1/48 Italeri Mirage 2000 |
Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! |
Gallery Article by Andy Lee
on
Oct 10 2003
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I began this kit as a break
from applying all the X@#!$_%!!! stencils to the Hasegawa F-4EJ Kai
Phantom that I was building after completing the F-5S. It was to be a
quick build as the purpose was to relax and also I was anxious to see how the
Two
Bobs
Tiger Meet decal looked completed, cos it sure looked gorgeous when
it arrived in my mail!
The kit is Italeri's 1/48 Mirage
2000 kit which as most know, is a retread of the old Esci kit. First
impression was it looked good with recess lines all over except strangely on
the vertical fin! (Go figure!) Fit was generally good with putty
needed only in a couple of places (nose and bottom wing to body joint) as well
as the drop tank. I did make the mistake of gluing the upper wings to the
lower before fitting the whole lot into the fuselage. Bad mistake!!! I had to
huff and puff and squeeze to get it in (it was too tight a fit!)! As a result
I got a couple of small gaps to fill where the plastic got scraped off in the
process. For anyone thinking of building it, attach the lower wing to the
fuselage first and then the 2 upper wings. Also it would be better if you
cut off the locator pins. You'll get a better fit and alignment that way.
Trust me!
Click on
images below to see larger images
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Other than that the kit went
together perfect! You'll note that I didn't attach any weapons. The reason
being that one half of all the MICA missiles had mismoulded fins (see pic)
while I'm still contemplating whether to use the Magics (mod to training
rounds) or keep them for the spares box. Also I fitted the canopy last, before
painting and discovered that the canopy didn't fit too well in the closed
position due to some difference in angle between the front and back parts when
they fitted together. The result is asymetrical gaps on either sides, which I
tried to minimize by using cement to fill the gaps. I ended up with a smaller
gap on one side and none on the other. I should have used putty but decided I
didn't wanna spend more time on sanding and polishing when it was already
ready for painting. Quick and fun build remember?! Last problem was that the
pitot seems to hate the radome and kept breaking off at the slightest chance
it got!
I deviated from the colors
listed in Two Bobs instructions and match colors to the photos instead as I
felt that will give me a better contrast than the FS colors listed as those
were only 2 shades apart. Too close in shades in my opinion. I opted for
Gunze's H35 IJN Gray(Mitsubishi) and H337 Greyish Blue for the light and dark
gray respectively. H337 matched the gray in the photos while H35 was a match
for the tiger decal which appears to be the same shade as the light gray in
the photos. As I had no other references, all I had was the photos in the
decal instructions to go on so I don't claim to have used the correct colors.
I am pleased with the results though.
This would be the first time I am applying
Two Bobs decals for an entire aircraft (previous try was on a gloss bird) when
applied direct to a semi-gloss paintwork so I was naturally apprehensive
as to how they would turn out. This was how I usually build as I'm
no Future fan and don't really like taking time to spray on a gloss coat and
wait a couple of hours for it to dry thoroughly. To my pleasure, they went on
great with only a bit og silvering here and there which when away with extra
application of Gunze's Mark Softer. My only gripe was that the huge tiger
decal should have been in a couple of smaller pieces as it's really hard to
move it around and I had problems getting it to conform to some of the more
complex curves on the lower tail. I also ended up with some wrinkles here and
there. On hindsight I should have cut it myself after the first side but
somehow it just didn't occur to me till I finished (too much paint vapours?).
So be warned! Also the walkway marking was a wee bit short. Either I screwed
up or the placement position on the instruction was wrong. Overall it was
a good result and it give me my first Tiger Meet build so I'm happy. Also the
service given but Two Bobs was top notch every time I ordered. I mean where
else would you find a company that will replace a particular order twice cos
they mixed in some wrong decals in your order? Once sure but twice?! And
they didn't even asked me to return the wrong ones! I don't know about you
guys but they're gonna be my first choice for decals period! And besides I
love their subject matters! To steal a phrase: Too colorful, too accurate, Two
Bobs!
I touched up any tears with
painted and gave it a semi-gloss top final coat to even out all the different
surfaces and protect the decals. I had to lighten the H35 as it turned out
that the paint was actually slightly darker once the decal was applied to the
kit but it was no issue. Painted the antennas and viola! A Mirage 2000 with
Tiger Meet 2001 markings! I love it! I've always been a sucker for tiger
markings!
Overall all it was an enjoyable
experience after the headache of an F-5 and the heartburn with my Phantom
stencils. I would give the Italeri kit a 7/10 and Two Bobs decal a 8/10. Now
back to my Phantom and more cursing and swearing till I get it done!. BTW I
got a preview pic included of the Phantom and my next build, Hasegawa's A-4SU.
Till the next time, enjoy!