Those different sized parts for the nose wheel gear is something else. It's not often I am lost for words; but this is one of them.

Steve, I really look forward to seeing how you apply yet another 'skills enhancement opportunity' to this one!

Gary

Hi Gary

Yes me too. I doubted it could be that wrong and had to check references. The SEO is work in progress with pics to come soon!

Happy modelling.

Steve

I’m in a rush, so here’s a quick update on the front landing gear leg. Step 1 was sand down the larger part to match the smaller one. Step 2 was apply three coats of Mr Surfacer 500 to the join, letting each coat dry before the next application. Step 3 was sand roughly and gently with 320 grit sanding sponge. Step 4 will be finer sanding as well as additional filling because I can see some imperfections in the shots.

She’s got legs…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAzTO8GMZhk

Steve,
That's a really nice save.
Joel

Steve,

You ought to sell your patent parts back to Italeri and get them to re-tool those specific parts!

Your ingenuity and grit to finish this kit is admirable mate.

Gary

Hi Joel and Gary

Joel, thanks very much. If only the England soccer team's goal keeper could do the same.

Gary, its tempting! By the time I've finished there'll be a whole pile of potential new bits.

On we go!

S

Gaps are being filled and imperfections sanded out. One big imperfection is the inclusion of parts for double landing lights on the front wheel leg. Judging by my references and work by other modellers, the C version doesn't have these at all. The parts can simply be left off, but the indentation made for them to fit into is a little tricky to fill and sand. With some care, Tamiya filler and a small piece of sanding sponge held in some tweezers the gap is eventually camouflaged.



Assembling the front landing gear leg presents a dilemma. The instructions would have you fit the wheel during assembly, but that makes it hard to get to more places that need attention, and to paint it later. I really want to fit the wheel once all the work is done. Having thought about it for a while I decided that’s exactly how I’d go ahead. So, the locating lugs inside the wheel arms were removed and holes drilled that will later take a wire or plastic rod axle. Now I can keep the wheel separate.



As a diversion I decided to start making weaponry. Those rocket launcher drop tanks are iconic 60s kit so I’ve decided to fit them and the sidewinders which I think were also characteristic of the early Mirage (correct me if I’m wrong please). Apart from the fact that some of the panel lines don't meet they went together well and needed only some sanding to remove join lines. The rocket dispensers aren't attached yet.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, the gentleman in the background is Mr Cal Crutchlow, the first Englishman to win a premier class motorcycle race since Barry Sheene in 1981. And, yes, I’m a bit proud.



Happy modelling folks.

Steve,
I'm amazed you were able to sand bewteen those twp raised areas without hitting them..

Well done,

Gaz

Hi Gaz

It's all down to a little piece of Tamiya sanding sponge gripped by a pair of tweezers. Sometimes I wonder if its healthy that I know this stuff :-)

Have a great day.

S

Once upon a time somewhere deep in the offices of the Matra company, a man - probably peering through the smoke of a lazily burning Gitanes cigarette and sipping on a nice Bordeaux - came up with an idea. Like many ideas it was simple and just a touch suicidal. In time it became know as the Matra JL-100 drop tank/rocket pack. Today, Wikipedia has this to say about it. ‘This unique arrangement combines a 66 US gallons (250 L) drop tank with a rocket launcher containing 19 SNEB 68 mm rockets in front to form an aerodynamically-shaped pod which can be mounted on over-wing or under-wing hardpoints.’ Funnily enough it doesn't say that flying along at supersonic speeds, possibly into the teeth of heavily armed aggressors, with high explosives and fuel in direct proximity is a good idea. Good idea or not, the Mirage had them, and now they are repeated in 1/32 scale.

Having looked at a few reference photos it was clear that the kit offerings lacked a bit of detail. There are some easy improvements to make, the easiest of which is scribing in the heavy join where the rocket pods meet the fuel tank. While I was at it the other seam lines got a refresh after sanding, and the launcher ends were sanded to a more snug fit. Still to come are some additional rivets and panel lines that the kit missed.



Meanwhile the front landing gear is steadily starting to look like, well, landing gear. If you look at the shot immediately below and compare it to the reference I’m using http://ckclub31.ipmsfrance.org/wa/Mir3c/ you can see that the lower front is not made up of a series of vague blobs but actually has some well defined parts that look like engineering rather than cheese making.



