Heller 1/72 Dassault Mirage F1C Fleacon 21 Raffle Turd

The last Heller kit I built was a Hawker Hurricane Mk IIc. I opened the box and got a surprise.
This 1/72 Mirage F1 kit is pretty nice for being a vintage kit that I had little appreciation for. I figger, it was started already, just as well make the best of it!
I wished for SAAF decals for him, but I won't spend on them for this build.

Rhino said:

I wished for SAAF decals for him, but I won't spend on them for this build.

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I am currently looking for some SAAF decals for you unless they were already sent to @Duke Maddog for another build. I found several sheets of ESCI national marking decals and am sure I can find some for any of the countries France sold the F.1 to such as the Air Forces of South Africa, Spain, Greece, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Ecuador, Iraq, Jordan and Qatar. Easiest is to post photos,later today, of the national markings sheets and pick the one you want so I can send.

Lots of nice schemes... some even have teeth!

South African


Spain


Greece


Kuwait


Libya (Easiest to make)


Morocco


Ecuador


Iraq


Jordan


Qatar

I'm not a bean counter but if it comes to Mirage ...
no, honestly I would like to mention, that the first one in this row, the Mirage F1AZ does differ froma F1C. You would at least need to modify the radom of the F1C. But the SAAF also used Mirage F1CZ which would fit to your kit, with a different lettering below the cabin Mirage F1CZ instead of Mirage F1AZ and don't forget that an Ecuadorian would have Mirage F1JA for Marocco it would be Mirage F1CH and for Greece Mirage F1CG.

Quatar did not use the C Version, they used the EDA version, which is a modernized C version, for which you would need to modify the fin of your older C version.

Impisi said:

I'm not a bean counter but if it comes to Mirage ...

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Yes, there were several, very different, variants based on the customer. I am simply showing the national markings.

It just occurred to me that I may have some 72nd scale F-5 Tiger II and F-16 decals which have decals which fit the Mirage F.1 in size.

@Rhino, @Impisi is correct in that I posted an F.1AZ instead of an F.1CZ for the South African scheme and the national markings did differ at that stage. Note the Springbok in the castle. Click photo to download a document on the Mirage F.1 in SAAF service:

Sheet on left has Spain, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, India, and Jordan.
Sheet on right has Sudan, Somalia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, Muscat & Oman:


Sheet on left has Italy, France, Thailand, and Cambodia.
Sheet on right has Albania, Austria, Romania, Sweden, and United Nations:


Sheet on left has WWII Belgium, Netherlands, Netherlands East Indies squadrons.
Sheet on right has East Germany (two types), Turkey, China, and North Vietnam:



I believe I have more of these sheets. For your F.1C, @Rhino, I see Jordan, France, and Spain. More to follow...

Another sheet, no photo yet, has old Afghanistan (the triangle marking), Ireland, Laos, Rhodesia, Uruguay, three styles of Red Cross (UK, US, and Italy), Red Crescent for Muslim countries, and Iranian standards. Still looking though my books.

WHOA! Hold up there. my friend! Let's see how the 1978 Maurice Chevalier AF decals come off first.
Cambodia's Castle/Temple insignia are pretty cool.

Rhino said:

Cambodia's Castle/Temple insignia are pretty cool.

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In that case, you might like Laos (white elephant) and the Iranian (Lion with sword) standard.

Gentlemen, I do appreciate all the great input, but I will not be diving too deep on a raffle turd, accuracy-wise.
It seems the ol' F1 was globally quite popular. I truly had no idea!

Rhino said:

Gentlemen, I do appreciate all the great input, but I will not be diving too deep on a raffle turd, accuracy-wise.
It seems the ol' F1 was globally quite popular. I truly had no idea!

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I am aware as your title made it a turd obvious!

This sheet has old Afghanistan (the triangle marking), Ireland, Laos, Rhodesia, Uruguay, three styles of Red Cross (UK, US, and Italy), Red Crescent for Muslim countries, and Iranian standards.

Wow, I never knew the F.1 was so well distributed. I would be thrilled to have a Jordanian, Indian and Libyan one. I need to dig into my stash to see which kits I still have.

Chris, I'm looking forward to seeing this built!

There are also some nice Exotics

Iran


Congo


Gabun


Tha last two are ex South African Mirage F1AZ

Just to add to this, Isreal built there own version of this.
that's one of the things that rattles my windows every now and then.

Sweet! That makes two more I would love to build: Iran and Israel!

moon puppy said:

Just to add to this, Isreal built there own version of this.

Photo of IAI Kfir (N403AX) - FlightAware

FlightAware Aviation Photos: IAI Kfir (single-jet)(N403AX) KIWA

www.flightaware.com

that's one of the things that rattles my windows every now and then.

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The Kfir started out as a Mirage 2000 delta-winged jet, with a much more powerful engine. Here, Lemme show you!

Raffle Turd: A started or incomplete old model kit that cannot be listed for sale. Most often less than fastidiously stored. Generally the decals are also useless. This does NOT necessarily mean the model cain't be built. I does mean sometimes these kits are good for nothing more than parts. In a few cases they find their way into the burn trash.


Wing seam/gap clean-up and installation.

I made new ventral strakes from plastic card, drilled the speed brakes and cleaned up the Big O' external fuel tanks.

Heller 1978 plastic glues and sands well.

She looked a little like an F-16 before I installed the signature Dassault, pointy le Bec. All the holes for hard points were drilled, so I will install all of them. The main landing gear have 8 parts for each side. Quite the kerfuffle. I think the Qatari paint scheme will serve well, but I did have another idea. (Go figger. Me?) This build will certainly be a Fleacon Bronze Award winner!

3 other Airfix kits contained multiple models in the same box. Tom Boyle had a MASSIVE collection and did this to save space, God Rest him. Raffle prizes of late seem to be a lot of Dead Guys Models.

1/72 TBM-3 or Spitfire Vc, anyone? The extra JU-87B/R Stuka in Hans Ulrich Rudel markings, the day he bombed the Russian battleship Marat, has already has been claimed.

moon puppy said:

Just to add to this, Isreal built there own version of this.

Photo of IAI Kfir (N403AX) - FlightAware

FlightAware Aviation Photos: IAI Kfir (single-jet)(N403AX) KIWA

www.flightaware.com

that's one of the things that rattles my windows every now and then.

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France did build a Mirage 5 based on requirements from Israel in fact modified Mirage III E, the Mirage 5 for Israel was named Mirage 5 J. The 5 did have smaller radar and some other changes as the Israelis needed a lower price Mirage III E. But during this project France politics decided not to give military equipment to Israel anymore. At the same time France build the Mirage III S for Switzerland where the S was also based on the III E. Out of Swiss the Israelis did get the constructions planes of the Mirage III S and build from them the IAI Nesher/Dagger and from that later the Kfir. So, in the End the Kfir is a version of the Mirage III E with an american engine. The planed Mirage 5 J were later build as 5 F and used by France. A lot of Mirage 5 were later exported to a lot of countries.

Your Kfir is most probably an ex USN or USMC Kfir named F-21 and used in the agressor program and now used by ATAC.