to test this system, I can't be sure for the moment   )