June Issue 2019

International Plastic Modellers Society

The quarterly newsletter for all things Mirage

SIG Leader Mark Ascott

Newsletter by Peter Fearis

Welcome to the third edition of the Newsletter, we trust you enjoyed the last issue and will
continue to support its goals. The summer is hear and I suspect like myself modelling will take a back
seat whilst the more leisurely warmer day activities take over! However, please carry on supporting the
SIG and keep up the modelling when you can. You may have noticed changes to the second issue in the
layout and format, please let me know if you like or dislike them, my aim is to improve the newsletter
and deliver something you will look forward too. With the model show season starting to gain
momentum I would like to ask any reader who attends a show to keep an eye out for Mirage models,
photograph them, get a few details if you can, and send them to me for inclusion
peter.fearis1@gmail.com.
In this edition there is an article on the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Aircraft Research and
Development Unit (ARDU) that I hope you will find both informative and enjoyable.

Mirage A3-2 of ARDU, in formation with a Macchi 323 a type that Steve flew many missions in photographing the Mirage
(RAAF Official)
Along with the ARDU feature there is further coverage of the Mirage III in RAAF service, this time
supplied by a legendary RAAF pilot, Ex SQD LDR Dave Halloran “The Hooligan”. There are also the
regular items such as the “Homage to the Mirage”, book reviews, decal reviews, Exotic colours (Mirage
III D and Mirage IIIDP) and much more to enjoy.
SIG & Show News

So the show season has started and the SIG has a few displays under its belt now. There has
been some great feedback regarding the displays and it’s great to meet so many Mirage fans.
IPMS Avon, Thornbury 4th August
Modelfest, IPMS Farnborough 14th September
IPMS Brampton, St Ives 29th September (TBC)
IPMS Abingdon 5th October
Maquette Expo, Hyeres South of France 12th & 13th October
SMW, Telford 9th & 10th November
Also as a reminder the SIG will be putting on a special display at Scale Model World 2021 to mark
the 60 anniversary of the entry into service of the Mirage (it’s only 873 days as of 24 th June). Please
th

contact Mark or Paul via email if you wish to help mirage602021smw@yahoo.com The first show of the
year was at RAF Cosford on 7th April, Mark has supplied a few photographs for the SIG to enjoy. As usual
the show had an enthusiastic feel and was attended by a good crowd.

The 1:32nd scale Mirage 50DV and the 1:48th scale Brazilian Air Force 30 Anos special were both
built by Phil Cater.

Lutz Arndt and Michael Ullmann are both members of the Plastik Modellbau Club Bodensee
(PMCB) and the Mirage SIG. They recently displayed at the Lingen Show in Germany and have kindly
sent some photographs to share with other SIG members. The aircraft were displayed on a Belgium Club
display table. The name of the club is just visible in the photo of the Dijbouti III C. The Jordanian F1EJ is
the 1:48th scale Esci kit with corrections and improvements made by Lutz. Specifically Lutz divided each
wing in half and inserted 2 mm of plastic card before re-joining the halves. The models are a mix of Lutz
and Michael’s builds and I think you would agree they look stunning. It’s good to get the chance to
display these images to the SIG, Thank you Lutz and Michael.

An annual event which the SIG also attends is the Salisbury IPMS show held on 1st June. It’s a
great little show that proves very popular giving people in the South a chance to catch up. Mark, Paul
and myself took turns to man the stand which attracted a fair amount of interest. I would also like to
report Mark is alive and well despite it being his wedding anniversary (you have a very understanding
wife Mark). Paul had the French Air Force SIG stand next to us and brought along several 1:48 th Mirage
2000 builds he is currently working on.

Quite a mixture of Mirages and other variants for the eyes to feast on!
 It was also gratifying to see some very nice builds of Mirages whilst walking around the Salisbury
show.

Unfortunately I was unable to find

the builder of this fine selection to
ask details, but they are all to 1:72nd
scale. The Mirage 2000’s were a
particular pleasure to look at
knowing how much work needs to
go into turning it into an accurate
and attractive model. Should
anyone know who the builder was
could they please let the SIG know
so due credit can be given

Graham Harris has very kindly allowed us to include some photographs he recently took at the
Melbourne Hobby Expo in early June, all the builds are 1:72nd scale. Graham is a member of the Mirage
SIG Facebook group and a keen modeller. Thanks for these Graham and I am hoping with a little luck I
might be able to persuade you to be our antipodean reporter!
Mirage News
Photographs have appeared on the web and in aviation magazines of Draken International’s
Mirage F.1’s undergoing engine running tests, hopefully it should not be too long before they enter
service and we will finally get to see the colours they will be wearing.

The air show season has started and there have been some new schemes applied to the Armée
de I’Air Mirage 2000’s, hopefully we will be able to get some photographs for the next issue.

Other News
Readers will recall the mention of a 2 volume book on FAC Mirages and Panteras in the last
newsletter. The name of the company releasing these is Aviation Art & History, I have been in contact
and the Spanish language books are available via there site (there is some other very interesting stuff
there), unfortunately the English language editions are not ready yet due to the translations not being
up to their desired level.

Airmark who produce a range of modelling guide bookzines (a cross between a magazine and a book)
have just released guide number 3, IAI Kfir and F.21. There are 48 pages of full colour and it should
prove to be a helpful addition to the book shelf.
PJ Productions have announced 3 new boxing of their rendition of the High Planes Models Mirage.
These include the Mirage M-5M Elkan, Mirage IIIS/ RS and the Mirage 5M Mirsip Demo, each edition
comes with the appropriate resin items and decals.

Mark 1 Models have released 3 more kits of the Mirage in their range. Each share common runners and
are well detailed with the added bonus of 2 full kits to each box. These are ideal for fans of the Mirage
with limited space as they are to 1:144 scale and do not take up much room. Hopefully Mark 1 will
continue with the range and issue some of the more exotic variants.

If it is colourful markings you are looking for to adorn your Mirage builds then you cannot go wrong with
Syhart Decals. Designed by Sylvain Hautler this French company supplies a vast range of sheets for the
Mirage covering a myriad of anniversary and Tiger meet schemes that have adorned the Mirage family
over the years. All are extremely well researched and printed to the highest quality unfortunately they
can sell out rather quickly, however they are re-issued fairly frequently as well, the key is if you miss out
be patient and wait for their return. As an example their recent sheet depicting Peruvian Air Force
Mirage 2000’s comes with excellent reference drawings showing the external changes in the Mirage
2000 subtypes, a very useful reference. Syhart produce decals in several scales and has quite a large
range, please visit their web site at www.syhartdecal.fr to check out what’s available and what’s coming.

Scaleworx, a name that may not be recognised by many of the readers, is a South African concern that
produce a large selection of resin conversions and kits. John Weidman and his wife not only run the
company they also design and produce all the products in the range. John is a very approachable guy
and has a passion for the Mirage (great for us Mirage lovers) and this can be seen in his products.
Covering the 3 main scales 1:32nd, 1:48th and 1:72nd each product comes in a stout box with delicately
cast pale blue resin parts, instruction sheet, decals and where required a vac formed canopy. Being a
small outfit, and with Johns products being popular, delivery times can sometimes be a little long, don’t
worry they always turn up and John is more than willing to answer an queries’. For more information on
their products visit www.scaleworx.com

John has now updated the Cheetah C conversion to be used with the AMK 1:72 nd scale kit, it is
important to ensure you order the correct conversion for your donor kit.

Late news
Just a couple of items of late news to finish with.

Italeri have a 1:48th scale Mirage 2000 c in the pipeline, IT2789, this is expected to be the old Esci
tooling.

Kitty Hawk Model will be releasing a new tooled Mirage 2000 D/N in 1:32 nd scale, this should prove to
be a very popular choice.

Minicraft have announced a Mirage F-1 USAF Top Gun Aggressor? Produced in 1:144th scale this is a kit
looking forward to seeing more information on! Now if any reader out there has seen photos of ‘USAF
Top Gun Aggressor’ F-1’S please share them with the SIG, it would be most enlightening. Personally I
think this may be a typo and it’s a re-issue of the Kfir F-21.

Finally
I would like to point out to readers that the SIG has a group page on Facebook where you can
chat, post photographs and catch up on all thing Mirage, have a look and join in you will meet some
great people on there.
Last but not least I would like to extend a very sincere thank you to the following for their very
generous contributions to this newsletter:

Ex SQN LDR Steve Alder RAAF, for the ARDU insight.

Ex SQN LDR Dave Halloran, alias ‘The Hooligan’, for sharing his experience as a RAAF Mirage pilot.

Jim Halloran, for putting me in touch with Dave.

Darren ‘Motty’ Mottram for the assistance he gave getting and supplying the photographs of the RAAF
Mirage’s.

To them, and all the others who contributed a very big and sincere thank you.

Peter Fearis
 Homage to the Mirage
Welcome to the latest ‘Homage to the Mirage’, there are some fantastic contributions in this issue from
Mirage fans around the world, so sit back and enjoy!
The first is from yours truly and is linked to a feature contained in this edition of the newsletter ‘A man
of many hours’. The kit is the new 1:72nd Modelsvit Mirage IIIE finished in the colours of FLT LT Hallorans RAAF
Mirage A3-29 with additional text! To build the model as an Australian Bird the kit needed a few modifications
including the removal of the Doppler radar dome and corrections to the fin. The model was painted with a
mix of Mr Hobby and Tamiya acrylics, the text on the fuselage was hand painted.
 Ian Gaskiell a member of the Portsmouth IPMS and a regular contributor to Model Airplane Monthly
has kindly submitted a selection of photographs of a recent build for the SIG to enjoy. The kit is the 1:48th
AMK Kfir finished in the ATAC scheme. For his build Ian used a resin cockpit set and resin exhaust, he also used
a metal replacement pitot tube. The model was airbrushed using Hataka ‘Orange Line’ lacquer paints and
weathered with Ammo by Mig washes and pastels. I think you would agree Ian has done a first class rendition!
All the photographs are Copyrite Ian Gaskell who has given kind permission to use them. Thank you
From Argentina I have received these excellent photographs of a 1:32nd Scale Italeri Mirage III EA. The model
was built by Fabian Mario Vera of the Argentinian IPMS. I would like to thank Sergio Bellomo for getting
permission to use them and for sending them to me.
In the words of Monty Python “and now for something completely different”. Jean – Michel Christian, a
contributor to the last newsletter, has supplied some photographs of a ‘What if’ Mirage. The kit is the old
1:48th scale Heller boxing with the following changes: a new radar nose, an in-flight refuelling probe (based
on a modified probe from a Tu 22 kit), enlarged intakes, British Phantom Jet exhausts, weapons and counter
measure pods from the spares box and a ventral tank from an Su-24. Jean-Michel has put a lot of work into
this and produced a very interesting Mirage concept.
 These 2 builds, by myself link quite nicely into two of the articles in this newsletter and depict ex ARDU
Mirages in Pakistan Air Force markings. The aircraft carried this scheme for a short period only, thankfully
someone decided to photograph them. The kits are the 1:72nd scale High Planes Mirage, the paints used were
Tamiya and the decals Bright Spark.
Modelling the Mirage in 1:72nd scale –Part 2, The Kfir
Close Cousins
Having covered the Mirage III/V its now time to turn to its close cousin the IAI Kfir. The history behind
the development of the Kfir is well known so I will not cover it here, all I would say is its worth reading the
story!
Italeri
Italeri were the first company to produce a 1:72nd scale kit of the Kfir, at the time it was a perfectly
acceptable replica. It has also been re-issued in various guises over the years with modifications as required.
The first issue to be released was a C2, later with additioal parts it was released as the C.7. In this guise it
also came with decals to build a USMC aggressor. The third issue was marketed as an F.21, again with the
required parts, the latest incarnation reverts to a C.7 and F.21 boxing. with decals to build a USMC aggressor.
There is now a fourth issue which reverts to the Isreali schemes.
There are shape issues with the model that are difficult to correct and in light of other kits that have
since appeared, which are more accurate this stalwart of a kit has been superseeded.

