Mirage 2000 WIP

David Thor
Been thinking about getting a revell mirage, so i will follow this one! Nice start already on those tiny cockpit parts!

Martin Oostrom
Welcome David. I've done some PE before, as in wing flaps. These belts and straps are a whole different thing. To make matters worse/better/funnier, today I received some PE from Tom's Modelworks for my 1/700 Scharnhorst, Rodney & Iowa. After these belts I'm terrified to open the envelope..... 😮
My 8-year old daughter has claimed this project. She likes the tiger eyes 😄 So all colours are totally decided by an 8-year old. Sorry rivet counters 😉

Oleg Smilyk
I like tiger eyes too

Oleg Smilyk
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Oleg Smilyk
Nice start, I know this kit repack italery.

Martin Oostrom
You'll have to wait until paintwork and decalling is done 😉

Oleg Smilyk
Yes I did!

David Thor
Looking forward to the color choices and the build progress!

Ekki
Following.

Łukasz Gliński
Me too

Cuajete
And me

Martin Oostrom
Welcome aboard guys. Plenty of room left.
My daughter has decided about the colours, please sit down, it's a small stunner. She want's het Mirage just like on the box 😮
No purple, pink or aquamarine, but grey and blue..... Didn't see that one coming 🙂

Oleg, you're right. It's a rebox of this older Italeri kit: scalemates.com/kits/128234-italeri-012-mirage-2000c

Martin Oostrom
Its a pain in the ass to get these belts folded even a bit realistically. It was easier to fold the landing gear bits and the dashboard cover.
Almost done with prepping, time for painting!

Martin Oostrom
Well, your PoW is a bit larger 🙂
Knowing your skills, she'll be a beauty.

Don't tell anybody, but my premium edition Warspite arrived in the mail today 😮

Martin Oostrom
Well, she's supposed to be built as she was in '42. Not many options there. 🙂
I'll have to study the instructions for what will be needed. Perhaps buy a book. But first I'll put a dent in the rest of my stash.

Martin Oostrom
Thanks Lode. Ordered the plans this morning.
Back on topic: added some copper wire from an old electrical cable as brake lines.

Greg Baker
Wow.. that is some fine work, but I think you need smaller tweezers... 😛

Martin Oostrom
This one is the only self closing I have. I do have 2 pe tweezers, just not in the picture.

Other solution would be to go for larger scale models. Let's check my stash:
15 1/72 planes, 2 1/72 tanks. No hope there. 🙂
3 1/87 trains, getting worse 😉
1 1/350 ship
1 1/400 ship, any hope left?
8 1/700 ships 😮

It seems I have a life sentence in pe-hell

Greg Baker
Well, hopefully you get out for good behaviour... that's tricky to prove though if the sentence is self-imposed.😉

Martin Oostrom
Like the Frank Sinatra sang "If I can make it in 72, I can make it in any scale" 🙂
I like a challenge.

Bart Goesaert
All in all it's a nice kit. Just hope they will make a PE-set for the double seater too

Bryn Crandell
Looking good so far. The detail work on the landing gear is amazing. Are you using ordinary electrical wire?

Martin Oostrom
Thanks guys. @Bryn. The wire came from an AC power cord from an old modem. It had a black and a blue cable in it, which consisted of copper strands. So its ordinary wire.
Last week my receiver decided to retire. I opened it up and there are a lot of items and thin wire that have my attention 😉 Some scavenging will be done....

Spanjaard
lots of fun finding modeling supplies in old electronics 🙂 you are not the only one! 🙂

Martin Oostrom
And I thought i was being clever 🙁

Spanjaard
you are😉

Clifford Keesler
Looking awesome.

Martin Oostrom
Took me 3 tries to get the Mig primer right. Just kept on clogging my ab. Finally thinned and put through a tea sieve, it worked.

Konrad -
Hey Martin, very nice progress on your Mirage. Can't wait to see it finished. 👍

Christian Bruer
Mhh missed that so far, very nice work Martin 👍

Martin Oostrom
Thanks lads, welcome aboard.

Clifford Keesler
Looking good Martin.

Greg Baker
wow... very nice and clean.

Łukasz Gliński
Wish I could spray so clean😉

Martin Oostrom
Greg & Lukasz, I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'clean'. I think crisp lines or something like that?
Lode, bedankt!

Greg Baker
Nice even coat of primer, no visible sanding marks, crisp panel lines = clean

Martin Oostrom
Now I get it.
I had to remove the first blob of primer 😉
And taking photos with a mobile phone helps, lack of clarity 😮
Thank you very much for the compliment.

