MIRAGE III KITS
1/144 SCALE
1/72nd SCALE
Airfix
Mirage IIIC
This old kit has been around almost as long as I have been modelling. Mouldings are basic with no wheel well and cockpit detail. The modeller who wants to build this kit will have his work cut out for him to attain modern standards of detail.\
Matchbox
Mirage IIIC
This kit from what was then a new company was new. Moulded in two colours and including SAAF (inaccurate) markings this kit was an improvement over the Airfix release. Other than a very basic seat there was no cockpit detail included. The wings were a semi one-piece moulding with enclosed wheel wells devoid of detail. The ATAR 9B afterburner was not the best around either. The engraved detail (what there was) is very heavy though although the raised detail was very fine. The undercarriage legs are extremely finely moulded. Other details like the spine air intakes are very softly moulded and lack definition. A fair amount of work would be needed to bring this kit up to modern detail standards but the basics are there for the modeller who is prepared to invest his time in the model.
Mirage IIIB
The only injection moulded kit in this scale of the two seat Mirage IIIB. The kit is based on the original Mirage IIIC kit which has
now been modified so that the single seat version cannot be produced again. The same comments as for the Mirage IIIC eeleased by this company apply to this model. Revell Germany under their ownership of the Matchbox label released this kit with 2 Squadron SAAF markings (inaccurate) as well
Frog
Mirage IIIE/O
Typical later generation Frog mouldings with finer raised panel details throughout. The smaller air intakes, expecialy those on the spine, are very poorly and softly shaped.The wheel wells were boxed in but totaly devoid of detail and the nose bay was just a flat blank with no depth. Cockpit detail consisted of a simple bucket type seat with some sort of head rest but bears no resemblance to Martin Bakers designs. There is no detail in the afterburner section and one can see all the way through to, and out of the cockpit from the exhaust pipe. The detail set released by Highplanes will come in
handy here.
PM models
Mirage IIIE/Dagger
This appears to be based on the original Frog kit and is extremely basic.
Heller
Mirage IIIE/ R /V
This, and the Revell kit are, IMO were the best basis for any long nose Mirage III variant. This is a typical late generation Heller kit with fine raised panel lines, enclosed wheel wells (without any details) and a cockpit. The canopy is thick. The photo-reconaissance nose is clear moulded
Revell
Mirage IIIE / R
This, and the Heller kit are, IMO were the best basis for any long nose Mirage III variant, although the cockpit, especially the rear shelf, is mostly a fabrication of the mind. I would give the Revell kit a slight nod ahead of the Heller kit. Undercarriage legs are very finely moulded (almost too fine) and also has an engine supplied in the kit. The photo-reconnaissance nose is solid moulded. The wings are a one piece moulding which makes them nice and thin.
AML
Mirage IIIC
This new entrant into the Mirage family is possibly the ultimate injection moulded plastic kit of the subject. The wheel wells are
extremely well detailed and are cast in resin. Cockpit and other fine details are also from resin and there is a brass photo etched sprue for the instrument panel. I struggled somewhat to get my instrument panels sorted out though.
AML have now retooled the original kit and the new boxing includes seperate elevons.
These kits are RECOMMENDED and I hope that AML continue with the Mirage III family and give us the twin tubs as well as the long nose versions. It does appear as if AML intend to cover the Israeli early versions first though. They have recently released an Israeli photo-recconaissance versions. This version is uniquely Israeli though.
Special Hobby
Mirage IIIC
Modelsvit
Mirage IIIE
Italeri
Kfir
Although not a Mirage III I include these kits in the roundup as many modellers might use the Italeri Kfir as a basis for a Cheetah conversion. In fact the Spinners conversion kits are designed to use this kit as a base. Italeri release both a Kfir C2/7 and a F-21 Lion (US navy aggressor version) These kits are typical Italeri moulded with engraved (on the heavy side) panel lines which tend to be soft. The plastic used is also soft and suffers from sink marks. Canopies are rather thick as well. The wheel wells have some detail included but are not boxed in. Undercarriage legs are thick and appear to be on the
short side.
Hasegawa
Kfir
This kit from Hasegawa is over twenty years old now, and does not
really show it. The panel lines are raised but are extremely fine.