Hasegawa
Hasegawa issued their Kfir during the mid 1990’s and it was considered at the time to be an advance
on the Italeri kit. Originally a C.2 it has also been released as a C.7 and F.21 over the years. Again some
aspects of the kit did not appear correct but it could be made into a nice model.
Revell
Recently released the Italeri mouldings make another outing under the Revell label. It was a shame
Revell had decided against designing its own variant of the Kfir but at least, for those who like the Italeri kit,
it will be readily at hand to purchase. The Revell boxing does however come with a nice set of markings,
unfortunately the kit is showing its age.

Tamiya
This is another incarnation of the Italeri produced Kfir and was distributed in Japan by Tamiya.

AMK Avantgarde
This kit is the latest of the 1:72nd scale Kfirs to find its way to the modeller and what a kit ! Its not
perfect, there are area’s that could be improved and area’s that need correcting but it’s a cracker. For the
72nd scale modeller the AMK Kfir is the must go to for many reasons. Firstly its unbelievably inexpensive for
a new tooling ! Then you have a high level of detail, numorous parts and 5 decal options ! If you add to this
the amount of stores provided within the kit you will have enough spares to arm a fleet (almost) of aircraft.
The only down side to AMK’s kit is they generally sell out very quickly and take a while for a re-stock. I really
like this kit having built several, it is also the base kit for conversion sets from the South African company
Scale Worx. These conversions include the CE/C10 and the TC, more of these later.

In part 3 we will be looking at the Mirage F.1 in 1:72nd scale, until then, happy modelling !
 To mark its retirement from service the Fuerza Aérea Argentina in 2015, several Mirages were chosen
to be decorated for the occasion. A Mirage IIIDA 1-002 from Escuadron II –Grupo Aero 6 De Caza VI Brigada
Aérea – Tandil 2015, was painted in a beautiful representation of the National flag.
The photograph below was supplied to the SIG by Sergio Bellomo, unfortunately Sergio didn’t give details of who
built it. It was taken at the 33rd Model show and contest organised by IPMS Argentina Mar del Plata. A stunning
model of a stunning Mirage!
 I would like to express my thanks to Syed Zohaib Zaidi for allowing the SIG to show his splendid
photographs of Mirage IIID 67-302 and supplying some background details.
In 2017 to celebrate 50 years of the Mirage being in service with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) an
aircraft from each Squadron was chosen to mark the event. On 67-302 the design was restricted to the tail
area and depicts stylised flames (not dissimilar to a rising Phoenix) with a pair of Mirages climbing away.
After an overhaul and completing maintenance at the Kamra Facility 67-302 joined No 7. Squadron “Bandits”
where the Anniversary markings were applied.
 GAF Mirage IIIO A3-84, 3 Squadron, Butterworth. Photo via the web (RAAF Official)

When I joined the ‘Friends of the RAAF Mirage IIIO’ group on Facebook I was indeed a fortunate
fellow! The members of the group are knowledgeable, friendly, full of pride, extremely witty and one could
say “In love” with the Mirage. It is to all these guy’s that I send a sincere thank you to for helping spread the
word.

Birth of a Legend
At the beginning of the 1960’s
the RAAF was in need of a replacement
for its ageing Avon Powered CA-27
Sabre’s. To move into a new era they
would need a more sophisticated
aircraft to defend the sky above
Australia.
Initially five types were
considered for this role; EE Lightning,
Republic F-105, Northrop F-5,
Lockheed F-104 and the AMD Mirage
III. After a period of consideration the
A3-69 75A3-69,
SQN 75 SQN Photographer
Photographer Unknown Unknown
list of contenders was reduced to just
two, the F-104 and Mirage III.
Difficult Birth
A report was produced and submitted to the Federal Cabinet recommending the acquisition of the
Avions Marcel Dassault (AMD) Mirage as the replacement for the Sabre and, on 22nd November 1960, the
Cabinet endorsed the selection cementing the Mirages place in the annals of RAAF history.
With the go ahead given by the Federal Cabinet the acquisition of the aircraft was put into motion. A
team of six serving RAAF Personnel and two civilians, Group Captain R.T Susans, Wing Commander Rowland,
SQD LDR Jordan, FLT LT O’Brien, Howie and Grantham and Mr Darling and Turner. On 29 th January 1961 the
team departed from Sydney to make the long flight Paris, France. Over the next few weeks the team settled
in to Parisian life and set about making headway not only with their personal wellbeing but also establishing
a strong relationship with their French counterparts.
Although the decision had been made to replace the Sabre with the Mirage certain aspects had not
been decided upon such as the power plant. There had been an opinion the Mirage should be powered by
an Avon engine, this was twofold, firstly because Avon engines powered the Sabre and familiarity would be
an assist with maintenance transitions in the future, secondly there was pressure from certain quarters to
carry on using it. Another concern was the language barrier! This barrier initially proved to be valid and
although great steps were taken to resolve it there were occasions when eyebrows were raised. On the
whole the language issue was approached in a most professional manner with the Australians involved in
the project tacking courses in French. Negotiations regarding the requirements for the Australian Mirage
continued with a great deal of professionalism. In regards of the power plant, Avions Marcel Dassault even
accommodated the request to fit the Avon engine into a modified airframe. The first flight of the Avon
powered Mirage took place at Villa Roche on 13th February 1961, with testing continuing there and at other
locations until the end of April by which time 45 flights had been made. Around the same time the first flight
was made of the Mirage IIIE fitted with the SNECMA Atar 9C. Information from both test programmes were
analysed: take-off performance, rate of climb and range. It was found that there was no significant
improvement with the Avon, and at altitudes above 40,000 feet the Avon was in fact inferior! This was
however not the only factor that led to the decision to power the aircraft with the Atar engine, it was lighter,
cheaper to produce, easier to manufacture and easier to maintain. With the initial discussions concluded,
and with due ceremony, on 30th March 1961, three months after arriving in Paris, contracts for the first batch
of aircraft were signed, thus starting a relationship with “The French Lady” that would last for over a quarter
of a century.
This however was not the end of the requirements for the aircraft, avionics systems, weapon systems,
manufacturing rights and technical drawings costs needed to be finalised. When these factors had finally
been agreed work started to progress at pace both behind the scenes and on the front line. Pilots,
technicians, both Australian and French, worked hard together learning and developing not only Australia’s
new front line defender but also building a strong friendships. One area not considered until the production
of manufacturing drawings had been arranged was at the time a troublesome issue, France was Metric and
Australia used Imperial measurements. Getting to grips with these new-fangled metric dimensions was
something technicians would have to do (Australia had already planned to go Metric in the future). The
language barrier also continued to raise its head from time to time with translations on occasions not making
sense, furthermore when younger members of the team arrived from Australia there level of competence
in the French language was lower therefore adding to the issue. In an attempt to resolve this professional
translators were employed by AMD to ease the situation, unfortunately they were part time and few
possessed any engineering or aeronautical knowledge. With hard work and dedication these young men of
the RAAF overcame the issues, toiled away day on day eventually resolving most of the problems whilst
officials got to work finalising additional requirements.
 The 9th March 1963 was to be a momentous day for all concerned, it was the first time that the RAAF’s
new fighter would be seen in the air. On a foul day at Villa Roche, South East of Paris, Jean- Marie Saget
would take Mirage III O into the sky for the first time. Performing an impressive low level display that thrilled
the watching members of the Australian team the aircraft landed and taxied back to the hanger. After several
speeches and drinking of Champagne, Monsieur Vallierers, President of AMD, handed over a parchment
scroll handing the aircraft officially to the RAAF (This scroll was on the wall of the crew room at Williamtown).
Production of the new aircraft was to be carried out in Australia with the exception of A3-1 and A3-
2 that were built by AMD, A3-2 was to be used as a pattern aircraft. Ironically A3-1 crashed near Avalon on
7th December 1964 whilst in a stall/spin, the pilot, Squadron Leader Tony Svensson (RAF) ejected at high
speed and fortunately survived although badly injured, A3-2 on the other hand is still flying today (2019)
albeit in the colours of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

Above. A3-2 the second RAAF Mirage III O was the longest serving, her service time was spent with the Aircraft Research
and Development Unit (ARDU) until retirement and subsequent sale to the PAF where she still serves. (Photo Graeme Reid)

Production
It had always been the intention that the new fighter for the RAAF would be produced in Australia.
Responsibility for the production of the new fighter was to be given to two very experienced and established
companies, Government Aircraft Factories (GAF) and Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC). Both GAF
and CAC were located at Fishermens Bend. GAF was to be the prime contractor manufacturing the fuselage
whilst CAC would produce the wings, fin, rudder, tail cone and engine. Once fabricated the major items
would then be transported to Avalon where assembly, fitting out, function testing and flight testing would
be carried out. To allow time for production planning, jig assembly and the training of staff a lead in supply
of components was to be supplied from France and this would include two complete airframes.
With everything in place, work began in 1964 to produce the aircraft in Australia. The planned
production would be for 100 (including the Dassault built aircraft) IIIO single seaters and 16 IIID dual seat
aircraft with delivery to the RAAF commencing in 1964.

