Dassault MD-454 Mystere IV A ''Patrouille de France'' (Revell 1:72)

Didnt i swear to myself 'no more 1:72s'?
I guess not! I was in the mood of an easy build. I cudnt resist a cheap 6 euro kit in the showcase. It looked easy, small & colourfull so... i got it. This type of kit is a 'weekend build'

This is a Matchbox reissue... so you can expect what a sh** kit this is going to be. Detail is minimal, there is no cockpit tub and no panel! just a seat which looks like a toilet seat. wheels and wheel bays are plain.

Panels lines? are a 'tahlita' of huge engraved p.lines and raised p.lines the size of a hair & a few normally sized engraved p.lines.

Better Review:
http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/Inbox/k-m/mystere-iva-i.htm

So are you going to build it in a weekend ?

Well it is possible to build it in a weekend if i used acrylics and straight OOB. But im not that type of modelling geek. But knowing me it will take as log as my Panther (7 months)

Well if it so basic and being as trash as you said it is (by today's standards I think it is) it does not qualify for an O.O.B. project

I think that only HI-TECH kits qualify for O.O.B. projects

Well Adrian built it without painting ...so you enjoy a weekend build and practice more on construction ...and then give it to your younger nephew or cousin to play with...

This kit looks worse than the quality of the panther. I think that if you want a rather cheap and very good kit you must go for the italeri 1/48 MB326. If you wish there is also some aftermarket products.

As an armour affecionado and one who (evidently) like you takes months and months to finish a model...heed my advice. Find a later generation very good model OOTB and add the few deatils you feel are necessary. Then get it finished. That way you will never lose interest and increase greatly your tally of finished models and improve your skills. I do that myself...but still take months and months to finish

As the saying goes....The best laid plans of mice and men....

Dottore

I think I'm still leading the list of the most slow modellers!

RAF wrote:I think I'm still leading the list of the most slow modellers!

Don't worry as we are in the majority

you guys dont say nothing, i am apsolutley champion in slow bild
if, just if every thing be good and i do not make some my mig 29 will be ready for next year

How about having a slow build competition!? I challenge anyone to beat my build of the He219, Just 3 years!

Im a slow builder. I started the cockpit in july or august and its half done If it was problem free i would have finished it.


The most exciting part of this build (mystere), is definetly masking and spraying the 3 colours in its wings

DOES ANYONE KNOW THE WING ALIGNMENT? IS IT STRAIGHT OR DIHEDRAL??
When i dry fit it, it points up a bit.. it will need some tweaking

They should be strait Adrian..

Thank you

Actually theyre not dead straight. They bend down slightly as you can see. Which explains why the models wings are a bit bent. i thought it was bad molding

Poor Mystere has spent quite a while hidden, waiting for me to build up enough guts/mood to fill and sand this little french beast. Today i spent about 4 hours filling and sanding

Ive also tried a new technique, where i thinned the putty with my moms nail acetone, since putty dries very quickly & can be tough to work with. The acetone works treats, makes it very easy to spread & slows drying time. so if anyone never tried it... TRY IT!


Loads of filling. All those seams & two panel lines the size of cartruts...are now GONE.

Body went together very well even though it didnt include pins to help place. the wing construction was very though, especially the tail wings




black lines your seeing is permanent black marker. its a technique i came up with were instead of priming with grey paint to find imperfections, i simply go over it with marker. it works

I painted it gloss black in prep for the metallic fuselage camo +the black reveals any blemishes which were sanded down.


I used MM aluminum since silver or polished metal are too bright & over powering for a small scale! All went well & the aluminum went on with ease (for once)



Next step is masking and painting the 3 french colours one all 4 wings and bottom

Patrouille de France Past planes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5ub_Is4duE

Hopelessly fitting gear doors! Guess i cant leave them closed



Plane masked off and sprayed its first colour..white. masking took AGES because because of the way the 3 colours wrap around the fuselage from the wing.



Around 5 hrs masking the white for the blue and red paint! the tough part was the fact that the lines, between colours, had to be of the same angle, same size &...STRAIGHT!i ensured the lines were straight by looking at the wing from an angle.



Im stuck trying to find the right blue paint. i was told to mix lufthans blue with white, but its coming horrible! Also i think the blue on the decals is too dark. its supposed to be lighter

GAHH!!!!

i simply cannot mix the correct blue colour! ive been experimenting with revell lufthansa blue, white and MM blue... and it never comes right!

any idea what is the exact colour to use?????

Alright

After spending too much time (almost giving up) figuring out what paints to use, what mixes to make and which is the accurate colour ... i used fiery red for the red (as instructions stated) and the bloody BLUE part was the worst part of it all. I simply couldnt mix up a good/accurate blue!
i mixed lufthansa blue and white as instructions stated and it kept coming this horrible blue colour.

I did a lot of research and it seems there is no consistent blue colour! i came across some painted dark blue and some light blue:


Dark blue




Bright blue




In between (I followed this)

I tried my best and came up with this blue. Made of MM blue and white.
Most may argue that it is innacurate? too bright, too gray or too dark?
If anyone knows better please let me know

Im so sick and tired of this blue i am just gonna leave it as it is and finish this model




Red


I follow the last 'in between' picture while mixing and got pretty close


Looks better already

I just bought Model Master 'French Blue'
Hope its a better match