1:72 Mirage IIIE 13-QO 30 ans de la 13 Escadre EC1/13 Artois 1987

Thirty years of the thirteenth escadre

The formation designated as the 13e Escadre came about at the end of the 1950s and in 1987 it was recalling its thirtieth anniversary. For the occasion the squadron EC 1/13 Artois turned out a Mirage IIIE with the code 13-QO and with striking graphics across the fin and the spine. It is exactly this particular example that the sheet captures, including the accompanying badges and lettering.

Why 1:72 in particular

In the world of aircraft, 1:72 is the most widespread choice, and it has a practical reason: even large machines stay compact. With this delta-winged fighter the length comes out at not quite twenty-one centimeters and the width at eleven and a half. For comparison, if you were to build the same aircraft in 1:48, it would grow to more than thirty-one centimeters and would demand more than twice the area on a shelf.

The base it pays to count on

Under the decoration belongs the fuselage of the E version. It pays to watch that the fin and the dorsal edge are clean and straight, because part of the motif passes over them and every unevenness will show under the thin film. Put the lettering into warm water one piece at a time, onto a wet glossy surface, and draw the excess water off with the edge of a paper towel. At the end comes a thin layer of matte varnish, which hides the edges of the film.

Where to stand the finished example

A machine with a triangular wing looks best with the nose turned slightly toward the viewer, because that lengthens the view along the slender nose. A base with a fifteen-centimeter edge will do. Anyone collecting a whole row of French anniversary finishes will line five or six of them up side by side on one shelf in this scale.