Heller's 1/72 Mirage IIIE/ER/5/BA kit is a very decent Mirage kit, even if it does date back to at least the 1980s. With some small updates, it can be made into a model that would rival a new release today. One area that is probably the most lacking is the cockpit interior. This latest set from Pavla rectifies that problem, providing a simple yet detailed interior for the Heller kit.
|
The set contains a one-piece cockpit tub that also integrates the nose wheel well. Between those two openings, this should be very easy to get aligned right in the kit. The level of detail on the side consoles and rear bulkhead is quite high and makes for a significant improvement over the kit pieces. Building on the one piece tub, the rest of the set contains a nice instrument panel molded with the hood, a separate control stick and rudder pedals, and a very nicely done Martin Baker ejection seat. Finally, to show all of this detail off, the set includes a vacuformed canopy.
If you have a Heller Mirage sitting in the closet, this might be just the thing to pull it out and build it up. This set looks to be a straightforward interior to drop in, and this, coupled with rescribing the kit, will result in a model that looks every bit like a new-tool Mirage. My thanks to Pavla Models for the review sample.