COBI Mirage IIIC Vexin Set 5818

COBI's Mirage IIIC "Vexin" is a 1:48 model built from 444 blocks, 29 cm long, under original Dassault Aviation licence. The landing gear retracts, the ailerons move, the cockpit opens for the included pilot figure and the weapons are movable. A brick display stand with a nameplate is included. All markings are printed.

France sold it, then embargoed it — and created two aerospace industries

Around 870 Mirage IIIs were built between 1956 and 1982, and it was licensed to Belgium, Switzerland and Australia. The interesting part is what happened to two customers France later refused to supply.

Israel had bought Mirage IIICs and ordered more. After the Six-Day War in 1967 France imposed an arms embargo and kept the aircraft and the money. Israel built the Nesher — a Mirage copy — and then the Kfir, the same airframe with an American J79 engine, and the industrial base created to do it became Israel Aerospace Industries.

South Africa, embargoed over apartheid, did the same thing. Its Mirage IIIs became the Cheetah, extensively rebuilt with Israeli help, and the work built up Atlas Aircraft into the country's aerospace industry.

Two nations were denied spare parts and responded by learning to build combat aircraft. The Mirage III is the reason both of them could.

The delta

A delta wing gives excellent supersonic performance, a large internal volume and no need for a tailplane. It costs low-speed handling — a delta lands fast and does not like tight turns at low speed. Dassault accepted that trade for thirty years and built its whole reputation on it.

In the COBI range

Set 5930 is the Mirage IIIC at this scale in different markings, and 5827 the Swiss-built Mirage IIIS. Set 5917 is the Mirage 2000-5F and 5901 the Rafale.

Specifications

Pieces: 444 · Figures: 1 pilot · Scale: 1:48 · Licensed by Dassault Aviation · Display stand and nameplate
Model dimensions: 29 × 6.9 × 12 cm (11.4 × 2.7 × 4.7 in)