Dassault Mirage IIIC
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Kit Review
This is a brand new tooling from Italeri and it is a follow-on from their all-new F-104 done last year.
Inside the long/large box, the first thing that will strike you, as it did with the F-104, why such a big box when it is only half full of sprues and the end 1/5th is just a card packing piece? Anyway, there is a single clear sprue, separately bagged and five sprues moulded in a light grey-coloured plastic. Two of these are identical, as they deal with things like ordnance. wheels and bits for the engine trolley. The kit is completed with a small fret of etched brass and two superb decal sheets.
The instruction booklet is A4 landscape format and construction is achieved in 39 stages. All the diagrams in the instructions are Italeri's new 'CAD style'. Surface detail is via engraved panel lines and rivets, these look OK and I did not note any areas where they were incomplete or damaged, but they don't look as crisp as some manufacturers. The sprues also have certain items moulded vertically, which with things like the nose cone means they snap off in transit and you are left with two big scars either side of the component - annoying. The cockpit interior is nice, with sharply moulded raised and recessed detail. The seat is multi-part and has etched seat belts. All the instrument panel and side console detail is moulded in situ, you get no decals to overlay, which is a shame considering the quality of the decals and the fact the instrument dial faces are just blank discs. The main fuselage builds up as the lower section onto which are built up the two upper halves, which contain the air intakes and the complete engine. This latter item has good moulded detail, but nowhere near as much as would be visible on the real thing, so you will have to do some detailing if you want to display it externally on the separate trolley. The wings have separate inserts for each wheel well, but the oleo legs have to go in before the halves are joined, as their mounting lugs fit into holes in each side of the bay and we don't think these will allow you to fit the legs at the end of assembly? All alternative part, along with any holes that need opening up are clearly shown throughout assembly. The undercarriage is shown up or down, although there is no stand in the kit and you will need the 1/24th example from Airfix to suit a model of this size. Ordnance comes in the shape of Matra R530 missiles, 500lt drop tanks, JL100R rocket launcher's, 1300lt drop tanks, Matra R550 Magic or AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles, depending on which decal option you choose. The canopy can be posed open or closed, with photo-etched rear-view mirrors included. The final item is the crew access ladder, whilst the last six stages deal with building up the engine handling trolley.
Colour Options
There are six schemes in the kit.
• 10-LC of 3/10 'Vexin' Escadron de Chasse. Armée de l'Air, Dijbouti, 1980 in a Middle Stone and Dark Earth over Light Blue scheme
• 10-SD of 10/1 'Valois' Escadron de Chasse, Armée de l'Air, Creil-Senil, France, 1978 in Non-Specular Grey over aluminium
• 5-OE, 2/5 'Ile de France' Escadron de Chasse, Armée de l'Air, Orange Caritat, France, 1967 in a combination of glossy silver and aluminium
• 'Black 805' of No.2 Sqn 'Flying Cheetahs'. South African AF, Waterkloof AB, Pretoria, 1982 in Camouflage Yellow and Olive Drab over Light Grey
• J-2201, Swiss Air Force, 1962 in glossy silver and aluminium
• 'Black 259', No.101 Sqn, Israeli Air Force, Hatzor AB, Six Day War, June 1967, again in glossy silver and aluminium
The two decal sheets are utterly superb, being beautifully printed with perfect register and colour and all images are glossy with limited excess carrier film. The sheets include all the unique markings, stencils for the airframe and ordnance and things like the flashes and rudder markings.
Conclusion
An impressive kit, which should convert into an impressive model once built. There is scope for additional detail, but rather the option to add it than 500+ parts in the kit and the decals are just superb that you will be wondering which one to make (sorry, for me it would have to be the third French option - classic!).
Our thanks to The Hobby Company Ltd for the review sample, check out this and all other ranges they import by visiting their website www.hobbyco.net.
This is a brand new tooling from Italeri and it is a follow-on from their all-new F-104 done last year.
Inside the long/large box, the first thing that will strike you, as it did with the F-104, why such a big box when it is only half full of sprues and the end 1/5th is just a card packing piece? Anyway, there is a single clear sprue, separately bagged and five sprues moulded in a light grey-coloured plastic. Two of these are identical, as they deal with things like ordnance. wheels and bits for the engine trolley. The kit is completed with a small fret of etched brass and two superb decal sheets.
The instruction booklet is A4 landscape format and construction is achieved in 39 stages. All the diagrams in the instructions are Italeri's new 'CAD style'. Surface detail is via engraved panel lines and rivets, these look OK and I did not note any areas where they were incomplete or damaged, but they don't look as crisp as some manufacturers. The sprues also have certain items moulded vertically, which with things like the nose cone means they snap off in transit and you are left with two big scars either side of the component - annoying. The cockpit interior is nice, with sharply moulded raised and recessed detail. The seat is multi-part and has etched seat belts. All the instrument panel and side console detail is moulded in situ, you get no decals to overlay, which is a shame considering the quality of the decals and the fact the instrument dial faces are just blank discs. The main fuselage builds up as the lower section onto which are built up the two upper halves, which contain the air intakes and the complete engine. This latter item has good moulded detail, but nowhere near as much as would be visible on the real thing, so you will have to do some detailing if you want to display it externally on the separate trolley. The wings have separate inserts for each wheel well, but the oleo legs have to go in before the halves are joined, as their mounting lugs fit into holes in each side of the bay and we don't think these will allow you to fit the legs at the end of assembly? All alternative part, along with any holes that need opening up are clearly shown throughout assembly. The undercarriage is shown up or down, although there is no stand in the kit and you will need the 1/24th example from Airfix to suit a model of this size. Ordnance comes in the shape of Matra R530 missiles, 500lt drop tanks, JL100R rocket launcher's, 1300lt drop tanks, Matra R550 Magic or AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles, depending on which decal option you choose. The canopy can be posed open or closed, with photo-etched rear-view mirrors included. The final item is the crew access ladder, whilst the last six stages deal with building up the engine handling trolley.Colour Options
There are six schemes in the kit.
• 10-LC of 3/10 'Vexin' Escadron de Chasse. Armée de l'Air, Dijbouti, 1980 in a Middle Stone and Dark Earth over Light Blue scheme
• 10-SD of 10/1 'Valois' Escadron de Chasse, Armée de l'Air, Creil-Senil, France, 1978 in Non-Specular Grey over aluminium
• 5-OE, 2/5 'Ile de France' Escadron de Chasse, Armée de l'Air, Orange Caritat, France, 1967 in a combination of glossy silver and aluminium
• 'Black 805' of No.2 Sqn 'Flying Cheetahs'. South African AF, Waterkloof AB, Pretoria, 1982 in Camouflage Yellow and Olive Drab over Light Grey
• J-2201, Swiss Air Force, 1962 in glossy silver and aluminium
• 'Black 259', No.101 Sqn, Israeli Air Force, Hatzor AB, Six Day War, June 1967, again in glossy silver and aluminium
The two decal sheets are utterly superb, being beautifully printed with perfect register and colour and all images are glossy with limited excess carrier film. The sheets include all the unique markings, stencils for the airframe and ordnance and things like the flashes and rudder markings.
Conclusion
An impressive kit, which should convert into an impressive model once built. There is scope for additional detail, but rather the option to add it than 500+ parts in the kit and the decals are just superb that you will be wondering which one to make (sorry, for me it would have to be the third French option - classic!).
Our thanks to The Hobby Company Ltd for the review sample, check out this and all other ranges they import by visiting their website www.hobbyco.net.
