Scale aviation modeller international

With this in mind, any

description of my build is

incomplete and partial, indeed quite

basic in all respects; compliance

with Zoukei-Mura’s excellent

guidance notes and instructions,

covering the first 17 stages and

ignoring the final sections, which

adds all the external details.

One of the most involved

single pieces of plastic I have

ever encountered is part A-16,

the core fuselage and main wing

spars framework, to which the

principal armament, cockpit,

engine, and undercarriage sub-

assemblies is added. All of these

parts are securely aligned and

attached thanks to precise moulded

recesses and tab locating points.

I started with the four 30 mm

cannons, which are moulded as

one-piece units, with different

mounting supports and magazine

feeds. Aft of this is the cockpit, and

in this exposed build the cockpit is

wide open for viewing, so it is just

as well that Zoukei-Mura has used

14 pieces to produce a large amount

of detail, which would be mostly

invisible if I had skinned the model.

The nicely reproduced decal

provides details for the instrument

panel, aligning precisely with the

slightly raised dials on the plastic

instrument panel and settling

down just fine with an application

of Micro-Sol and Set solutions.

Given the very open nature of the

cockpit one prominent feature

had to be added here – seatbelts. I

used Eduard steel ones from their

generic IJN Fighters set (EDFE857).

One of the absolute highlights

of this model has to be the superbly

executed pusher Mitsubishi

Ha-43 radial engine. It’s a superb

mini-model in its own right,

composed of 25 parts, with four

engine brackets attaching it

to the robust airframe base.

While the fuselage is absolutely

filled with visible fixtures and

fittings, the observable structure

of the main wings is limited to

the fore and aft core spars with no

other framework. Essentially, this

is there to strengthen the external

skin sections of a full model, while

setting the correct dihedral in

the process. This was still more

than adequate to carry the tricycle

undercarriage, which is well

represented. Seemingly delicate and

spindly, especially the long two-

part nose leg, in practice the nose

leg and the two one-piece main

legs were more than stout enough

to display my ”light” model.

One aspect of this subject

that is not mentioned in the

instructions is the possible need

to weigh down the nose by adding

a suitable nose ballast. I think

this would be needed in a fully

skinned and presumably heavier

model, but in my stripped-down

version no such weight is required,

and it sat perfectly on its legs.

CONCLUSION

With my decision to build a skeletal

version, there was obviously no need

for me to use the external skinning,

but these parts are as well reproduced

by Zoukei-Mura as the internal parts.

Upon completing my half-finished

example I was more than pleased

with the final result, and as intended,

it compliments my two old Hasegawa

examples in a nice 1/48 scale display.

This was an extremely nice

uncomplicated build, and I ended

up with a well-detailed example of

this IJNAF fighter in my collection.

I also gained a lot more knowledge

of the intriguing development

of the Shinden and its truncated

career, and that to me is ultimately

what this hobby is all about.

SOURCES

• Kyushu J7W1 Shinden: Koku-
  Fan, Famous Airplanes of the
  World No.153, Japan, 1986.


• Japanese Aircraft of the
  Pacific War: Rene Francillon,
  Putnam, Conway Maritime
  Press, London, 1987.


• Japanese Secret Projects:
  Experimental Aircraft
  of the IJA and IJN 1939-
  1945: Edwin Dyer, Midland
  Publishing, Hersham, 2010.

Modelling Shinden No.2 could be a nice masking and different panel

paint finish exercise markedly different to the standard IJNAF’s Type ‘S1’

Scheme

This image graphically conveys the impressive bulk of the single

engine, with its prominent six-bladed Sumitomo constant speed

propeller mounted to the rear.

The end of the road, the stripped remains of a single 2,130 hp

Mitsubishi Ha-43 Type 12 (MK9D modified) 18 cylinder air-cooled

radial engine, which would have been mounted aft in the Kyushu

J7W1 Shinden

This and other included here, show a Shinden after Japan’s surrender,

with many Japanese ground-crew evident, but with an Occupation Force’s

ubiquitous Jeep in the background

72 • SEPTEMBER 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL

8

M D F

SCALED DOWN

ORDER HOTLINE: 44 (0)1234 211245

ORDER ONLINE: http://www.sampublications.com

T

he delta wing Dassault Mirage

2000 is a French multirole, single-

engine, fourth-generation aircraft,

designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight

fighter based on the iconic Mirage III

for the French Air Force. Since then the

Mirage 2000 evolved into a true multi-

role platform with several variants being

developed, and the type has been sold to

a number of air forces around the globe.

The variants include the Mirage 2000C

fighter and Mirage 2000D and Mirage

2000N strike variants, and the improved

Mirage 2000-5, and the proposed 2000-

9. Over 600 aircraft have been built,
   and it has been in service with nine
   nations. The Mirage 2000 has proven a
   capable performer under extreme combat
   conditions and has seen action across
   Europe, the Middle East and in North Africa as a part of the NATO
   contingent enforcing the ‘No-Fly Zone’ over Libya. Despite the
   aircraft currently being replaced by the much more advanced
   Dassault Rafale, the Dassault Mirage 2000 still plays a role in
   operations of the French Air Force today, and remains a potent
   platform with other user nations. Mirage 2000 fighters in
   currently operation with the French Air Force are
   the Mirage 2000C/B single seater and two-
   set variants, the Mirage 2000N and
   the upgraded Mirage 2000NK3,
   designed for all weather
   nuclear penetration

at low altitude and

very high speed.

Also in service with

the French Air Force

is the Mirage 2000D,

an upgraded version

of the Mirage 2000N, using

conventional and laser guided munitions, and the

Mirage 2000-5, incorporating advanced avionics,

new sensors and control systems. The Mirage

2000 has nine hardpoints for carrying weapon

system payloads - five on the fuselage and two on

each wing. The single-seat version is also armed

with two internally mounted, high-firing-rate

30mm guns. Air-to-air weapons include MICA

air-to-air missiles, and the Magic 2 cwE and

Egypt. Brazil retired its Mirage 2000s in 2013,

however, the type remains in service around

the world with many being upgraded to new

standards. The success of this iconic Dassault delta is lavishly

brought to life in this new MDF Scale Down book, which will

provide information and inspiration for the modeller

and enthusiast alike.

SCALED DOWNM D F^8

THE DASSAULT

MIRAGE

2000B/C/D/N and International Versions

By Andy Evans

000-CoverFront-MDFSD-OUTPUT-FRONT_MDFSD-08-Cover.qxd.indd 1 12/01/2018 13:17

Modellers Datafile Scaled Down

DASSAULT MIRAGE

2000B/C/D/N and International Versions

By Andy Evans

MDFSD 8

MIRAGE

£14.99

+ P&P

coming

soon

Cover for illustrative purposes only

068-73-JAPWings-Shinden-0918.indd 72 16/08/2018 17:19 SAM-MDFSD-08-Mirage-Ad.indd 1 12/01/2018 14:04