Mirage F-1CT Cockpit set.
C72094. For the Heller kit.
Price: £10.50

Contents include:
1 x Vac-formed one piece canopy.
2 x Side cockpit side walls.
1 x Instrument panel including HUD frame.
1 x Cockpit tub that includes a detailed nose wheel bay.
1 x MB Mk 4 ejector seat.
2 x Hydraulic rams, one for the canopy and one for the nose wheel bay door.
1 x Nose wheel bay door.
1 x Control stick.
2 x Small sheets of instructions with paint guide.

The contents of the blister pack might be tiny, but they are all beautifully cast. The instrument panel is superb and the casting includes the HUD frame, although you must scratch build the glass. There is a beautifully cast radar scope on the panel. The ejector seat has seat straps cast onto it as well as a very nice rendition of the oxygen hose. The cockpit tube is again very well done and there a nicely detailed front under carriage bay cast just behind and below the cockpit. There is also a detailed nose wheel door to replace the kit one. The instructions indicate that there are two hydraulic rams: one for the canopy and one for the front under carriage door, but in my sample they had broken away from their casting block and were no where to be seen. A lot of care will be needed trimming the resin block from the cockpit side consoles. The consoles are very thin, so thin they are translucent. To complete the cockpit there is a control stick. Pavla do not supply a one piece canopy, instead the vac-formed canopy is intended to be used in two parts. There is a wide area between the two giving a good margin of error when cutting. The quality of the plastic is very good and not to flimsy.
Instructions are comprehensive and give full instructions on which bits to remove from the kit so that the instrument hood can be fitted. There is a paint guide for all the parts.

Note

Just a note on the packaging. Although the blister packs do protect the contents from crushing, the lack of padding to stop the contents moving around and becoming damaged needs to be addressed by Pavla. This is the third set of cockpit improvements that I have reviewed, that have had annoying damage to some of the very delicate parts!


Mirage F-1C/CT/CR Canopy.
V72-76. For the Heller kit.
Price: £1.10
This is exactly the same as the Canopy described above, but comes in a resealable plastic bag.

Conclusion

These sets will improve your Mirage F-1 no end. A small amount of work is necessary to fit the cockpit set such as removing the instrument hood and some careful painting and highlighting.



For more information on the product above, please visit Pavla.

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