1/48 Heller Mirage 50DV

Gallery Article by RSK48, Rafael on Feb 5 2020

 

      

Mirage 50DV Venezuelan Air Force

In 2020 Venezuelan Air Force (FAV) is arriving to 100 Year Anniversary. Commemorating this, I am presenting the Mirage 50EV from the FAV.

In the early 1970s, the Venezuelan government chose the French delta wing bomber fighter plane, Dassault Mirage, as a replacement for the old N.A. interceptors F-86K Sabredogs of the Venezuelan Air Forces (FAV). In 1973 the first planes began arriving from France: 10 Mirages IIIEV single-seater, 4 Mirage 5V single-seater, and 2 Mirage 5DV two-seater, the acronym "V" is for Venezuela.

At the end of the eighties, a deep modernization of all the existing Mirage began. These modifications included new avionics, modification of aerodynamics and the power turbine. The Mirage IIIEV and 5V, single-seater, were converted to Mirage 50EV and the Mirage 5DV to Mirage 50DV two-seater.

Click on images below to see larger images

Heller Mirage IIIC/B model in 1/48 scale, was used to construct Venezuelan Mirage 50DV. Aftermarket parts, from Eagle Design were used: nose, exhaust, canard fins, and pilot cabin; other small details such as lights on the wings, canard of the stabilizers were scratchbuilt, as well as the missile Exocet AM-39 (made with plastic tube, cards and wood); 1700 lt. fuel tanks are from Paragon Resin. 

The paint is acrylic by Model Master (Testor). All the decals are homemade, including the rudder 30th Anniversary decal.

RSK48, Rafael

Click on images below to see larger images

 

Photos and text © by RSK48, Rafael