1/72 Italeri Rafale M01

by PS

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This is the Italeri Rafale M kit.  I represented the only decal option offered by the kit : the Rafale M01 (M stands for Marine which means Navy) which is the first prototype at the beginning of its career in the early nineties.

The markings represent the aircraft after her first trial campaign at Patuxent River and at Lakehurst during July and August 1992.

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The Italeri kit has some mistakes.  First, the fine raised panel lines are 90% wrong as they are made from the Rafale A demonstrator aircraft which is totally different from prototypes and operational aircrafts.  So they are totally redone to make it accurate.

The cockpit is wrong too and has to be totally redone with scratchbuilding. Ejection seat has nothing to see with a MB Mk10, so it's replaced by a resin Pavla seat.

Also regarding the many antennas which are misplaced or absent, they are added or replaced at the right place.  The nose landing gear is also detailed and the canopy is redone using thermoforming to have it thinner.

Fuel tanks weren't used as they also are inaccurate for a Rafale M. MICA EM missiles are also provided in the box but they weren't used at that time (first MICA shots during June 1995).

 

The model is painted using Gunze H307 (FS36320). The Magic II missile and the wheel wells are painted Gunze H308 (FS36375). Landing gears are semi-mat aluminium.  The canopy was tainted with a mix of Gunze H95 smoke grey and H91 clear yellow and the exhausts are painted H76 and weathered with mixes of aluminium paints.

Decals for the flag on the tail were too big, they were cut to the right size.

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This is the only 1/72 kit of this aircraft available, if you want to make an accurate operational aircraft of it, you'll need to fix a lot of details (chaff flares, refueling probe, ejection seat, etc, etc...) and also a good Zotz decal sheet.

PS

Photos and text © by PS