YEAR 63 64 65 66 67 68
QTY 1 9 20 22 33 24
Into Service
The first unit to receive the Mirage was 2 OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) on 26th February 1964
when it received A3-3 (A3-3 was officially handed over to the RAAF in December 1963). The task for the unit
would be to develop and put into
place the training syllabus for the
air force and future Mirage pilots.
Initially the aircraft delivered to
the unit were III O single seaters,
the first dual seat being A3-101,
this arriving in November 1966.
In January 1965 75 SQN
began their association with the
Mirage when its first IIIO arrived.
At this point in time all RAAF
Mirages were delivered in natural
A3-33 2 OCU Photographer Unknown
metal, however this was found to

be incompatible with the Australian

climate. By the end of 1965 aircraft
were no longer being delivered in
N/M and a new protective coating of
‘High Speed Silver’ was being
applied. The first aircraft to have this
coating was A3-22 being delivered to
75 SQN on 28th October. At the
beginning of 1966 four Mirages from
75 SQN made the types inaugural
flight overseas to New Zealand, the
flight taking just over 2 hours. 75
Squadron was also the first to be A3-23 75 SQN Photographer Unknown

deployed overseas when on 15th May

1967 they took up the mantle of operations from Butterworth, Malaysia.
In August 1966, 76 SQN officially
became the third Mirage Squadron
with 5 aircraft on the establishment. In
comparison 76 SQN’s association with
the Mirage was short but very intense
and on 24th August 1973 it was
disbanded. During its tenure it did
however get involved in several
events including a flypast at the
Hobart Regatta and ‘Exercise High
Jupiter’, a mock war between Tindal
and Darwin. This exercise would help
the RAAF develop the tactics used for
A3-16 76 SQN Photographer Unknown
strike missions.
 In August 1967 3 SQN
commenced flying the Mirage with the
arrival of A3-52, A3-73 and A3-107. The
squadron was also to be the first to
have a Mirage (A3-63) fitted with a
radio altimeter on 17th November
1967. Another of the firsts for 3 SQN
was the modification of some airframes
to enable reconnaissance cameras to
be fitted (all Mirages capable of this
feature were in the A3-50+ range). In
January 1969 the Squadron also
A3-60 3 SQN Photographer Unknown received the last Mirage IIIO to be built,
A3-100.
Based at Williamtown 77 SQN acquired the Mirage on 7th July 1969 and became the first squadron to
carry out a photographic reconnaissance mission in November of the same year, SQN LDR Tredwell flying
A3-79. The squadron would
continue to have a long association
with the Mirage with the last flight
taking place in July 1986 by WG
CDR Wilson, the aircraft A3-90 was
subsequently dismantled for
spares.
With the return of 3 SQN to
Australia from Butterworth and its
stand down 79 SQN was reformed
on 6th March 1986. Based at
Butterworth the squadron was to
consist of 11 Mirage IIIO and 1 IIID
A3-55 77 SQN Photographer Unknown
and would only be around for 27
months before being disbanded in
June 88.
Epilogue
By 1988 the writing was on
the wall for the Mirage and a
replacement had been sourced, the
F/A-18 Hornet. The Mirage had
given the RAAF everything it had
required and more. The Aircraft was
loved by the men who flew her and
the men who maintained her, they
all have their own personal stories A3-80 79 SQN Photograph courtesy ‘Turtle’
to tell. When corresponding with
SQN LDR Halloran I asked “Do you think after all this time (30+ years) if you were to get into a Mirage you
could fly her?” he responded with a positive “No, whilst the Mirage was a joy to fly she could easily catch
you out! You need all your wits and skills to get the best out of her”.
 The overwhelming conclusion I have come to whilst researching and writing this piece the Mirage
was a “Loved” aircraft by all who flew and maintained her. There was always inter-Squadron rivalry but it
was all good natured. Maintenance crews recall getting drenched in fuel and other such liquids, dropping 10
mm socket into un- accessible reaches and having to strip down the airframe to get it back, but none of them
would trade their time on the Mirage. It was the technician’s on the ground who kept the Pilots in the air,
the Frammies (airframes), Sumpies (engines), Gunnies (weapons), Sparkies (electronics) who probably
understood the term ‘French Lady’ more than anyone, she was “beautiful to look at but high maintenance”.
Of the 116 Mirages delivered to the RAAF 47 were lost over the period it was in service. Tragically 14
pilots were to lose their life and they will always be honoured and remembered by their colleges.
The fate of the remaining aircraft however is quite a testimony not only to the design but how they
were looked after by the RAAF. Several have been donated to museums for posterity, a few were used as
training aids but many are still in service.

One of the preserved examples of the Mirage finished in 76 SQN colours Photo courtesy of Andy Binks

After the withdrawal from service the aircraft were put into storage at Woomera awaiting either
disposal or a purchaser. Pakistan came forward as a potential buyer for the aircraft and after much
negotiation a contract was signed. The aircraft were to be shipped by sea to Pakistan, there they would
undergo a full overhaul and upgrade, before being handed over to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Some of
these aircraft are still in operational use today (2019), indeed A3-02 is one of those, this must surely make
her one of the longest serving fast jets in the world!
I hope that you have enjoyed this piece and found it informative. Thank you to all those who have
helped and given encouragement. If you wish to find out more on the RAAF Mirages I would like to suggest
the following books:
The RAAF Mirage Story compiled by Wing Commander M.R.Susans
Mirage IIIO Colours and Markings by Paul Mason and Darren Mottram.
SQN LDR Dave Halloran a man of many hours
Ex Squadron Leader Dave Halloran is without doubt a Mirage legend within the annals of the Royal
Australian Air Force (RAAF), he is one of the few (7) Mirage pilots to exceed 3000 (3121.8) hours flying time
on the type. He was also the pilot of a reconnaissance mission that was steeped in controversy that would
ultimately contribute to a change in the Australian constitution.

Ex SQN LDR Dave Halloran in his flying gear posing in front of Mirage IIIO (A) A3-9, 75 SQN for an official photograph
(Photograph courtesy of Dave Halloran).
Born in 1950 he was the youngest of the siblings born to Stan and Dorothy Halloran, and it would
seem that flying was in his blood. Stan Halloran was a pilot serving with 234 Squadron in Europe during WW
II flying Spitfires, Hurricanes and Mustangs. Following in their father’s tradition both Dave and his older
brother Jim joined the RAAF, both having a distinguished career all be it in different areas, Dave becoming a
pilot whilst Jim spent most of his 24 years in Air Movements.
Joining the RAAF in January 1968 as a member of 21 RAAF Academy Course, Dave Halloran began
his long path that would eventually lead him to becoming a Squadron Leader. Graduating in December 1971
he moved onto 84 Pilots Course, initially at Point Cook, where he flew Winjeels, and then onto Pearce flying
Macchis. Receiving his wings in March 1973 he was posted to 2 OCU at Williamtown for his introductory
fighter course, again on Macchis. Upon completion Dave Halloran commenced his Mirage conversion
training and the beginning of his relationship with ‘The French Lady’ that would last until 1986. FLT LT
Hallorans first operational posting was to 77 Squadron at Williamtown for a 9 month period. By January 1975
he was on the move again, this time to join 3 Squadron based at Butterworth in Malaysia. Later that year he
was to have the good fortune to be posted to Cranwell for a Weapons Employment Course giving him the
opportunity to catch up with Uncles, Aunts and sundry cousins. In May 1977 he was again posted back to
Williamtown for a Fighter Combat Instructors course at 2 OCU. In what could be seen as a strange twist of
fate he failed the course, this did however start a new chapter in Dave Hallorans career.

A3-58 was one of Dave’s Mirages bearing his name (Photographs courtesy Graeme Reid)

Having been unsuccessful on the FCI course Dave Halloran was to begin a tour with 77 Squadron that
would last almost 6 years as a Squadron Pilot and in his own words “it was most enjoyable! For me Squadron
life was my personal Shangri La”. Whilst serving with 77 SQN, Flt Lt Halloran was to fly Mirage A3-58 which
carried his name. Unfortunately on 2nd May 1980, whilst being flown by Graham Butterworth, A3-58
encountered an undercarriage failure and the pilot ejected. Losing his aircraft, Flt Lt Halloran was eventually
to have his name applied to another Mirage A3-29. This did however take a very long period to achieve and
a great deal of pleading by him with the maintenance crews. Their reluctance was entirely due to the belief
that it would be a wasted exercise as he was soon to be posted. This did not happen though for 2 years and
8 months. Finally their resilience was worn down and they applied not only his rank and name, Flt Lt Halloran
but his nickname “The Hooligan” to the aircraft, not in what could be deemed as the correct format, but in
approx. 1 metre high letters painted with yellow distemper! Along the port side was FLT. LT. HALLORAN
whilst the starboard side read “ALIAS THE HOOLIGAN”, there could be no doubt as to who the pilot was!

Could this possibly be the reason why SQN LDR Halloran got his nick name! The flypast took place on 20th September 1982 at the
Learmonth bombing range. The aircraft was A3-116 and the IAS (Indicated Air Speed) was around 250 knots at a height of about
20 feet, hence the high angle of attack. The gent in the photograph on the left must have been very glad he had ear defenders on!

Photo courtesy of Jim Halloran

In July 1983 Dave was posted to Darwin as a flight commander with 75 SQN which was redeploying from
Butterworth. Conditions in Butterworth were good but the heat and humidity could be challenging “Flying
in the tropics we certainly lost weight due to dehydration. The cockpit temperature could get over 60 degrees
while taxying! The air-conditioning system on the Mirage however was excellent, as soon as you put the
power on for take-off the cockpit would be flooded with cold air.” After a period with 75 SQN Dave was on
the move again in May 1986, but this time it would be away from his beloved Mirage. Sadly 1986 was also
the year in which Dave flew the Mirage for the last time. Attending a course in the USA Dave was to undergo
the rigours of an Aircraft Accident Investigation Course before returning to a post at DAFS in Canberra where
he was to investigate five accidents: 2 x Macchis, 1 x Mirage, 1 x F-111 and an F-18, remaining in Canberra
until his departure from the RAAF in January 1988.
With the end of his career with the RAAF, Dave was to return to Queensland where he would settle
down on the family farm with his family taking over his fathers’ apple growing business. It is a far cry from
the earlier high flying, supersonic days as a Mirage pilot, although a full time commitment the pace of life
must surely be slower and quieter! On a foot note, since Dave left the RAAF he has not flown an aircraft
again stating “Once you have flown the French Lady, why would you want to fly anything else”.

