1:72 Mirage IVP n°23 AV 50ans EB 2/91 Bretagne 1942-1992

A supersonic carrier with the shape of an enlarged fighter

The French strategic aircraft came about by enlarging the proven tailless delta wing into a twin-engined form. The result was a machine capable of sustained flight at around twice the speed of sound, with a very thin wing, two men in tandem and with room for a single main weapon. A design of the early 1960s had to reckon with the heating of the surface during a long supersonic leg, so a considerable part of the skin is of materials resistant to temperature. For its day it was the most technically demanding aircraft to come about in Europe outside the great powers.

The letter P in the designation refers to a later rebuild, after which the aircraft attacked with a launched missile instead of a free-falling weapon. That changed the whole tactic: instead of an overflight directly above the target, an approach to within tens of kilometers was enough, which against the anti-aircraft defenses of the day meant the difference between usability and loss.

The finish on the sheet recalls fifty years of the existence of the bomber unit whose name and the years 1942 and 1992 stand in the designation; the difference between the two figures really does correspond to the number of years given. The code AV and the sequence number n°23 belong to one particular airframe, which carried the anniversary coloring.

The decals are printed for 1:72 scale and release in a lukewarm bath. Anniversary motifs of this type tend to be large-area, so it pays to proceed in parts and to let each one settle before the neighboring one is laid on. The film takes transitions over protruding fairings better while damp.