Eduard/Heller 1/48 Mirage 2000C
The origins of the Mirage 2000 can be traced back in 1965, when France and Britain agreed to develop the "Anglo-French Variable Geometry" (AFVG) swing-wing aircraft. Two years later, France withdrew from the project on grounds of costs, after which Britain would collaborate with West Germany and Italy to ultimately produce the Panavia Tornado.
Dassault focused on its own variable-geometry aircraft, the Mirage G8. Called ACF (Avion de Combat Futur), the type would replace the popular Mirage III in the Armee de l'Air (AdA). However, it soon became apparent that the interdictor and incapable of dogfighting Mirage G8 would not align with AdA's requirement of a Mach 3 pure fighter.
Dassault then went on designing a twin engine, fixed-geometry derivative of the Mirage G8. The resulting Super Mirage G8A would prove too ambitious and expensive, being not only two and a half times the price of the Mirage F1, but also over-engineered, especially compared to the General Dynamics F-16 that had just won orders from a number of European countries.
The cancellation of the Super Mirage gave room to the single engine Mirage 2000, which had started out as a secondary simpler project in 1972. Initially named Delta 1000 and designed as an interceptor with strike capabilities, the resulting Mirage 2000 was offered to the AdA as a simpler, affordable yet potent fighter.
Though the previously built swept winged Mirage F1 proved to be a very successful design, Dassault decided to return to the first-generation delta wing Mirages, but with several important innovations to solve their shortcomings. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 10 March 1978, a mere 27 months after the program go-ahead, exhibiting very promising performance. Dassault constructed three more prototypes, with the last one embodying lessons learned from the earlier aircraft. The first production Mirage 2000C (C for Chasseur - Fighter) flew on 20 November 1982, with deliveries to the AdA beginning in 1983.
The type was further developed to the 2000N nuclear-strike variant, which would carry the Air-Sol Moyenne Portée (ASMP) nuclear stand-off missile, followed by the closely derived 2000D conventional attack variant. By the late 1980s, the Mirage 2000-5 was developed, essentially a vastly improved Mirage 2000 in terms of avionics and weapons capability.
The Mirage 2000 is considered a potent, successful fighter, with quite a few operators having acquired it worldwide. All in all, 601 examples have been built, with the last one delivered on 23 November 2007 to the Hellenic Air Force.
Mirage 2000s of the Armee de l'Air were used during the Gulf War, where they flew high-altitude air defence for USAF U-2 spy aircraft. There is photo evidence of one of these Mirages, s/n 74, having its blue/gray topsides overpainted with sand/dark earth, loosely following the existing camo pattern.
This is the 2007 Eduard reboxing of the venerable, accurate but not overly detailed and challenging to build 1991 Heller mold. Per the usual (and very welcome) Eduard policy, this reboxing includes many goodies (resin, PE, masks, a multi-option decal sheet, upgraded instructions).
https://modelingmadness.com/review/mod/fr/pen2kc.htm
Happy Modelling!
Very nice looking machine Spiros
Thanks so much, my friend @blackadder57!
Great work on this @fiveten. I love the scheme and detail you put into this. I wish someone from your modeling club would just hand me one of these too! Excellent work
Thanks so much, my friend @dbutlr!
Very nice, Spiros. I really like that paint job, well done!
Thank you very much, my friend @robgenev665!
Great work and yet another interesting history, Spiros.
Thank you kindly, my friend @chinesegeorge!
Well done, Spiros.
Thank you very much, my friend @gwskat!
Only one in that scheme? A superb rendition of a very interesting one off.
Thank you so much, my friend @christopher! Indeed, this is very interesting.
Superb paint scheme and weathering. Bravo Spiros @fiveten.
Thank you so much, my friend @eb801!
You are on a streak of some really nice Mirages, Spiros (@fiveten). Well done.
Thank you kindly, my friend @gblair!
Another great Mirage, Spiros.
Thanks a lot, my friend @j-healy!
G’day Spiros (@fiveten),
Another great build in a striking scheme.
Liked!
Thanks so much, my friend @michaelt!
Another beautiful Mirage added to your collection, Spiros @fiveten
This camouflage scheme suites the 2000 perfectly.
Great informative article as well, thanks for that.
Thanks so much, my friend @johnb!
Nice to have something unusual in your collection and this is a stand out addition , great work.
Thank you kindly, my friend @neil-foster!
Another beautiful Mirage! The scheme is indeed very nice, i‘ve never seen it before @fiveten!
Thanks so much, my friend @fxrob!
Spiros (@fiveten),
I read your article over at M2 and always appreciate the written word in your articles. Impressed with your productivity,high standards and up beat attitude. The additional photos really gives an opportunity to show your Mirage 2000 at it's best. The current events show that the a/c is still be used to good effect. Keep on modeling.
Thanks as always for your kind and deeply motivating words, my friend @stephen-w-towle!
Very nice Mirage, Spiros!
Great looking camo as well. Thanks for sharing and the interesting write up.
Thank you so much, my friend @alfred!
Looks great, Spiros. Your accompanying article is also very interesting and informative.
Thank you kindly, my friend @coling!
Spiros
You have built another beautiful model. I wasn’t aware that you were making this one until I saw it in the headlines section. I have been too busy with work on my Cologne Panther and Pershing project and I have not been looking around very much on Imodeler lately. I simply don’t have that much time available right now.
QC1 and QC2 have been keeping a close eye on your project and have been maintaining your high standards for quality controls. It looks great and I have clicked on several of the various like buttons.
I enjoyed reading your article too. It was very informative and interesting.
Well done my friend !
Thanks so much, my friend @lgardner! QC1&2 send you their greetings!
Great job mate. Very nice build.
Thanks so much, my friend @paulwoodyvanacker!
Another great Mirage, Spiros @fiveten! And such a striking and unique scheme too!
That's very imressive, my friend. 
How about a group photo of your Mirage collection? 
Thanks my friend @garybrantley!
Well, not easy for an authentic group photo, as three Mirages are already in friends hands, but I think I can make a collage...
Spiros, thanks so much for putting that together!
They all look great, and great together! That is so cool, @fiveten! 
Thanks again, my friend @garybrantley!
That's a great-looking scheme for the lovely French delta! Excellent work.
Thank you kindly, my friend @gkittinger!
Another beautiful Mirage. Plus you created an amazing series. I really like it.
Thank you so much, my friend @milantesar!
Another Beauty!
Thank you very much, my friend @butchbryan!