I decided to recreate these by shaving the blobs smooth and then scratch building some detail. While I was at it I also enhanced a bit of the detail with some scribing and sanding, and drilled out the spindles which are hollow. So far the blobs are gone and the area to be worked has been roughly sanded and then covered in Mr Surfacer 500. Next it will be sanded smooth and a few simple scratch built items added.



Now its time for a nice cup of tea.

See you soon guys

Steve

Steve,
That front Strut is really looking quite good.
Joel

The front undercarriage has progressed, and its almost done. I used the same techniques as the two rear struts to add some detail. I wasn't too precious about making an exact replica of the original, I wanted something that looked about right. Perception is reality, it is said.

Here’s a shot of the collected parts



By the way the assembly sequence is going to be critical here for reasons explained below, but first take a look at this part.



Notice anything? It appears to be well moulded with some reasonably sharp detail and no obvious flaws. I mention it only because it makes me wonder why the rest of the kit isn’t. A little clean up and its ready to go.

So, that assembly sequence. Its important because the landing gear leg fits very loosely into the wheel well. What's more the way it fits will put pressure on it to come out. My original plan was to assemble the whole front landing apparatus including the wheel and fit it after the body is painted. I’ve changed my mind because I anticipate the parts will need a lot of handling and a lot of glue - all stuff that sensitive NMFs don't like. Plan B is to get the strut fitted first and then paint it up. I’ll put sone black down in places that will be hard to get at once its all in place.

While the glue was setting I added a few missing rivets and panels to the rocket launchers. Its not much but it will give a panel wash something to pick out. One of the pods seen here has been done.



Phew, lots to do but at least time isn't running out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2IuJPh6h_A

Steve,
As I said before, the front strut is coming along quite nicely.

The small piece with the universal joint is very well detailed. As you said, one has to wonder how the level of detail, accuracy, fit, and fidelity, can vary so much in a single kit. More reasons not to buy another kit from them.

Joel

Hi Joel

Thanks very much. I am actually beginning to believe I might just finish it. And, yes, if only the rest of the kit was as good as the occasional good part it would be a great kit.

By the way, I noticed the on-line store where I bought the C version is now selling the latest E version for exactly half the price I paid. Clearly someone is taking notice of something.

Happy modelling.

S

Steve,
Your little panel and rivets add some great texture to otherwise boring areas. This is the kind of cradt I need to learn. I don't know if it will fit my temperament, though.

You're getting close!

Gaz

Hey Gaz

Yes, it takes a bit of learning, and my work could still be more neat, but practice definitely helps. I bought a tool called "Rose the Riveter' its great for making lines of rivets with even spacing and its easy to use.

My advice is experiment on an old kit first.

Happy modelling.

Steve

Steve,
I've been procrastinating on buying any kind of riveting wheel, but I really do need to get one with the move into 1/32 scale for single engine props. I also need to practice re-scribing, as I truly suck at it. I also need to get a few templates to repair, replace, or add, circles/ovals.

Back in the good old days, we never bothered replacing anything we sanded off, and certainly never added anything either.

Joel

Hi Joel

Yes, I know what you mean. This is really the first kit I've tried any of this on, and I'm not always happy with the neatness I get or indeed the scale. I guess the fact that it is hard to make this one worse helps!

I have to say that 'Rosie the Riveter' (which comes in a number of sizes for different scales) makes re-riveting as easy as it can be, and re-scribing seems to be a skill that is learnt over time. I've definitely improved over the course of one kit, but its easy to see the lines I made versus those moulded in - mine are the more wobbly ones.

Ah the good old days. I remember them well, especially Matchbox kits that came in two tone plastic and were stocked at my local corner shop. OK, enough if this, people will think we are getting old.

Have a great day

S

Steve,
At my age, I'd gladly settle for just being old.

Joel

Hey Joel

I'm told the test is whether you make a noise when you sit down. If you sort of do a groaning sigh like me, then yup. You should see the range of glasses I use just to see how lousy the moulding is on some parts of this kit.

Have a great day.