David Thor
As already been said: crisp and clean. Makes me want to get one too. 🙂

Łukasz Gliński
Exactly, moreover the paint texture is v.smooth and the colour borders are sharp enough

Martin Oostrom
I credit the camera and the fact that I didn't post any pictures from below 🙂
There is a bit of grainy texture on the paint here and there. Any tips to prevent/remove?
I'm using Mig's paints on this bird. +/- 15 psi at 8-12 cm. Thinned with Mig's acrylic thinner in a 1:3 ratio.

Anyway, thanks for the compliments.
David, it's a pretty straightforward build. The most issues are with the intakes, but that's the case with most jets. Again, mostly on the lower fuselage.
Just glossed her, so decalling will be next. Those eyes do look daunting 😉

Spanjaard
grainy appearance is often because the droplets of paint are dry before they hit the surface. thinning more the paint maybe an option, and of course, flow improver etc. it is mostly trial and error until you find the right mix.

something that really surprised me was to hear the opposite of what I always heard before. Try with other brands of thinner. In almost all forums etc, you have the mantra "for paint of brand X use also thinner from brand X". Well in a training I had with Christian Gerard in the last Scale Model Challenge, he said that he does the opposite. he has done a lot of testing of different paint brands with different thinners, and found that in some cases, other brands work better with specific paints than with their own thinner!
My suggestion, take and old model and start trying different thinner/paint ratio, add try also with less flow improver, or try with other thinners. No need to use half of the jar every time, a few drops, mixed in a clean jar and then dropped in the airbrush, can be more than enough. and mix them really well, and when you think they are ready, keep mixing them for a while 🙂

Martin Oostrom
Thanks Spanjaard. It's mostly on the primer. Mig's black keeps sifting, there's alway a whitish sheen on top, even after long long mixing. The grey is lumpy. I'll try to get my hands on some Vallejo primer at ESM next week in Houten.

Spanjaard
i am getting good results with Vallejo black, and specially with white. no trouble to find them at EMS for sure 🙂
Almere airbrush services should have them for sure 🙂
i need to give a try to mister surface 1500. first attempt was not a success, but it may have been more my fault.

Martin Oostrom
Mr Surfacer. I've got some of that as well, somewhere. I think the 1200. Was always scared to pour it into my AB.
Have to give it a go sometime. Perhaps the next build....

Spanjaard
first time i use it, it was horrible. maybe because is use it straight without thinning.... i got told that with thinner, it works like a charm. i got the thinner two minutes later, but i have not yet tried.
by the way, black primer from Alclad is really good. and the best for those alclad metals of course.

Martin Oostrom
That gloss black alclad primet gives wonderful results. My Motormaster is that primer with Tamiya X22 varnish, nothing more 🙂
It smells like hell, dissolves my brain and I don't want to expose my kids to it. Other than that I love it. 😮

Spanjaard
ha ha ha, you are probably right on that Martin.

David Thor
Those decals look great. Hope they settle some more!

Martin Oostrom
So do I. I was really annoyed with the thickness of the decals. Had to drown them in decal soft. Those on the wings turned out perfectly. I hope the tail does the same. Fuselage is okay-ish. Can't have it all 😉

Clifford Keesler
Looks good to me.

Greg Baker
Maybe poke them with a tiny pin and try to work out the air bubbles...?

Martin Oostrom
Thanks Lode.
Wing and fuselage decals were put on yesterday morning and were very wrinkled. After some extra decal soft last night they look way better this morning. Perhaps some more will get them 'perfect' ?
Definitely going to try 🙂
Getting very happy!

Spanjaard
certainly the look better now, good luck with further improvement.

Wim van der Luijt
Managed to miss this project until now...the decal are eye catchers, must not be easy to them right....I find using a sharp knife/needle to prick a few tiny holes will sometimes help to settle the decals down

Konrad -
Very very cool. It looks amazing👍

Martin Oostrom
Thank you very much mates.
After several immersion's in decal soft all bubbles are gone. A few small wrinkles remain. Last night I decalled both the left and right side. Didn't feel like the upper and lower wings right now. So I tried something on the exhaust. Added oils, yellow ochre, phtalo blue and burnt umber and blended them. I feel like it needs some more, not sure what.
I planned to do a black panel line wash. Now I feel it would mess up the eyes on the wings. Who's got the perfect idea?

Spanjaard
panel wash in the exhaust? that is possible, but for what i see in the picture, the places where you can add the wash are already black.... on option is for example to use Flory model black wash. is is fully water based, should affect anythig already done.... and if you do not like it, a brush and water will remove it leaving no signs of it.

