Lucky13
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Has anyone bought one?
Italeri 1/32 Dassault Mirage IIIC....
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Airframes
Benevolens Magister
I was tempted - until I saw the price !
I'll wait until Revell re-issue, maybe re-tool, their kit !
I'll wait until Revell re-issue, maybe re-tool, their kit !
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Lucky13
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Aaah....as with their 1/32 F-104G/S Starfighter then old boy?
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Yep.
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Lucky13
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Just as well one stick with Eduard's 1/48 III's then, if one wants some French haute couture...
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Got a Hobby Boss, Italeri and Academy version of the Mirage IIIc, two for French, bare metal finish (because we are .....), and one Argentina.
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Lucky13
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Isn't the Italeri the old Esci, but somewhat updated?
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Looks like it. Reasonable, but fairly basic, and way over-priced by Italeri.
The Academy kit is very basic, and closer to 1/50th scale, although surface details is reasonably good.
Hobby Boss is very nice - got it before the Eduard kit was released, and paid about £15 at the time, I think.
The Academy kit is very basic, and closer to 1/50th scale, although surface details is reasonably good.
Hobby Boss is very nice - got it before the Eduard kit was released, and paid about £15 at the time, I think.
From what i have read, the Academy kit is basicly the Fujimi kit, the Italeri kit is the Esci kit with better decals !
Academy may have used the fujimi moulds as masters, turning raised panel lines into recessed ones ?
Does the Academy kit just have holes instead of wheel bays ?
Academy may have used the fujimi moulds as masters, turning raised panel lines into recessed ones ?
Does the Academy kit just have holes instead of wheel bays ?
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Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Yep, Academy is ex - Fujimi, dating from the late 1970's. At the time, Fujimi produced some nice kits, although, as in the Mirage, some of them were closer to 1/50th than 1/48th scale. Their 1/48th scale Bf110 was way ahead of its time, being generally accurate, and with fine surface detail, a reasonably detailed interior, by the standards of the day, and options for a 'C' or boat-tailed 'D' version, and still stands up quite well by today's standards.
Here's the Fujimi kit, in one of it's numerous boxings.
Surface detail and outline are good, but as Karl mentioned, the wheel bays are empty, and the gear legs and wheels basic.
The cockpit, shown dry-fitted, is crude, and relies on the fitting of the 'Mr. Blobby' pilot figure, whilst the jet pipe is open, showing the fuselage interior.
The canopy is well moulded and clear, but the bottom frame is moulded as part of the fuselage.
But with a bit of work adding wheel bay detail (the bays are very shallow), fitting some sort of 'tube' into the jet pipe, and some scratch-building in the cockpit, with the canopy closed, it can build into a nice model, and for the price, a cheap addition to a collection if all you want is something that looks like a Mirage III.
The Italeri kit is only slightly better, and way over-priced, especially compared to the same kit originally from ESCI, which can still be found here and there, but has the option of the 'straight' fin, or with the fin fillet, and of course the multi-choice decals.
Here's the Fujimi kit, in one of it's numerous boxings.
Surface detail and outline are good, but as Karl mentioned, the wheel bays are empty, and the gear legs and wheels basic.
The cockpit, shown dry-fitted, is crude, and relies on the fitting of the 'Mr. Blobby' pilot figure, whilst the jet pipe is open, showing the fuselage interior.
The canopy is well moulded and clear, but the bottom frame is moulded as part of the fuselage.
But with a bit of work adding wheel bay detail (the bays are very shallow), fitting some sort of 'tube' into the jet pipe, and some scratch-building in the cockpit, with the canopy closed, it can build into a nice model, and for the price, a cheap addition to a collection if all you want is something that looks like a Mirage III.
The Italeri kit is only slightly better, and way over-priced, especially compared to the same kit originally from ESCI, which can still be found here and there, but has the option of the 'straight' fin, or with the fin fillet, and of course the multi-choice decals.
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Lucky13
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Agree! 
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks chaps. Just had a look at the Italeri (ex- ESCI) kit, which is the III E version, with the longer forward fuselage.
It's only marginally better than the old Academy/Fuji kit, but at least there are wheel bays, with some detail, and a semblance of a cockpit with a very basic ejection seat, a control column, and decals for the panel and side consoles. The canopy is also in two parts, and there are (unused) parts for different jet pipes and other bits.
The relatively high price I guess comes from the inclusion of a comprehensive decal sheet, covering nine aircraft. Slightly naughty charging so much for an old kit, which was good in it's time, nearly forty years ago, just because of newer, extra decals. Italeri kits, including the ex- ESCI examples, were always reasonably priced, but, as with a couple of other manufacturers, they seem to be re-releasing kits at three or four times the original price, even allowing for inflation over the years.
It's only marginally better than the old Academy/Fuji kit, but at least there are wheel bays, with some detail, and a semblance of a cockpit with a very basic ejection seat, a control column, and decals for the panel and side consoles. The canopy is also in two parts, and there are (unused) parts for different jet pipes and other bits.
The relatively high price I guess comes from the inclusion of a comprehensive decal sheet, covering nine aircraft. Slightly naughty charging so much for an old kit, which was good in it's time, nearly forty years ago, just because of newer, extra decals. Italeri kits, including the ex- ESCI examples, were always reasonably priced, but, as with a couple of other manufacturers, they seem to be re-releasing kits at three or four times the original price, even allowing for inflation over the years.
Quite like the look of the Hobby Boss kit with the Israeli cammo'd bird with those big orange triangles !
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Lucky13
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I'm just looking for something like this....
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
That unit's markings are on the Italeri decal sheet, the only NMF example, the other eight being camouflaged.
I think they're also on the Hobby Boss decal sheet, I'd have to check to confirm, and there are other NMF and 'blue' example on the HB sheet too.
A nice kit, the Hobby Boss Mirage.
I can post sprue shots and the decal sheet if that would help ?
I think they're also on the Hobby Boss decal sheet, I'd have to check to confirm, and there are other NMF and 'blue' example on the HB sheet too.
A nice kit, the Hobby Boss Mirage.
I can post sprue shots and the decal sheet if that would help ?
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Just checked the Hobby Boss kit (pics below), and the decals are for one 'Blue' aircraft, one camouflaged, and one NMF. I believe the decal sheet also includes decals for the two styles of instrument panels provided in the kit; my example, bought cheap off e-bay, was missing the decal sheet, so I got a sheet from Carpena, shown at the end of the pics.
The main canopy was also cracked down the center, so a vac-form canopy, designed for a Mirage 2000, will be adapted, in the open position.
Cockpit detail is fairly good, with six-piece seat, separate rudder pedals and control column, and wheel bays and wheels are detailed. Surface detail is fine, and a wide array of under-wing stores are included.
Here's some sprue shots, and a couple of close-up shots to show surface detail. Note that there are two sprues for the under-wing hardware.
It's a toss-up between this kit, and the Eduard offerings, although I think the HB might just have the edge.
I'll post pic of the Italeri IIIE kit later.
The main canopy was also cracked down the center, so a vac-form canopy, designed for a Mirage 2000, will be adapted, in the open position.
Cockpit detail is fairly good, with six-piece seat, separate rudder pedals and control column, and wheel bays and wheels are detailed. Surface detail is fine, and a wide array of under-wing stores are included.
Here's some sprue shots, and a couple of close-up shots to show surface detail. Note that there are two sprues for the under-wing hardware.
It's a toss-up between this kit, and the Eduard offerings, although I think the HB might just have the edge.
I'll post pic of the Italeri IIIE kit later.
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Cheers Terry, the CJ boxing of the hobby boss kit is the version i will probably get as its the Israeli version i am after !