Seen on display at an open day at Williamtown A3-58 is carrying Sidewinders on the outer wing stations, supersonic
tanks on the inner stations and a Matra R530 missile on the centre line store (Photographs courtesy Graeme Reid)

Above is an extract of SQN LDR Hallorans log book showing the record of his flights for the 6-8th April 1983 with the
infamous ‘Franklin Dam’ mission entered on the 7th. A very sincere thanks to Dave for sending this to share with the
members.
 The Franklin Dam
The Tasmanian Dam case is the most famous and influential environmental law case in Australian
History, and was also a landmark in Australian constitutional law.
In the late 1970’s a proposal was tabled by the Tasmanian Hydro-Electric Commission (owned by the
Tasmanian Government) to build a hydro-electric Dam on the Gordon River, this was to become known as
the ‘Franklin Dam or the Gordon-below-Franklin Dam’. With this large construction completed a large section
of the Franklin River area in the South-West would have been flooded. In 1982 however the World Heritage
Committee, due to its diversity in flora and fauna, declared the area a ‘World Heritage site’. This listing alone
would not stop the construction of the Dam as Australia was not signed up to international law regarding
the environment and the current Federal Government would not act.

Above illustrates the area that would have been effected by the Dam had the construction been finished
(Illustration via the internet Public domain)
In 1982 protests rapidly grew both in Tasmania and the mainland regarding the impact the
construction of the Dam would have on the area. Amidst all this the Tasmanian Government passed laws
that would allow the Dam to be built and preliminary work commenced on the proposed site.
During the Australian Federal elections of 1983 Bob Hawke, leader of the Labor party promised, that
if elected, the Labor party would intervene and stop the construction of the Dam. Consequently the Labour
Party won the election and it subsequently passed the ‘World Heritage Properties Conservation Act 1983’
into law, this together with the ‘National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975’ gave the Federal
Government the legal right to prohibit the works within the area under threat in Tasmania. The Tasmanian
Government challenged the actions taken by the Commonwealth Government and refused to halt the
construction of the Dam. Court proceedings commenced in the High Courts for an injunction and validity of
its laws on 4th April 1983 with the provision that all works should be stopped whilst the hearing was being
held. To confirm that the Tasmanian Government was complying and work was suspended the Royal
Australian Air Force was ordered to carry out a reconnaissance flight over the area.
“That Dam Sortie” In SQN LDR Dave Halloran’s words
On the 7th April 1983 I was to fly A3-57 from Williamtown (near Newcastle) on what I had thought
was a routine reconnaissance sortie to the Franklin River Dam site in Tasmania. The newly elected Federal
Government had ordered work to cease at the site and the purpose of my mission was to make sure that
the Tasmanian State Government was complying. Initially an RF-111 from Amberley (near Brisbane) was
tasked but none were serviceable, so 77 SQN was given the job as we had PR capability. I might add that the
RF-111 was much more suited to the task, having such luxuries as two engines, lots of fuel, multiple cameras,
navigation aids and a travelling companion for the pilot if he became bored. At the time we were doing air
to air gunnery so the aircraft had to be reconfigured with the PR nose cone, camera switches and drop tanks.
Even with the drop tanks fitted (I recall two supersonic wing tanks and a centre line tank - the difference in
capacity in this configuration and carrying two large wing tanks was minimal) the distance involved required
me to stage through Avalon (near Melbourne) both ways to refuel. The sortie to Avalon was uneventful until
I taxied into the flight line where the brakes promptly failed. My first thought was that this was the end of
my task as events usually moved slowly at Avalon. Fortunately Mirages were overhauled there so the
expertise was on hand to carry out the required repairs. With time on my hands I went to find some
sustenance wondering if I would get back to Williamtown that day, much less fly the mission to Tasmania.
Needless to say I was quite surprised to find on my return that the aircraft was refuelled and the brakes
repaired! I should have realised then that this was no ordinary sortie.
The flight across the Bass Strait via King Island was as uneventful as could be expected with only one
engine and lots of cold water underneath. The
weather in the Macquarie Harbour area was very
poor with heavy rain and low cloud so I had to
descend to very low level to get under it. As a
result I had to carry significant IAS (Indicated Air
Speed) up the Gordon river valley in case I needed
to reach Safety Height in a hurry. Fortunately the
weather improved somewhat near the dam site
and I was able to reach 1000 feet for the photo
run (in an email I was sent by Dave he recalled a
time when flying a recon sortie when, due to the
proximity of the camera switch, he had
inadvertently used a whole cassette of film before
finishing his climb). With the run complete I
returned the way I had come, refuelled at Avalon
and returned to Williamtown, I remember feeling
very tired on the final leg as it had been a long day.
A few days later what I had done became
headlines. Whilst taxying a Winjeel out to go to
Richmond (near Sydney) I was ordered to return to the lines immediately, shut down and report to the Group
Captain Air Staff Officer. Wondering what atrocity I had committed I did so where upon I was ordered to
hand over all my flight documentation from the Franklin River Dam flight. The Squadron also had to hand
over all the prints and destroy the negatives. It transpired that the prints and documentation were required
by Operational Command and I assume they were then presented to the Senate Inquiry that ensued.
Personally I thought that was the end of the matter until about a week later when a large envelope arrived
from ASIO. I wondered how I could have upset the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation but after
recent events I figured anything was
possible! When I examined the
contents I discovered it had come
from the Squadron Engine Fitters
(Sumpies) and contained a beginners
guide to spying. They were obviously
unhappy with my performance and
felt they could provide the necessary
guidance and training for any future
missions I might fly. I also learnt that
ASIO stood for Australian Sumpies
Intelligence Organisation which was
news to me!
A few days after my sortie to
the Franklin Dam site an RF-111 from
Amberley photographed the site Above is a photograph taken of the area where clearance for the Dam construction
from 20000 feet in perfect weather as had started (Photo Official Government Photograph).
the task had not been cancelled.
Needless to say their photos were much better than mine!
Thus ended my role in the Franklin River Dam saga.

The Outcome
With the evidence in hand the High Court deliberated its judgment between May and June 1983. A
few weeks later, on 1st July, the High Court in a 4:3 split decision upheld the validity of the Commonwealth
laws and thus prevented the dam proceeding. This decision had enormous significance regarding the extent
of the Commonwealth powers to make laws under the Australian Constitution, including its power to make
laws to protect the environment. The legal debate over the extent of the “external affairs” power continued
for many years in a series of High Court cases with the external affairs power prevailing. Today a large part
of Australia’s main national environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999 have been ratified on the constitutional validity of the Tasmanian Dam case, a moment in time in
which SQN LDR Dave Halloran had a part!

I would personally on behalf of myself and the Mirage SIG like to express my sincerest thanks to Ex
SQN LDR Halloran (Dave), his brother Jim (who put me in contact with Dave) and all the people who have
assisted me in putting together this enjoyable piece.
Peter Fearis
 The origins of the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) can be traced back to December 1941
and the establishment of the Special Duties and Performance Flight (SDPF). Based at Laverton, Victoria, the unit
was set up to evaluate the performance of types in service and captured enemy aircraft. Feeling a need to
expand their portfolio to meet operational requirements the unit was reformed as No 1 Air Performance Unit
(1 APU) in December 1943, carrying out flight trials of new aircraft and testing aircraft modifications.
During World War 2 trials were carried out on aircraft such as the Spitfire, Beaufighter, Beaufort and the
indigenous Boomerang. These trials consisted of various aircraft modifications including gun, radar and
bombsight installations. Several Japanese types were also evaluated including the Ki-43 (Oscar) and Ki-61
(Tony). Having proved to be a valuable asset, post War the Unit continued to be involved testing, mainly the
next generation of aircraft. Amongst the types evaluated was the indigenous CA-15, Gloster Meteor Mk 3, Avro
Lincoln Bomber and the De-Havilland Sea Hornet.
In September 1947 the Unit was again renamed and expanded to its now familiar name ARDU, with
detachments operating in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. The following year, in October, ARDU
moved its Head Quarters back to Laverton and set up three detachments based at other locations, these were;
Detachment A at Mallalla, South Australia, Detachment B at Richmond, New South Wales and Detachment C at
Edinburgh, South Australia.

The Mirage was a stalwart of ARDU for many years until its retirement, its place now taken by the F/A-18 (RAAF Official)

By February 1977, all ARDU detachments had been relocated to Edinburgh, South Australia, from where
it continues its role of testing and evaluation for the RAAF. In 2003 ARDU was re-formed into the AIR Warfare
Centre (AWC), incorporating several additional support roles including flight testing. On 14TH January 2013,
ARDU established a detachment at Amberley, Queensland. Today the unit continues to give a resolute service
operating the latest aircraft whilst continuing to push the development envelope. The Mirage served ARDU
proudly until its retirement, giving sterling service and has now been superseded by the F/A-18 Hornet.
 A3-105 Loaned to ARDU on
several occasions she was lost on
26th April 1984 during attachment
to 2 OCU whilst participating in
Exercise ‘Pitch Black 84’. The
wreckage was recovered and put
on display in Darwin, Northern
Territory. (RAAF Official)

A3-02 and A3-112 in the photograph to

the right are on the apron outside the
ARDU hanger at Woomera on 19th May
1982. A3-02 is finished in the
Green/Golden yellow scheme whilst A3-
112 still retains the three tone
camouflage. Below, the same aircraft
carry the more familiar Glossy Orange
and White scheme associated with the
unit. (RAAF Official)
 The origins of the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) can be traced back to December 1941
and the establishment of the Special Duties and Performance Flight (SDPF). Based at Laverton, Victoria, the unit
was set up to evaluate the performance of types in service and captured enemy aircraft. Feeling a need to
expand their portfolio to meet operational requirements the unit was reformed as No 1 Air Performance Unit
(1 APU) in December 1943, carrying out flight trials of new aircraft and testing aircraft modifications.
During World War 2 trials were carried out on aircraft such as the Spitfire, Beaufighter, Beaufort and the
indigenous Boomerang. These trials consisted of various aircraft modifications including gun, radar and
bombsight installations. Several Japanese types were also evaluated including the Ki-43 (Oscar) and Ki-61
(Tony). Having proved to be a valuable asset, post War the Unit continued to be involved testing, mainly the
next generation of aircraft. Amongst the types evaluated was the indigenous CA-15, Gloster Meteor Mk 3, Avro
Lincoln Bomber and the De-Havilland Sea Hornet.
In September 1947 the Unit was again renamed and expanded to its now familiar name ARDU, with
detachments operating in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. The following year, in October, ARDU
moved its Head Quarters back to Laverton and set up three detachments based at other locations, these were;
Detachment A at Mallalla, South Australia, Detachment B at Richmond, New South Wales and Detachment C at
Edinburgh, South Australia.