Martin Oostrom
Sorry, wasn't clear.
I feel like the exhaust is too colourful. Perhaps a light spray with thinned jet exhaust?
The panel lines I referred to are the lines on the plane itself 😮

Spanjaard
looks good to me, but you are the only one that can see the real thing. it is your opinion the only one that matter anyway 🙂 if you think it is too colorful, you can give it some very light Tamiya smoke for example. i would suggest try to paint some spare plastic in the same color, and then test (jet exhaust, tamiya Smoke,....). if you like it better , then do it in the model😉
for the washes on the complete model, with those big decals, certainly use some clear varnish (future, Alclad, tamiya transparent, whatever your favorite is). not a flat one of course. then wait until is fully cured, then wait another day😉 then washes, then varnish again
after dissaster with some thinner eating away a model in my face... i started using Flory Model washes. quite happy with panel wash results.

Martin Oostrom
Done with all of the decalling. My daughter has instructed me to leave the tiger alone; no panel line wash #YesBoss
I did add a brown wash to the wheel wells and the landing gear, please don't tell her.
Next stop: matt varnish and then final assembly. But first the decals have to set more.

Spanjaard, thanks for the help and advice.

David Thor
Great result!

Spanjaard
glad to help. boss is the boss, follow the orders 🙂

Martin Oostrom
Thank you David!
You are so right Spanjaard.

Clifford Keesler
Looks good to me, agree with Martin, the boss is the boss.LOL.

Martin Oostrom
I hope to finish this girl tomorrow. I'm calling a vote for my next build:
F-100D Super Sabre | Project by Mahoo76 (1:72) F-100 in french camouflage and aires cockpit.
Douglas F4D-1 Skyray | Project by Mahoo76 (1:72) F-4D with CMK folded wings.
Voting closes on 24th of November 1200 CET.

Spanjaard
F-100D Super Sabre 🙂 (good luck with fitting Aires stuff, but details usually fantastic)

Łukasz Gliński
Skyray! 🙂

Martin Oostrom
If i'm super strict, I'll have to say you're too late Lukasz. Being Dutch, I'll compromise and make it a duo build 🙂

This cat is finished. Somewhere during photography two missiles were lost. But the Boss is very happy with the result.

Konrad -
Hey Martin very nice result! I like it very much 👍. I Look forward to your next project. Sabre or Skyray what ever you decide I'm in 🙂.

Martin Oostrom
Thank you for the nice comment.
The skyray is over here F4D Skyray VMF-115 Silver Eagles WIP | Album by Mahoo76 (1:72)
And the super sabre is over here F-100D Super Sabre WIP | Album by Mahoo76 (1:72)

Another first. A planned dual build. 😮

Cuajete
Very nice, Martin. Congratulations!

Both projects are very interesting, but I vote for the F-100D 🙂

David Thor
Great job and a beautiful tiger! Even if i'm to late, i vote for the super sabre. Been thinking about this kit recently.

Martin Oostrom
Thank you Lode, Cuajete and David. Build of the f100 and f4 has started. Building them at the same time will slow down the pace a bit.

Christian Bruer
Excellent work and finish 👍

Stephan Ryll
Great result Martin 👍

Mike Daniels
Lovely job Martin. Those Tiger Meet schemes are really great. Are you going to build the Phantom next ?

Ekki
Great job! Love it! 👍

Spanjaard
great result Martin 🙂

Łukasz Gliński
Very nice finish, did you play somehow (cutting?) with those big decals or only softened it again and again?

Oleg Smilyk
Lovely result Martin! Looking amazing!

Martin Oostrom
Thank you for the compliments guys.

@Mike. The Phantom died in a painting accident and wrong thinner. But I've found an old Hasegawa Phantom EJ that needs new decals. I see a Frankenstein coming 🙂

@Lukasz. I didn't cut the large decals. They come in 7 pieces. Just drowning them in in Decal soft again and again and again and again and...... Worked out fine, just a few small wrinkles left that don't really show on the photo's.

Spanjaard
what decal softener did you use by the way?

Martin Oostrom
This one scalemates.com/kits/102457-revell-039693-decal-soft

Łukasz Gliński
Thx for the info Martin

Eugen P.
Very nice eyes 👍

bughunter
I really like the scheme and your model 👍

Martin Oostrom
Lukasz you're welcome.
Eugen and Bughunter thanks for the compliment.

Spanjaard
big thanks Martin.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Really wonderful outcome! Beautiful!

Martin Oostrom
All those nice comments are making me blush

Clifford Keesler
Excellent job Martin.