Mirage 2000D/N Eduard 1/48

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Mirage 2000 scale kit is release in the 1. July 2007 and just few day’s later, July 4. all stock is sold out. I was lucky one to get this scale kit in time. Maybe we should talk about world market record and this is for sure proof of the “Eduard” quality and capabilities. This kit seen new incarnation in the October of this year in the same livery.

Kit is in the 1/48 scale, stock number 1123 and offer two version to be made from the box parts. In this way there will be important to make detail study of all assembly steps and in the same start determine which version is going to be built. Difference could be noted in the instruments panels used by the N and D version as well few of external details. Starting point of this build could be as the instructional leaflet suggest cockpit canopy. Ultimate part of this area and sections are “Eduard” pre painted photo etched parts. All interior should be painted in the grey color and there is suggested “Gunze Sangyo” H301 grey color but also there could be used any of the equivalent of this paint. As well this is acrylic paint and dry fact all work about the cockpit could be made in a day.

Mirage 2000 scale kitPhoto etched parts are also replaced some of the parts are also replacing some details and there is some parts on the undercarriage which should be re-detailed with this parts. Note that the same wheels have to be painted before the fit to the oleo struts. Cockpit interior is made one compact bathtub section with the nose wheel bay attached under it. Joint with fuselage is easy and also one small part is coming in the rear of the cockpit during this assembly step. One small weight should be added inside nose and there is enough of space for this. Together in this step could be add also air intakes. These intakes include transparent parts each and they have to be protected in this step and this will make them safe from scratches as well in final painting job.

Following step is the large parts assembly and in this step to the fuselage have to be join vertical tail and wings. And there is problem begin- wing is warped. In the dry run I have noted that the port wing is slightly bent upward. This could be solved in simple way- when cementing bottom wing part with two topside parts, problematical section have to be hold under tension some two days. Result will be port wing in the correct shape. Other method is to cement the wing and then to pour it into the hot water and when the wing becomes elastic to bent it into the correct position. It’s your choice. To regret this is not the end- some problem is also noted in the fit wing to fuselage fit and some more self adhesive tape have to be use to avoid possible gap in the wing to fuselage sleeve. As well molds are not of “Eduard” origin this problem should not be address to this company.

To be honest above mentioned problems are not critical and every modeler could solve it with easy. After all of this assembly step released kit has to be equipped with the number of small parts. Cockpit canopy have to be finalized and this include placing of the small HUD in the cockpit, for whom is provided small acetate clear plastic and photo etched part and large canopy. There is option to be placed in open position but in this moment I more prefer to make model in the clear aerodynamics shape so I place it in closed position. Even it this position detailed interior could be clearly seen. On the topside of fuselage and nose have to be placed number of aerials, measurements probe as well in flight refueling must. On the underside have to be placed several of the actuator on the wing rear side, close to the trailing edge and complete landing gear. On the underside also have to be placed two fuel tanks and missile but this is better to complete made and paint separately and then fit to the kit.

My choice for the final kit is the airplane Mirage 2000N number 335 from EC.02.004 La Fayette and its very interesting desert camouflage which this airplane get during the “Red Flag ‘92” exercise. For the step of the preparation for the painting  “Eduard” has provide set of the mask which protect all of the transparencies but also is provide as mask for the wheels and curved shape of the camouflage pattern under the nose. I have paint first lighter sand color and then over it brown color. I let it dry few days’s and then apply underside grey color. But I will recommend that it is better to apply first underside grey and then topside color. After all camouflage colors painted I have paint black parts on kit, such as random as well few small parts.

Interesting to say is that “Eduard” has provide full array of the all stencils used on the airplane but this desert version is differ a bit from the other in that way that it does not use many of the stencils such as some large like the walk way area line. These details could be note of the images of the original airplane.

This kit is very nice when finally build and it make one of the very nice lines of the modern jet warplanes which “Eduard” releases in last time.

I grant thanks to the François Ribailly for his great help and support during this modeling project.

Srecko Bradic

Sample kit was provided by Jana Sulcova from “Eduard”

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