The Mirage was a stalwart of ARDU for many years until its retirement, its place now taken by the F/A-18 (RAAF Official)

By February 1977, all ARDU detachments had been relocated to Edinburgh, South Australia, from where
it continues its role of testing and evaluation for the RAAF. In 2003 ARDU was re-formed into the AIR Warfare
Centre (AWC), incorporating several additional support roles including flight testing. On 14TH January 2013,
ARDU established a detachment at Amberley, Queensland. Today the unit continues to give a resolute service
operating the latest aircraft whilst continuing to push the development envelope. The Mirage served ARDU
proudly until its retirement, giving sterling service and has now been superseded by the F/A-18 Hornet.
 A3-105 Loaned to ARDU on
several occasions she was lost on
26th April 1984 during attachment
to 2 OCU whilst participating in
Exercise ‘Pitch Black 84’. The
wreckage was recovered and put
on display in Darwin, Northern
Territory. (RAAF Official)

A3-02 and A3-112 in the photograph to

the right are on the apron outside the
ARDU hanger at Woomera on 19th May
1982. A3-02 is finished in the
Green/Golden yellow scheme whilst A3-
112 still retains the three tone
camouflage. Below, the same aircraft
carry the more familiar Glossy Orange
and White scheme associated with the
unit. (RAAF Official)
 Welcome to a special article
on the Aircraft Research and Development
Unit (ARDU) of the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). The Mirage SIG is deeply indebted to
Mr Steve Alder for his help and contribution
given to make this article so interesting. Also
a big thank you to all who supported this
article by kindly giving permission to use their
photographs.
Background Bio
Like many young lads of his generation, Steve harboured a
desire to become an aviator. After finishing his schooling in
Camden New South Wales (NSW) he applied to join the RAAF with Steve in his hay days whilst serving with the
the intention of getting his wings. As with many, Steve’s flying RAAF, camera in hand on the boarding ladder
ambition was thwarted, this however did not deter him from of a 76 SQN Mirage at Williamtown. (Steve
Alder)
joining the Service. Accepting a position with the Photographic unit
and starting at the lowest rank, Steve entered a lengthy course at RAAF East Sale, Eastern Victoria and learnt
his trade.
Following his training Steve spent the next five years at RAAF Richmond, home to the C-130 Hercules,
DH-4 Caribous, P-3 and DC-3’s, honing his skills carrying out ground and airborne photographic work. In 1971
Steve received his first posting to ARDU, Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria. For the three years he was posted
there Steve was to enjoy a good deal of back-seat flying with very experienced and professional test pilots in
the units’ aircraft. It was a steep learning curve for Steve having to come to grips with very high speed movie
cameras and quickly learning the skills associated with diverse airborne photographic work. During his first
stint with ARDU Steve began to appreciate the attitude of all those in the team environment and why it was
considered to be a very good unit to be
affiliated to.
After a three year stint with
ARDU Steve was on the move again,
this time back to Laverton and the
Central Photographic Establishment
(CPE). Here he continued ground
photographic and supervision work
until, in 1976, he was commissioned. It
was now time for Steve’s second stint
with ARDU, this time as Officer In
Command (OIC) of the photographic
section and in Steve’s own words “ You
beauty!” Whilst at Laverton ARDU used
the facilities at Avalon, approximately
35 kms south of the base near Geelong,
Victoria to carry out some of its trials.
Mirage A3-2 and A3-112, Woomera 19th May 1982. (RAAF Official)
During his second deployment to ARDU the
unit was eventually moved from Laverton to RAAF Edinburgh, South Australia. This was seen as a logical move
as the runway at Edinburgh was very long and the location was in good proximity to Woomera, where much
of the weapon and bombing trials were carried out. By the middle of 1979 Steve was on the move again, this
time to RAAF Butterworth, Malaysia as the OIC of the Base Photographic Section.
Whilst at Butterworth Steve’s responsibilities included managing the busy base photographic facilities
and also the smaller photo sections of both 3 Squadron and 75 Squadrons, both of which flew Mirage III O
aircraft. The main photo duty was gun camera film at both squadrons and also a tactical reconnaissance
capability at 3 Squadron using a special photo nose cone: The PR nose cone, replacing the radar nose, of the
Australian Mirages, housed either a low-pan (KA-56), up to 5000 FT, or high-pan (KA-55), above 5000ft, a US
manufactured Fairchild panoramic camera. Steve was also very quickly appointed as the Base Welfare Officer
(a secondary duty and a bugger in Steve’s terms).
Returning to Australia in 1981 Steve re-joined his original photographic section at RAAF Richmond for
a two year posting as OIC. Posted again to CPE Laverton for a further year Steve was promoted to Squadron
Leader before another move to Canberra. This was to be Steve’s final three years in the RAAF working at
Defence Central with the responsibility for photographic policy and working closely with Strike/Recon cell.
Highlights of this time included a round the world trip in a C-130E Hercules to attend the Paris Air Show in
1985, to discuss the use of RPVs with the Israelis and working with the highly professional, and gifted, F-111
bomber pilots and navigators.
Retiring from the RAAF in 1987 Steve worked for many years in the satellite remote sensing industry
processing digital imagery and setting up a Satellite Operations Section. Due to ill health Steve retired in 2003
and moved to Brisbane, Queensland, where he lived for ten years before returning to Canberra in 2014. Steve
is finally enjoying his retirement, but has one lasting memory, the comradeship and friends he made whilst
serving with the RAAF, especially in ARDU, which is widely regarded as the best by all who served in the unit.

A3-2 in its earlier scheme of Golden Yellow and Deep Bronze Green, considered by many to be the most attractive
(Photographer Unknown).
 RAAF Mirage A3-2 at the RAAF’s Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU)
High Speed Cine Camera Operations for Airborne Cine Photography
Author – Steve Alder, Ex RAAF ARDU photographer and OIC ARDU Photo Section, 1976 to 1980.

Background of RAAF Mirage A3-2

Mirage A3-2 was manufactured in France and arrived in Australia on 22/04/64 as a designated type 111-O (F),
a pure fighter version. This particular aircraft, together with A3-1, were the only RAAF Mirages that were built
in France. All the rest of the RAAF’s other 114 Mirages, including the 98 single-seaters and 16 dual seat (111D)
aircraft we manufactured in Australia at the Government Aircraft Factory (GAF) in Melbourne, Victoria. A3-2
spent its entire RAAF life of 24 years at ARDU and during its initial operations it was permanently fitted and
configured with many flight recording instruments to monitor the aircraft’s performance. It finished its RAAF
service in 1988 with 1957 hours on the airframe. It was sold to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in 1990 and is
believed to still be flying in the PAF in March, 2019.

A3-2 as she arrived, in the original finish of natural metal, April 1964. This photograph was taken prior to the application of one of
the more recognisable schemes she later carried. (RAAF Official)

ARDU – The Unit and its Photographic Section

Formerly known as the RAAF’s Special Duties and Performance Flight during WW11 the unit was renamed
ARDU at RAAF Base Laverton, Victoria in September 1947. In January 1977 ARDU moved to RAAF Base
Edinburgh in South Australia from where it continues its vital role of flight testing and evaluating both aircraft
and weaponry in the RAAF inventory. At Laverton and also Edinburgh, ARDU’s aircraft included three Mirages,
one Canberra bomber, two Macchi trainers, one Hornet fighter, an F-111 bomber, two CT-4 trainers, two PC-
9 trainers, four Dakota DC-3s an Iroquios helicopter and one Kiowa helicopter. When, and as required, other
aircraft types were allotted to ARDU for specific trials or testing.
Eight photographers were normally employed at ARDU photo section, including the OIC, a photo officer, one
flight sergeant, a sergeant, two corporals and usually three junior airman. The section was always very busy
with many section personnel sometimes away from the unit conducting trials at other RAAF bases and facilities
around Australia. With ARDU based at RAAF Edinburgh from 1977 onwards two-week detachments to
Woomera were conducted about every three months. This work mainly involved weapon testing trials
requiring on-board and chase photography. The film was quickly processed in a small dark room in one of the
bigger hangars at Woomera.
A variety of specialist cine cameras were used at ARDU, with one particular camera, a Swedish Stalex 16 mm
camera, capable of speeds up to 3,000 frames per second, was frequently used. A large 35 mm cinetheodolite
camera was also available for tracking airborne targets from the ground. In addition to high speed cine photo
the photo section was also responsible for the production of still camera photography in colour and black and
white. The section also produced lithographic printing plates that were used in the production of test reports.
On-board Camera and Flight Recording Configurations
The two main cameras used for high speed cine photography for both on board and air-to-air hand- held
camera work during the period 1975 to 1985. These cameras were manufactured by Photo Sonics in the USA.
There were two types of Photo Sonic 16 mm double perforated film cameras used at ARDU; the 1VN, a
relatively small and lightweight technical camera that could be easily mounted in confined spaces and there
was also the Photo Sonics 1P camera that was quite larger than the 1VN. Both cameras used the unique
intermittent pull-down claw mechanism with pin registration during the high speed filming operation. The
1VN could be operated up to 200 frames per second (fps) and the bigger 1P camera was capable of up to 1,000
fps. For power these cameras used the aircraft’s 28 volt DC electrical system.

The Photo Sonics 1VN cine camera (Steve Alder)

Mirage A3-2. Fitted with the centreline-mounted camera tank, two outboard mounted supersonic camera pods and the distinctive
photo nose cone. (RAAF Official)
 Depending on the requirements for each particular test flight up to fifteen high speed cine cameras could be
mounted in a variety of locations within and on A3-2 using highly modified camera pods and tanks. More
often than not the standard radar nose cone was replaced with a camera nose cone and this enabled
photographing the entire underside of the aircraft. This was achieved by having a 1P cine camera mounted
vertically with the lens viewing through a forty-five degree optically flat mirror. The camera’s lens and the
mirror were protected by an aerodynamic fairing. Additionally, four cameras could be mounted horizontally
in the cone to view outwards.
On the centreline fuselage station, a highly modified
long range 1,700 litre fuel tank that could carry up to
six outward-looking cameras was often used. This
particular tank was modified at ARDU with two large
camera windows on either side of the tank and also
horizontal camera mounting plates. These cameras
positions provided additional underwing coverage.
On the outermost under-wing stations a small French
manufactured supersonic camera pod could be
mounted. These pods usually carried the smaller 1VN
cameras to look inwards under the aircraft.

The Photo Sonics 1P cine camera (Steve Alder)

Sometimes, the modified long range fuel tank was carried on one of the under-wing stations. Before a flight
all cameras were tested to ensure correct operation. For correct alignment of the camera lens angle of view
a bore sight tool was used. This tool consisted of a dummy magazine fitting together with a long fibre optical
fibre wand that provided an image of exactly what the lens was viewing. Sometimes a clinometer instrument
was also used to set the camera(s) downward angle to view underneath the aircraft to capture the target.
Exposure settings on the various cameras were generally based on previous settings. Experience, quickly
learnt, showed that the lighting conditions high above clouds were exceedingly bright and far away from
lighting conditions at ground level.
Mirage A3-2 also had a flight data recording instrument that carried a paper trace medium. The recorder was
housed just behind the cockpit. This recording instrument was loaded with either 70 mm colour, for multiple
trace read-outs, or black and white roll sensitive paper for more simple read-outs. ARDU photographers were
responsible for loading the magazine and processing the trace paper.