S

At some point, way back in this blog, I mentioned that I wasn't going to worry about details that wouldn't be seen. I think I might have forgotten that over the last day or two as I added detail to the front landing gear door. I scratched some missing items, replaced a very bad kit part and added some missing detail, specifically:

Latches on the outside corners were made from triangular pieces of thin plastic card and a little stretched sprue.

A hose was added from stretched sprue and plastic rod.

Rosie the Riveter did her job and added rivet detail.

The piston that opens and lowers the door had the end removed. The upper part was drilled out and a length of brass rod superglued in place. This will eventually be cut to shape so it sits neatly in…

…a bracket made from the same thin plastic card. I’ll also build a joint to accept the brass rod piston from two pieces of plastic card laminated to form the right thickness. The glue is drying on the card as write this.

Now the 64 million dollar question is will it show? Truthfully I think yes, a bit, and it makes me feel better to know its there. Here’s what its all shaped into.

I have been following this for a while and commend you for your work. It is a shame that for a kit that costs $130.00 Cdn, it is reminiscent of the 1970s. Italeri should be ashamed of themselves for both the cost and the quality of this kit. I love the MIRAGE III/V and was super stoked to see this being released until i saw what was in the box.

Anyway, don't want to take away from your thread and the work you have done. Looking fwd to seeing you progress.

Hi Logan

Its great to have you looking in, and yes I agree. In this day and age there's really no excuse for some of the sloppy work in this kit, especially as it could have been so much better. Imagine what Tamiya would have done. It feels the bean counters had their way, as someone said earlier. I suspect some of the kits in 1/48 scale are better, but the thing that keeps me going is the size of the 1/32 offering. Assuming I don't blow a fuse one day and send the whole thing on a maiden flight off my balcony, it will look impressive once its done.

Thanks again for looking in.

Steve.

Where do you get your modelling inspiration from? I find it looking at the great work of other modellers and also from the many build and review shows on-line. One of my favourites is the PLASMO channel. Now I know its all edited and the dull stuff like cleaning the airbrush is taken out, but there’s something about the ‘Just do it’ feel of these shows that puts me in the same frame of mind. Have a look at the example below.

Fully inspired I’ve made a concerted effort to get closer to completion, and arrived here:

The parts that make up the front landing gear doors have been mostly finished and the extra or replacement detailing done. There’s still some work to do with PE and a bit of scratchbuilding, and I have to figure out the best painting and assembly sequence (always a little conundrum I find), but its mostly simple assembly now. By the way, I experimented with a way of filling ejector pin marks in hard to get at places. I flooded the depression with Mr Surfacer 500 let it dry and shrink back and repeated until the ejector pin mark was gone. The results are not as good as filling and sanding but better than the alternatives in hard to get at places I reckon.

Here are the front landing gear door parts. Notice the scratch built piston made from brass round and a pice of plastic sheet punched out then superglued on.



And flaps assembled



And the nose wheel strut glued in place, with some partial priming in gloss black.



And here’s the underside looking suitably busy.



And some inspiration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Mdr1mgVuU

Happy modelling guys.

I’ve stayed focused on the underside of the Mirage. References showed that the outer landing gear doors have a raised area at the bottom which is missing from the kit. I fixed it by gluing a piece of thin plastic card to the appropriate areas, aligning a straight edge with place where the raised area starts (I marked that in pencil). Once the glue was set I trimmed the excess and finally sanded it close. It was a easy little addition that enhances the look.





While the glue was setting I started on the Sidewinder missiles. They’re not a bad representation and only need some say assembly and clean up. A few missing panel lines were added, as was a little extra detail on the rear, et voila. Ready to go. I’m tempted to try and scratch clear seeker heads but before I sand off the tip to accommodate them I’m going to experiment and see if I can produce something I like.



I’d previously glued the wing flaps in place. They didn't align perfectly but I thought I’d live with it. Well, I couldn’t. So I broke them off largely without doing to much damage and sanded both the flaps and the slots they fit into until I got a much better result. Most of the damage was to the actuator areas under the wing. Three out of four broke rather than separating into the original parts.



Luckily when the flaps were put back in place there was a close match and a little sanding, a lot of glue and, soon, some Mr Surfacer will make them as good as new. Here's the MkII version with a much neater alignment.



Now its time for a curry and a beer.

Happy modelling guys.