Caracal Models 1/48 Mirage III Over Australia Decal First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | July 2015 | Manufacturer | Caracal Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Mirage III Over Australia | Scale | 1/48 |
| Set Number | 48067 | Pros | Unique subjects |
| Cons | Nothing noted | Skill Level | Novice |
| MSRP (USD) | $14.99 |
First Look
Here is another one of those 'holy cow' moments when you look at this latest release from Caracal Models. This set focuses on the Mirage III in Australian service and as you can see here, it would be quicker to tell you which subjects this set doesn't cover. With this release, you can replicate just about any RAAF Mirage III at virtually any point of time in its service. The instructions focus on 18 subjects, but you can see from these three sheets of decals that you have much more flexibility. This set is designed for the Kinetic Models Mirage III kit.
The aircraft profiled in this set:
- Mirage IIIO, A3-21, 75 Sqn, RAAF, 1965
- Mirage IIIO, A3-38, 75 Sqn, RAAF, 1966
- Mirage IIIO, A3-44, 76 Sqn, RAAF, 1973
- Mirage IIIO, A3-3, 2 OCU, RAAF, 1965
- Mirage IIIO, A3-41, 77 Sqn, RAAF, 1971
- Mirage IIIO, A3-84, 3 Sqn, RAAF, 1974
- Mirage IIIO, A3-4, 77 Sqn, RAAF, 1971
- Mirage IIIO, A3-54, 77 Sqn, RAAF, 1975
- Mirage IIIO, A3-21, 3 Sqn, RAAF, 1978
- Mirage IIIO, A3-40, 76 Sqn, RAAF, 1974
- Mirage IIIO, A3-100, 3 Sqn, RAAF, 1974
- Mirage IIIO, A3-15, 75 Sqn, RAAF, 1986
- Mirage IIIO, A3-20, 77 Sqn, RAAF, 1986
- Mirage IIIO, A3-49, 77 Sqn, RAAF, 1987
- Mirage IIIO, A3-34, 79 Sqn, RAAF, 1986
- Mirage IIIO, A3-24, 75 Sqn, RAAF, 1977
- Mirage IIIO, A3-68, 79 Sqn, RAAF, 1986
- Mirage IIIO, A3-2, ARDU, RAAF, 1983
At the time these instructions were printed, only 15 profiles were included. Two additional profiles are available on the website now with one additional coming in August.
This is about as comprehensive a decal release as you can produce when you can replicate nearly every Mirage III in service. The RAAF operated 116 aircraft and this set provides markings for every squadron and training activity along with several styles and sizes of national markings and stencils to cover the service between 1964 through 1988. Nice work!
Note that if you check the Caracal website, these decals are listed as sold out but that means that the complete production run as been purchased by various retailers. If you see one of these sets, don't wait to get one!
For more information about this set and the other releases from Caracal Models, visit their website at http://caracalmodels.com.
My sincere thanks to Caracal Models for this review sample!