A3-2 seen carrying RPK wing tanks with 500 lb. bombs (RAAF Official)
 Air To Air Cine Photography
The skills required for airborne cine photography could only be obtained by much experience in the confined
operating environment of the chase jet aircraft’s cockpit. All photographers commencing work at ARDU were
required to undertake ejection seat training and hypoxia experience. Usually, air-to-air cine photography of
A3-2 was conducted using ARDU’s dual seat Mirage, but sometimes a dual seater Macchi trainer chase aircraft
was used for this work. The operating environment for the photographer was unique and required the
operator to be totally familiar with the role of correctly filming and recording the test procedure. The words:
preparedness, situation-awareness, confidence and skill all contributed to ensuring that good filming results
were achieved.
Once airborne, and in the cramped comfort of the back seat cockpit it was always necessary to thoroughly
check your camera equipment and go through your mind the pre-flight briefing on what will, or could happen.
Most photo chase sorties were conducted with the photographer using the smaller Photo sonic 1VN camera
using a framing rate of up to 200 fps and this camera had an open sighting system that provided proper
sighting alignment with the camera lens’s field of view. A hand grip was also mounted to the camera.
Processing the cine film was almost always conducted within ARDU’s photo section using specialist roller
transport processors for black and white film or specialised large spiral tanks for colour film. Sometimes, bulk
quantities of colour film were processed off-site in commercial laboratories if large volumes of film were used
and required a quick turnaround.
The following piece by Steve relates to his first flight and operation from a Mirage.

All in a Day’s Work at RAAF ARDU Photo Section

Wednesday, 10 February, 1972
Author: Steve Alder, RAAF photographer 1965 -1987

My first flight in ARDU’s dual seat Mirage, A3-111, last week, was a one hour familiarization flight that gave
me a good understanding of this jet’s rear seat cockpit environment. I experienced a totally new awareness
and learning experience in this aircraft, watching fast spinning instrument dials and numbers on the cockpit
instrument panel, the feeling of enormous power and acceleration, particularly on take off, and the jet’s
incredible agility during some reasonably active aerobatic manoeuvres. Tomorrow I was assigned to conduct
air-to-air high speed cine photography from this same aircraft and I was now fully prepared for my first photo
cine task from this dual seat Mirage jet.
ARDU had been tasked to test and evaluate a French manufactured Secapem towed air-to-air target banner
system. The banner, together with its very long and strong rope, was housed in a canister that was centreline
mounted underneath Mirage A3-2, ARDU’s primary Mirage test aircraft. Following the release of the banner
from the canister it would take approximately one minute to reach its trailing position, some three hundred
meters behind the tow aircraft. My task was to film the unfurled banner at close range to record the flight
characteristics of the banner at varying speeds. Also, we would fly very close to A3-2 to observe and film the
position of the rope in relation to the Mirage’s rocket bay area at the underside rear of the aircraft during
different towing speeds. Onboard A3-2 were two inwards looking Photosonic 1VN high speed cine cameras
mounted in supersonic camera pods that were carried on the outermost station under each wing. These two
cameras would provide cine coverage of the banner release from the canister.
During the past eight months, since my arrival at ARDU, from RAAF Richmond, I had flown in many rear seat
and side-by-side photo sorties in a number of ARDU’s aircraft, including the CT-4 trainer, DC-3 Dakota, the
Macchi jet, the Canberra bomber and also the units Iroquois and Kiowa helicopters. I now considered myself
proficient in the task of air-to-air photography, using both still and cine cameras.

The Secapem towed air–to-air target

banner in the stowed position
undergoing final checks before the
start of a sortie. (RAAF Official)

My preparation for tomorrow’s task began during the preceding afternoon with the careful, and time
consuming, loading of many camera magazines with black and white reversal 16 mm film. I would take three
one hundred foot magazines with me and the other two magazines were for the inward looking under wing
pod mounted cameras mounted on A3-2. I also loaded the big paper trace magazine that would record all the
readouts from the many on-board flight data sensors on A3-2.

A3-2 seen in flight on another occasion in a clean configuration. (RAAF Official)

Tomorrow had finally arrived and the day started with me attending the usual daily morning unit briefing at 8
am. This briefing that was always attended by ARDU’s test pilots, other aircrew support personnel,
engineering, armament, and many other specialist personnel. For me it was a somewhat of a real eye opener
to see the briefing procedure that included various updates on ARDU’s current test projects, and also a
detailed briefing by a person from the local meteorological section who gave us a very clear picture of today’s
weather and the forecast for the next few days.

A3-111 was to be Steve’s office during the Secapem test flights, and one he would become familiar with. (RAAF Official)

ARDUs jets were based at Avalon, a thirty minute drive south of Laverton. Just after our arrival at Avalon, a
short discussion between the two test pilots and me was conducted to ensure that everyone knew exactly
about this morning’s one hour test flight. I loaded both underwing Photosonic cameras in the under wing
pods and triple checked that they working correctly and an instrument fitter gave me a hand to correctly load
the paper trace magazine.
Just before I made my way to the safety equipment section I had a really close look over A3-2. The jet seemed
to be alive and itching to get airborne, with all sorts of subtle electrical-type groaning noises coming from the
different areas of the aircraft. I soon realized that this test jet was somewhat unique, having so many active
sensors installed throughout the aircraft to record flight data information. I ran my hand along the sharp
leading edge of the wing and the wing tip to quickly realize the slickness of this “French Lady”.
It took me twenty minutes to change into my flying clothing gear that included a flying suit, high lace-up strong
leather flying boots, anti-gravity G suit, a Mae West personal floatation vest and a good fitting helmet with a
visor. A necessary check of the proper functioning of the tightly fitted oxygen mask with its long and flexible
tube concluded my preparation before climbing up the ladder and into the rear seat of the dual seater Mirage.
I was handed my loaded cine camera and two extra film magazines and after I double checked that the camera
was working correctly we were set to go and taxied out following A3-2.
After getting airborne it took approximately ten minutes, at speed, to reach the designated test area and we
positioned our chase aircraft three hundred metres behind A3-2 at an altitude of 3,000 meters. This was
roughly where the banner would appear and unfurl. We listened to the countdown release call from A3-2 and
then waited for the banner to appear. Our positioning was good, as the banner unfurled within fifty metres
of our aircraft. We then flew adjacent and below the target banner while I filmed the banners flight
characteristics at varying tow speeds. We then flew quickly forward for me to film the tow rope in relation to
its proximity to A3-2’s rocket bay area, at the very rear underside of the aircraft. I found it somewhat amazing
how my pilot manoeuvred so quickly and skilfully to allow me to be in the best position to film this area of A3-
2.
We returned to Avalon and it was now necessary to unload the two underwing camera magazines on A3-2
and also the large paper trace magazine. I had ended up with 500 feet of exposed cine film and a lengthy roll
of paper trace. Processing the film and trace using roller transport processors took me all that afternoon back
at Laverton. I was very pleased with my camera work when I viewed each of the rolls of film and knew that
the test pilot project manager would also be pleased. My first air-to-air camera work task in a dual seat Mirage
had been a complete success.

ARDU Single Seat Mirages by Number

A3-1 (Built in France) crashed 7th December 1974. Test pilot Tony Svennson (RAF) ejected supersonic at 750
knots at 7,000 feet altitude near Avalon, Melbourne, Victoria. He was badly injured with multiple burns.
A3-2 (Built in France) served at ARDU during the period 1969 to 1988. When retired the aircraft was sold to
Pakistan and was still serving with the air force in 2019. Interestingly it carried the Orange and White scheme
for a few months whilst serving with the PAF, it also carried the Pakistani National markings.
A3-4 Last flown 3rd August 1972, crashed at Avalon
A3-12 Withdrawn from service late 1988 with 4214 airframe hours. Now serving with the Pakistani Air Force
(PAF) as 90-512
A3-16 Last flown 24th October 1974, damaged at Tullmarine.
A3-53 Withdrawn from service September 1988 with 3895 airframe hours. Now serving with the Pakistani Air
Force (PAF) as 90-553.
A3-76 Crashed 3rd May 1984. Undercarriage malfunction. Test pilot Tracy McCormick ejected safely near RAAF
Edinburgh, South Australia.

ARDU Dual Seater Mirages by Number

A3-101 Withdrawn from service late 1988 with 3445 airframe hours. . Now serving with the Pakistani Air Force
(PAF) as 90-601
A3-105 Last flown 26th April 1984, crashed near Darwin, Northern Territory.
A3-111 Withdrawn from service September 1988 with 2350 airframe hours. Now serving with the Pakistani
Air Force (PAF) as 90-611
A3-112 Withdrawn from service late 1988 with 2350 airframe hours. . Now serving with the Pakistani Air Force
(PAF) as 90-612
A3-115 Delivers to the RAAF in December 1973 the aircraft was withdrawn from service in 1986 and held in
storage by DSTO at Adelaide, SA until 1999. Although never officially assigned to ARDU the aircraft was
eventually restored, given ARDU colours, and in 2018 gifted to the South Australian Aviation Museum.
All the following images have been sourced with the help of many contributors and to each of these people
and organisation I give a big thank you on behalf of the SIG.

MIRAGE IIIO A3-76 was one of the stalwarts of ARDU and is seen here carrying the Secapem towed air to air target
on the centre line. (RAAF Official)

Mirage IIIO A3-2 displaying the very attractive White and Orange scheme this could be the longest
serving Mirage in the world, after retirement from ARDU she was sold to the Pakistani Air Force.
(Photographer Unknown)
Mirage IIIO (F) A3-12 was delivered to the RAAF in 1965 and initially served with 75 and 77 SQD’s. Near
the end of her career the aircraft was over stressed during low level tactical exercises and required major
work after which she was assigned to ARDU. As a swansong A3-12 was the last RAAF Mirage to perform
a public display at the Richmond Air Show in 1988.
(Photo via Darren Mottram)

(Copyrite Wayne Brown)

Mirage IIIO (F) A3-76 during weapons trials of GBU 82 Guided bombs attached to RPK 10 tanks. The
centre line pod was a converted fuel tank and housed camera equipment for filming the drops. Also of
interest is the panel covering the gun bay in a two tone colour. (RAAF Official)
 Mirage IIIO (A) A3-53 parked up alongside A3-2. Of particular interest in this photograph is the styling of the lettering
in the ARDU badge, the letters are bolder than normal. This bold variant was used on only this particular Mirage and
was applied towards the end of the Mirages time with the unit.
(Photo Darren Mottram)

Mirage IIID A3-112 on an overcast wet day, surrounded by support equipment.