The wheel wells are boxed in but have no detail, the wings are
semi-solid which gives thin edges to those ultra critical Mirage III
wings Crisp, thin clear canopy, The kit was originally released as
Kfir C-2 but recent boxings have a Kfir C-7 option. As far as I can
tell there are no changes to the original moulds though as I have not
done a side by side comparison.
Highplanes
Mirage IIIO / Mirage IIIC / Mirage IIIE / Pantera / Finger / Mirage III D / Mirage III BS/DS / Mirage IIICJ
These limited run low pressure injection models from Australia are a curators egg. Being low pressure mouldings they suffer from flash, heavy attachment points and are poor fitting. Care whilst building with much test fitting and fettling of the parts will ease the journey in the end. Other details, expecially in the IIIO/E variants are from resin with a nice resin afterburner for the ATAR 9C (and also used to represent the 9K-50 in the Cheetah kit) The earlier ATAR 9B of the Mirage IIIC variants though is injection moulded. This requires work to get the petal exhaust shapes more to scale. Cockpit details of the single seat versions consist of a resin tub and resin seats although the twintub versions are plastic with white metal instrument panels. The latest Cheetah kit I have seen included a pair of beautifully moulded resin intakes which go a long way in rectifing and easing the assembly of those difficult air intakes. Especially in this limited run kit.
As in the the Mirage III kits these kits suffer from an overlong main undercarriage legs as well as the wings chord at the wing root being almost 5mm wider than any other Mirage family kit out there.
When purchasing these kits be aware that the Mirage IIIBS is not equivalent to the SAAF Mirage IIIBZ and also that the Mirage IIICJ is the later ATAR 9C engined variant,
Highplanes (PJ Productions co-operation)
PJ Models
PJ models from Belguim have for some years been producing.exquisite resin cast models of a number of aircraft types flown by the Belgians. These kits really are superb but are extremely expensive.Thus far PJ have produced the Mirage IIIC, Mirage IIIE, Mirage IIIR and the Mirage IIID2Z.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Unfortunately no longer in production
Lindberg
Lindberg have released a Mirage III kit. I have never looked inside the box so cannot comment
1/48th SCALE
Heller Mirage III B/C
The only kit in this scale that offers the modeller the dual seat option Very nice and extremely buildable. This kit will reward those who put the extra time into their models. Heller also released this kit in their "Hi-Tech" range with added white metal ejection seats and other details from photo-etched brass
I have always wondered why Heller never added the Mirage IIIE and Mirage V variants to their range using this kit as the basis . This kit has been used as the basis of the Fonderie Miniatures (FM) series of late version Mirage III and Mirage V's. FM are a limited run injection moulded company and the kits appear accurate but require much work in cleaning up and preparation, especially in the case of the Mirage which is a very clean airframe and if one does a natural metal finish one would need to ensure that the models surface is absolutely perfect.
Fujimi
Mirage IIIC</strong>
This is a poor kit and is underscale being close to 1/50th scale as well as being extremely crude by modern standards. This kit has also been released by Academy/Minicraft in a modified (re-scribed) form
Not worth the effort.
Mirage IIIR
This is a poor kit and shares all the shortcomings of the Mirage IIC kit from the same company, i.e. it is underscale being close to 1/50th scale and very crude by modern standards.
This kit has also been released by Academy/Minicraft in a modified (re-scribed) form.
Not worth the effort.
ESCI
Esci has released many variants of the Mirage III family. They have covered the IIIC, IIIE (also re-released by Italeri) and the Mirage V.
Esci have also released a kit of the Israeli Kfir (also re-released as an (inaccurate) F-21 Lion)
Eduard
Mirage IIIC
This is the ultimate Mirage III kit and it virtually renders all other models obsolete.This kit has been released in at least 6
different boxings including a "Royal Class" with lots of extra detail parts Unfortunately this level of detail comes at a price.
It was rumoured that Eduard intend to release a Mirage IIIE in the future but has yet to see the light of day.
Hobby Boss
Mirage IIIC
Although this kit bears many similarities to the Eduard kit it is not.
Kinetic
Mirage III E/R/O
Cheetah D
Kfir C2/C7
F-21
Kfir C-10
1/32nd SCALE
Revell
Mirage IIIE/V
Italeri
Mirage IIIC
Mirage IIIE/R
