Chevalier du Ciel
Scale Aircraft Modelling|May 2017

Mirage IIIE

Tim Skeet
Chevalier du Ciel

The Mirage III is one of the most attractive aircraft of that generation of 1960s fighters.Aesthetically pleasing to the eye, effective as a warplane, though short on range, and successful as an export package, the Mirage was certainly chic. The name Mirage alone conjures up something exotic. Over the years there have been plenty of smaller scale models of this elegant delta. I still have the original Airfix Mirage IIIC that I built as a boy. Some may also recall the French TV series shown on UK television in the early 1970s starring the Mirage III, entitled The Aeronauts (Les Chevaliers du Ciel). This series brought the Mirage to the attention of a whole generation of schoolboys. This new, large scale Italeri Mirage definitely caught my eye, offering a refreshing change from some of my more usual recent builds.

The Mirage IIIE/R 1/32 kit comes in a large, deep box with an atmospheric cover picture of a classic French fighter Mirage IIIE turning against a cloudscape. The look of the kit is impressive. There is a good number of options, colours and variants, and a myriad of armament fits. Other options include displaying the beautifully moulded engine as a separate item on a trolley. It’s a comprehensive package.

Before launching into the build I double checked online to see if anyone else had any thoughts on the kit, but the only review I saw at the time was based on a look in the box and could only speculate on the fit. On first inspection the kit certainly appears carefully designed, with a nice, full-colour instruction booklet and comprehensive painting guides to the various finishes. There is plenty of plastic and a brass fret packed included.

Denne historien er fra May 2017-utgaven av Scale Aircraft Modelling.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra May 2017-utgaven av Scale Aircraft Modelling.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA SCALE AIRCRAFT MODELLINGSe alt
Mustard
Scale Aircraft Modelling

Mustard

BAC's Low Speed Research Vehicle

time-read
2 mins  |
April 2023
KOVOZAVODY PROSTEJOV (KP) 1 Was Monty's Triple'
Scale Aircraft Modelling

KOVOZAVODY PROSTEJOV (KP) 1 Was Monty's Triple'

Brian Derbyshire

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2022
SPECIAL HOBBY SAAB J-21A Review
Scale Aircraft Modelling

SPECIAL HOBBY SAAB J-21A Review

From the late 1930s and early 1940s, with thewar in Europe raging around them andedging ever closer to its borders, the Flygvapnet had ordered Seversky P-35A aircraft, alongside Vultee Vanguards, but only sixty of the former and none of the latter were received.

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2022
VFR MODELS Beagle B.121 Pup
Scale Aircraft Modelling

VFR MODELS Beagle B.121 Pup

This is the first 3D printed kit I have come across and it is really rather fine.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2022
Hearts in the sky RIAT RETURNS
Scale Aircraft Modelling

Hearts in the sky RIAT RETURNS

After a nearly three-year hiatus RIAT returned to our skies with a hot show in every sense of the word. SAM’s Mike Verier and Ray Ball were there.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2022
Colour Conundrum
Scale Aircraft Modelling

Colour Conundrum

A Cancellation Conundrum - The RAF F-111s That Might Have Been Part 1

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2022
COPPER CAUDRON Caudron G.Ill in 1/32
Scale Aircraft Modelling

COPPER CAUDRON Caudron G.Ill in 1/32

Copper State Models have carved a name for themselves in the last few years producing high quality plastic kits of  World War One subjects.

time-read
10 mins  |
November 2022
Academy RF-8A Crusader Conversion in 1/72
Scale Aircraft Modelling

Academy RF-8A Crusader Conversion in 1/72

USMC squadron VMCJ-2 used six RF-8As during the Crisis (designation F8U-1P until September 1962), with others held in reserve, two flying out of Guantanamo Bay, and four out of NAS Key West.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2022
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Scale Aircraft Modelling

The Cuban Missile Crisis

Modelling US reconnaissance assets in 1/72 Part 2: The Nuclear Confrontation

time-read
9 mins  |
November 2022
UKRAINIAT striker
Scale Aircraft Modelling

UKRAINIAT striker

The Sukhoi Su-24 is an all-weather attack aircraft capable of supersonic speeds and characterised by its side-by-side pilot/navigator seating and its variable geometry wing.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2022