(Photographer unknown)
When this photograph
appeared on the ‘Friends of
ARDU’ page it raised a very
intriguing question. An ex RAAF
serviceman recognised the
location and wondered how
they got her in as the runway
was very short! The answer did
not take long to come back. A
witness who saw A3-76 arrive
described her arrival as “a
thump landing”. The drag
shoot was deployed before
touchdown thus drastically
reducing the airspeed and
causing her to land with a
‘Thump’, that must have been
quite hair raising.
(Photographer unknown)

Mirage IIIO A3-2 in her Dark

Bronze Green and Golden Yellow
scheme carrying a large centreline
fuel tank, 2 x RPK tanks and 4 x MK
82 500 LB bombs. The nose cones
on the mirage were
interchangeable and it is
interesting to note that the one on
the aircraft in this shot does not
appear to have camera facilities.
(Photographer unknown)

Mirage III O A3-12 was one of

the longer serving aircraft
with ARDU but retained her
three tone scheme. Seen here
rather unusually in a clean
configuration it shows what a
sleek aircraft the Mirage was.
(Photo via Darren Mottram)

(Copyrite Wayne Brown)

 Mirage IIIO A3-76 has a few
interesting things to show
in this photograph. The
paintwork shows a small
amount of wear and tear
around the rear fuselage,
she is carrying the ‘French’
style supersonic tanks and
the blade antenna on the
fuselage spine. The yellow
nose make a striking
contrast against the
camouflage scheme.
(Photographer unknown)

In the two accompanying

photographs A3-2 is carrying out
trials of a Conformal Multiple
Ejection Rack (CMER) that was
specifically designed for the RAAF
Mirages. Capable of carrying 6 x MK
82 or 6 ‘Snake eye’ retarded bombs
the unit however was not proceeded
with and never entered service with
the RAAF.
(Both Photographs RAAF Official)

A3-2 with a full load of 6 ‘Snake eye’

bombs, the CMER can just be seen.
The pods on the outer wing stations
are high speed camera’s used to
catch the separation of the
ordnance.
 A stunning in flight shot of
two of ARDU’s stalwarts over
the Australian country side.
(RAAF Official)

A3-112 and A3-76 flying in

close formation displaying the
two completely contrasting
schemes. Both aircraft are also
carrying the ‘French style’
supersonic wing tanks,
discernable by the lack of fins.
(RAAF Official)

A combination of aircraft that could be seen

frequently at ARDU. The Macchi, an aircraft
that Steve flew in many times during the
course of his career would accompany the
Mirages for certain types of aerial work.
(RAAF Official)
 A3-2 in her element, clean and
above the clouds. The stunningly
clean lines of the Mirage are
shown to great effect in this
photograph that is enhanced
further by the earlier scheme
being carried.
(RAAF Official)

A fine ground study of A3-12

in a clean configuration.
Staying in service with ARDU
A3-12 was eventually retired
in 1988 after many years of
sterling service.
(Photo via Darren Mottram)

(Copyrite Darren Mottram)

The nose cones on the Mirage

were interchangeable depending
on the requirement, in this
photograph A3-2 is sporting what
appears to be a standard nose
cone, devoid of any camera
apertures. It also clearly shows
the different shade applied to the
leading edges.
(Photographer unknown)
 Mirage IIIO (A) A3-81 served with both
3, 75 and 79 SQN. Delivered to the
RAAF in February 1968 she had a total
of 3896 hours before being retired and
put into storage in May 1988. In
November 1990 A3-81 was sold to the
Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Paul Farrell

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-62 of 79 SQN just about

to touch down after a sortie. The aircraft is
finished in the later 2 tone Grey scheme.
This aircraft was also sold to Pakistan.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Paul Farrell

Mirage IIIO (F) A3-3 was the first Mirage

to be built in Australia being delivered on
20th December 1963 to the RAAF, serving
with 2 OCU, ARDU and 76 SQN during its
career. On retirement it had 3580 hours
on the airframe and is currently on
display at Fighter World, Williamtown,
NSW.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Darren Mottram

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-95 was
delivered to the RAAF in
September 1968 and during its
service life was attached to both 3
and 77 Squadrons. On 16th March
1987 the aircraft had an engine
flameout and crashed east of
Williamtown. The pilot, FLT LT
Batten ejected safely with only
minor injuries.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Darren Mottram

In this line up a sole Mirage

IIIO (F) is accompanied by 5
Mirage III D’S. It would appear
from the photograph to be a
busy time on the flight line! At
least 2 of the Mirages belong
to 77 SQN, number 102 was a
2 OCU bird and 101 ARDU both
have acquired 77 SQN
markings for a public open day
at Williamtown in 1985.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Darren Mottram

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-82 heads

the line-up of 3 SQN aircraft
that were stationed at
Butterworth, Malaysia. A3-82
was lost on 2nd August 1983
due to an engine failure,
Southwest of RAN Air Station
Nowra, NSW. The pilot SQN
LDR Kindler ejected safely and
was rescued by An RAN Sea
King.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Darren Mottram

 Mirage IIIO (F) A3-40 was one of
20 Mirages from 76 SQN that
deployed to Butterworth on 15th
July 1967. Its deployment did not
start off well as the engine failed
to start, A3-40 was delayed for an
hour but managed to join the
other aircraft later that day. The
detail on the inside of the
equipment bay cover can be
clearly seen in this photo. A3-40
was lost and the pilot PLT OFF
Mackleman killed during an air to
air gunnery mission on 2nd May
1986.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Neill Groves

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-57 is seen

here in the reconnaissance
configuration in the markings of
77 SQN Williamtown. This
aircraft was flown by FLT LT
Halloran on a mission to
photograph the Franklin Dam
(see ‘A man of many hours’
elsewhere in the newsletter.
Withdrawn from service in
October 1986 the aircraft was
put into storage before being
sold to Pakistan.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Neill Groves

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-68 served

with 77 SQN Williamtown,
NSW. The yellow distemper
band applied to the fuselage
was used as identification
during air combat training to
distinguish friend from foe.
There is a great many
variations both in colour and
size, all of which make for an
interesting feature. A3-68
was sold to Pakistan in 1990.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Neill Groves

 Mirage IIID A3-111 was one
of very few twin seat Mirages
to carry the grey scheme, this
particular one being attached
to 77 SQN. Along with 77 SQN
the aircraft also served with
ARDU carrying the standard
three tone Lizard scheme. A3-
111 finished its service with
the RAAF and put into storage
at Woomera before being
sold to Pakistan, where she
now serves.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Neill Groves

Mirage IIIO (F) A3-15 was

delivered to the RAAF in May
1965 and served with 75, 76
and 77 SQN’s during its
service life. It was painted in
this scheme whilst serving
with 77 SQN along with 2
other aircraft to mark the
Diamond Jubilee of the RAAF.
In 1990, along with other ex
RAAF Mirages she was sold to
Pakistan.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Neill Groves

Mirage A3-116D was the

last of the line of RAAF
Mirages, being delivered in
January 1974. Serving her
career with 2 OCU and 77
SQN she came to a sad end
in 1986 when sold as scrap,
all that remains of her now
is the tail section which is on
display outside the 331 SQN
Australian Air Cadets
building.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Neill Groves

 Mirage IIID was the second of the
twin seat aircraft to be delivered to
the RAAF in November 1966
serving with 2 OCU throughout its
career. During the Williamtown
open day in 1985 A3-102 was given
the temporary markings of 77 SQN.
Unlike many of the ex RAAF
Mirages she has not been sold to
Pakistan and currently resides as a
static exhibit at Fighter World,
Williamtown NSW.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Darren Mottram

Mirage III D A3-116 in the

photograph to the right the
last of the T birds is wearing
77 SQN markings. It was not
uncommon for the twin
seaters to be assigned to
different squadrons. Also of
interest is the fact she is
carrying two large wing
tanks, this was not popular
with pilots as the weight
dramatically reduced the
aircrafts climb rate.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Wayne Brown

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-54 & IIID A3-

115 of 77 SQN “Grumpy
Monkey’s” share an apron at
Williamtown. This is a great
shot for those who like to build
dioramas with plenty going on.
The wing tanks on A3-115 were
of Israeli design and were
favoured by the RAAF due to
the better clearance offered
when jettisoned, they can be
recognised by the attached
fins.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Mike Robertson

Mirage IIIO (F) A3-24 leading a
line-up of 76 SQN aircraft at
Williamtown, NSW. Apart from
the two types of scheme
applied to the Mirage shown in
this photograph attention
should be drawn to the intakes
of A3-24, it was not the usual
practice for the red scallops to
be applied to the intakes.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Darren Mottram

A mixed line up of Mirages

belonging to 77 SQN,
Williamtown, NSW. The two
Mirages in the line with tarps
over the nose have the
reconnaissance nose fitted. This
was a unique design used by the
RAAF only and required the
addition of a camera control
panel added to the cockpit. The
reconnaissance aircraft nearest
could be A3-57, this was used in
the infamous “Franklin Dam”
mission.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Turtle

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-81 of 75 SQN starts her

engine prior to a sortie, an experience that
must have been a delight to hear and see.
Based at Darwin, Northern Territories, 75
SQN would have endured a variety of
weather conditions including extreme heat,
high humidity and torrential rain, it must
have been a very challenging working
environment. At least two of the Mirages in
this photograph are now serving with the
Pakistan Air Force, A3-81 and A3—9.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Paul Farrell

 Mirage IIIO (A) A3-78 of 77 SQN
displaying the remnants of air to air
combat training visual identity
markings. These markings were
applied using distemper to give the
pilots an aide to identify friend from
foe thus affording an improved
platform for the training missions. The
aircraft was least flown in 1987 before
being reduced to spares.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Wayne Brown

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-65 was

delivered to the RAAF in
August 1967 and initially
started its service life with 2
OCU ending its career with 75
SQN in 1987 with over 4000
hours on the airframe. A3-65 is
displaying a variation of the air
to air training markings, it can
just be discerned from the
photograph that the wing
tanks (French design) appear
to have yellow rear sections.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Mike Robertson

Mirage IIIO (F) A3-19 of 77 SQN Is also

carrying the distinctive exercise
markings applied in distemper and
although the rear lower section appears
to be yellow this is just a colour cast
from the hard standing. As previously
stated the large wing tanks were not
favoured by the pilots due to the slower
rate of climb, but without having an in-
flight re-fuelling probe fitted (never an
option on RAAF Mirages) they were a
necessary evil on long range missions.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Mike Robertson

