Mirage 2000 WIP

Sprues and aftermarket bits 

The triangular bits on the landing gear will be replaced with PE 

Cockpit panel and straps will be replaced as well 

Spot the differences 

This PE stuff is tiny AND fragile. Take it slow! 

Now Eduard wants me to fold the strips to the right... 

But it's done. The panel looks crappy in the picture. In real life it's decent. 

Cockpit done 

There are two ugly ejection marks on the top of the tub. Converted them to two screens. 

Man, it's small 

Fuselage closed up. 

Added the wings 

There sure is a differrence in detail between the wing and the fuselage. 

A fit issue with the intakes. Never seen that before 😉 

Same here 

Some filler needed. 

Sanded the spine & nose. Filled the wing roots 

Filled & sanded 

Landingear penfolded and glued 

Dashboard cover folded 

Dryfit 

Added some electrical wiring as brakelines. The struts were a bit bare.  

Ye olde receiver 

Lots of goodies to be used in modelling! 

First harvest 

Found three spools with the finest copper wire I ever saw. Could be useful 

Tried to scratchbuilt a new landinglight. Original on the left, not so good attempt on the right. 

Used some electronic parts to upgrade the very bare wheel wells. Totally fictious of course. 

Prepped for painting 

Painted, Black 

Added some detail to the missiles and noted there were some fins missing... 

Fixed the missing fins and found this tiny rear view mirror (lower right corner), which should be.... 

in this already glued tight cockpit 

Primed 

Camo design drawn with 8b pencil 

Masked with panzer putty. Painted Ammo intermediate blue 

Quite delighted with the result 

She looks okay to me 

Wheel wells painted Zinc chromate yellow 

Exhaust painted with Alclad's aluminium, dark aluminium & jet exhaust. 

Intimidating 

First some do not walk here lines on the wing 

The eyes look very nice. The decals are veeeeery thick. I guess to get the white opaque. Don’t think the panel lines will show.  

Totally undo able to get these thick decals in place 

Same here. The curved fuselage is ***** 

Settled perfect on the wing. Okayish on the fuselage 

Same here 

Had to remove the winglets on the tail, to get the decal in one piece in place.  

I hope it settles like on the wings 

More decal soft helped! 

We’re Getting there  

Yellow ochre on the exhaust  

Also some phtalo blue and burnt umber 

Upside done as well.  

Underside decalled. Wings are beautifully detailed. Nose and tail not so much. Feels like two different kits.  

The instructions show more detail than the kit has.  

Glued the last bits 

Me like 

I really like the exhaust.  

Looks fine to me.  

Quit staring at me! 

And the desk is prepped for the next project.