David's 'Blame Brickie' Mirage **FINISHED**

[DavidWomby]

No pics but it is in the paint shop. I decided to try airbrushing and wish I hadn't. I may wipe it off and redo it with a brush.

David

[Old_Tonto]

Oh dear, sorry to here that David. Good luck

[DavidWomby]

Out of the paint shop - finally. Now masked to add some details.

Top colours are Gunze H337 and H309 and bottom is Tamiya silver.



The silver looks too bright - I should have mixed in some pale grey. I would have rather painted the underside a pure pale grey as the Microscale decal sheet says but I am pretty sure the Colombian Mirage 5s left the factory in French Air Force colours.

Don't look too closely at the camo.

David

[Old_Tonto]

progressing very well.

I like the silver underside.

[DavidWomby]

The decals and detail painting are all done. Just waiting for final topcoat and then pics.

David

[Old_Tonto]

Looking forward to seeing this one done.

[DavidWomby]

This kit benefitted from a LOT of dry-fitting and fettling. I should do more of that with all my models, I think. Here's a list of the work done:

Corrected severe nose droop that made fuselage look banana shaped.

Cheated and replaced horrible radome with a resin one for a Mirage V or Nesher. Metal pin for pitot. This radome change transformed the look of the kit.

Thinned intake lips.

Added splitter plates to intakes and used tip of original radome to replace intake shockcones.

Scratchbuilt a larger diameter exhaust.

Cut slots in wing leading edges.

Added antenna blades and rudder actuator to sides of fin and intakes on spine.

Resin MB4 seat cut down to fit and Airfix pilot used.

Filled join gaps the size of the Grand Canyon where wing joins underside of fuselage.

Raised lips of undercarriage bays so doors would fit closer to flush with the fuselage.

Filled pylon slots.

Paint was airbrushed. Gunze H309 green and H337 Blueish Grey with Tamiya silver undersides. Camo was airbrushed freehand.

Decals were applied directly to paint and were mostly from and old SuperScale sheet 72-353: International Mirages. The wing codes were adapted from those for a Dutch F-5A on another old SuperScale sheet and the whole thing had a coat of ModelMaster Acryl Semi-Gloss.











Looking at the pics, I realised I forgot to paint on something to give the impression of the cannon troughs but I think I'll declare my first GB done anyway.

David

[Molly-new]

Lovely job David, one GB down many more to come I hope.

[PaulBradley]

Very nice!

[CammNut]

Great job, David! Nice scheme

[Migrant]

That looks great, excellent job on the freehand camo

[Old_Tonto]

Super result David. Great colours on those markings & I can't believe how much of an improvement that nose is.

[Chris]

Excellent work David.