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-99
was delivered in
November 1968 and
was the penultimate
single seat Mirage for
the RAAF. Ground crew
are loading GBU 12 LGB
onto RPK tanks. As with
other RAAF Mirages she
was later sold to
Pakistan.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Neill Groves

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-54 of 77 SQN

being fuelled and armed ready for
its next sortie. The Mk 82 in this
photograph was attached to the
centre line hard point and
combined with the 2 long range
tanks must have made for an
interesting take off. Leaving
service in May 1988 with over 4000
hours on the airframe A3-54 was
sold to Pakistan where she
continues to fly.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Turtle

Mirage IIIO (F) A3-19 of 79 SQN

is seen here in one of many
experimental schemes tried by
the RAAF on its Mirages. Darren
Mottram’s book on Mirage
colours and markings gives in
depth coverage to the many
schemes tested and is a highly
recommended source for
further information.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Turtle
 Mirage IIIO (F) A3-21 of 3 SQN,
Butterworth, Malaysia looking
pristine in its standard three
tone camouflage. A tarp has
been placed over the equipment
bay behind the canopy
presumably to help keep the
temperature down. A3-21 also
served with 2 OCU and 75 SQN
during its time with the RAAF,
retired in 1988 the jet was
subsequently sold to Pakistan.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Mike Robertson

Mirage IIIO (F) A3-33 of

75 SQN seen in the
scheme applied to RAAF
Mirages after the initial
n/m finish. The aircraft
were finished in High
speed Aluminium with
Extra Dark Sea Grey
leading edges. This
Squadron bade is the
earlier type being
replaced by a segmented
dart.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Wayne Brown

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-81 was

delivered to the RAAF in
February 1968 subsequently
serving with 3, 75 and 79
SQN’s. The configuration of
supersonic tanks and large
central tank was liked by the
pilots, it gave greater range
than normal, but not the
weight and drag factors of
carrying two large wing
tanks.
Photo supplied by Darren
Mottram

Copyright Turtle
 Mirage IIIO (A) A3-89 seen here in the
markings of 3 SQN based at
Butterworth, Malaysia. Later in her
service A3-89 was transferred to 75
SQN and was lost on 21st June 1985
when flown by FLG OFF Davidson
during a night interception mission of
Darwin she flew into the sea.
Tragically, FLG OFF Davidson was
killed.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Turtle

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-67 of 75 SQN in the

wrap around lizard scheme which had
a very matt finish. This particular
scheme was fairly short lived and was
withdrawn from 1972/73 giving way
to the three tone scheme. Carrying
large wing tanks and a MK 82 500 lb
bomb on the centre line stores point,
A3-67 is more than likely to be readied
for a training mission. In 1976, whilst
at Butterworth she was to be written
off.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Dick Hails

Mirage IIIO (A) A3-51 of 75 SQN

displays the Wing Commanders
pennant on the nose section of a very
clean airframe. For a period of time
after its retirement the aircraft was
used as a training aid at RAAF Wagga.
During her service life she clocked up
over 4100 hours and completed over
5000 landings. A3-51 was on display
at the RAAF Museum, Point Cook
Victoria.
Photo supplied by Darren Mottram

Copyright Paul Mason

BERNA DECALS
Dassault Mirage IIIC 5EME ESCADRE
Available Sheets: BD 72-110 1:72nd Scale
Available from:
Direct from BERNA DECALS Email: Xbpro@aol.com or www.hannants.co.uk
The first of three produced by sets produced by Xavier Berna covered in this edition of the SIG
newsletter covers 2 Mirage III C’s of 5 EME Escadre, Mirage N°19 code 5-01, EC 2/5 ‘IIe-de-France’ and Mirage
N°74 code 5-NJ, EC 1/5 ‘Vendé’, both aircraft based at Orange-Caritat 1972.
Instructions are a single sided black and white sheet giving detail directions for the placement of the
decals in French and English, certain items however, such as the wing walk ways, airbrake warnings will need
to be sourced from the kits decals (these items are shown using a star on the instruction sheet). Both aircraft
are in overall natural metal finish with the red scalloped intakes. The small but excellently printed sheet of
decals has very good colour density and perfect registration, it is however with the instructions I find the
only confusing issue. There is a reference to altering decal n°26, I can find the decal on the sheet but there
is no reference to its location on the diagrams! This is only a minor inconvenience and should not put you
off getting this sheet. Berna Decals have produced a fine sheet for earlier Mirages serving with the Armée
de I’Air, what is needed for the modeller is a Kit of the Mirage III C to match their quality!
Highly recommended to all 1:72nd scale Mirage modellers.
BERNA DECALS
Dassault Mirage IIIE Part 1
Available Sheets: BD 72-111 1:72nd Scale
Available from:
Direct from BERNA DECALS Email: Xbpro@aol.com or www.hannants.co.uk
Following on from the Mirage IIIC set Berna Decals has issued 2 sets for the Mirage IIIE in Armée de
I’Air colours. All the aircraft are finished in the tactical 3 tone scheme associated with the type.
1. Mirage III E N°527 code 3-XJ, EC 3/3 ‘Ardennes’, BA 133 Nancy-Ochey 1994
2. Mirage III E N°426 code 2-LA, EC 2/2 ‘Alsace’, BA 102 Dijon-Logvic 1983
3. Mirage III E N°410 code 13-QC EC 1/13 ‘Artois’, BA 132 Colmar- Meyenheim 1985
The instructions in this set are in colour, and call outs are given for Gunze Mr Hobby paints, this is most
useful. As with all Berna Decals the registration is perfect, even on the smallest of items, and the colour
saturation is very good. The decals provided are an enhancement to those supplied in the kit, as such you
will need to utilise the kit decals in your build, there are only enough for one complete aircraft. With this
set you will be able to build a variation on the theme. The new Modelsvit Mirage IIIE would make a good
base for these decals, if you don’t mind the rivets, if not PJ Productions Mirage IIIE boxing would also be a
good choice for the smoother look. Whichever kit is your favoured IIIE these decals will give you more
choices, highly recommended.
BERNA DECALS
Dassault Mirage IIIE Part 2
Available Sheets: BD 72-115 1:72nd Scale
Available from:
Direct from BERNA DECALS Email: Xbpro@aol.com or www.hannants.co.uk
The third and final sheet from Berna Decals covers 2 further Mirage III E’s and is the companion to
BD 72-111.
1. Mirage III E N°433 code 2-ED, EC 1/2 ‘Cigognes’, BA 102 Dijon-Longvic 1975
2. Mirage III E N°556 code 4-BB, EC 2/4 ‘La Fayette’, BA 116 Luxeuil 1979
Supplied with a double sided colour instruction sheet this set allows the modeller to build Mirage III E’S
from 2 well known Escadron. Supplied with a double sided instruction sheet the decals are to the usual
standard in both registration and density. Mirage N°433 s of particular interest due to the multi-colour
arrangement of the section forward of the cockpit, otherwise both aircraft are in the standard Armée de
I’Air three tone scheme. As with other sheets standard markings are only supplied for 1 aircraft, you will
need to use kit items to complete both aircraft. Recommended to all, especially Armée de I’Air fans.
Model Decal
Set Number 88: Armée de I’Air Mirages IIIC/E/R and 5F
Available: 1:72nd Scale only
Available from: Hannants www.hannants.co.uk
Originally the brain child of Mike Silk( sadly no longer with us), proprietor of Model Toys, Portsmouth,
the Model Decal range became synonymous with the quality of its research and its accuracy. Designed by
the late Dick Ward (also sadly missed) their legacy has thankfully been continued. Hannants, a well-known
name in the modelling world, purchased the name and designs choosing to continue the range, which is
good for all modellers. The only enhancement to the range has been the thickness of the decals, now due to
advances in printing the quality remains the same but they are thinner.
This set contains markings for 14 Mirages of the Armée de I’Air from 3 / 10 / 13 / 33 Escadres.
Beautifully printed with accurate colour they will enhance any Armée de I’Air Mirage. Along with decal
placement information there is also a fine collection of photographs to support the schemes. To some the
only down side will be the black and white instructions, don’t be put off as these are both concise and clear.
All fans of this scale and of Armée de I’Air Mirages should get this sheet, it is superb! Recommended.
Title: Mirage III0 Colours and Markings
Authors: Paul Mason and Darren Mottram
Published by: Mushroom Monthly Publications
ISBN: 978-63678-16-6
Pages: 312
This is a must have title for all Mirage fans! Although this book only covers the Mirage in Royal
Australian Air Force (RAAF) service, there is so much contained within its pages that it will appeal to all.
Lavishly illustrated throughout with quality colour photographs and 4 view illustrations this is the “must go
to” book for anything RAAF Mirage related. As related in the title this is very much a book dedicated to the
colours and markings of the aircraft, and indeed it does cover everything down to colour references for
details such as the stencils. Every possible scheme that the Mirage carried whilst serving is here in this book,
in fact the only issue a modeller could have is which to build! If the RAAF is not your thing I would still
recommend this book purely on the photographic content alone. There is an overview to the history and
service life of the aircraft but this is not the purpose of this book, it has though filled, and indeed surpassed
its remit!
Having obtained a copy I can only say this has become one of my favourite books, I refer to it not only
for RAAF Mirages but for general guidance. This book can be thoroughly recommended to all, but if you are
a modeller, be prepared to build more RAAF Mirages than you expected.
Title: Mirage III (In the Brazilian Air Force)
Authors: Paulo Fernando Kasseb
Published by: ZLC Comunicação e Marketig Ltda
ISBN: 856217200-6
Pages: 122
I would firstly like to thank Augusto Versiani and the Rio branch of the Brazilian IPMS for very kindly
sending me this book.
This is a truly fascinating book on the Mirage in Força Aérea Brasileira – FAB (Brazilian Air Force)
service. What helps make this book such an important addition to any collection of books relating to the
Mirage, for English speakers it also has the benefit of being duel language, Brazilian Portuguese and English.
There are a great many chapters dealing with everything from the modernisation of the FAB post WW II to
interceptions of UFO’s! That’s correct, interceptions of UFO’s in Brazilian airspace, a very intriguing chapter.
There is a very good selection of photographs including detail shots, a plethora of illustrations (including the
aircraft in which Ayrton Senna flew) to keep Mirage fans happy. From a modelling perspective the
photographs offer excellent views on how the aircraft weathered in the extreme conditions found in Brazil
and these images will benefit modellers immensely when finishing their projects.
I have found this book to be a very worthwhile addition to my reference library and cannot wait to
build at least one of these attractive birds. I would highly recommend this book to every Mirage fan without
hesitation. A big thank you again to IPMS Rio.