1/72 Mirage F.1CT

The Dassault Mirage F.1 was developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a modern single-seat fighter to replace older types in the French Air Force. While the Armée de l'Air originally commissioned the development of the larger Mirage F.2 and F.3 prototypes with JTF10 engines, Dassault built a smaller prototype with the Atar 9K engine at its own expense, which first flew on 23 December 1966. This machine proved more successful and became the basis for series production. The Mirage F.1C single-seat fighter and the Mirage F.1B two-seat trainer were introduced into the Armée de l'Air. During service, some of the machines were modified by fitting a refuelling attachment to the Mirage F.1C-200 version. The French Air Force also used two reconnaissance versions: Mirage F.1CR and the Mirage F.1CT converted from the Mirage F.1-200. In total, the Armée de l'Air received 246 units of all versions.

The Mirage F.1 became a successful export item. In Europe, it was introduced into service by Spain and Greece, in South America by Ecuador, and in Africa and Asia by Gabon, South Africa, Morocco, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait. As a result, Mirage F.1s have been involved in many conflicts around the world - from tense no-fire battles between Greek and Turkish fighters, to French actions in Chad, Ecuador's border conflicts with Peru, South African Mirage battles against Cuban aircraft from Angola, and participation in the Gulf War, where Mirage F.1s flew on both sides. Even today, several nations have Mirage F.1s in their arsenals.

The Mirage F.1CT version was flown exclusively by the Armée de l'Air and was intended for ground attack. This was made possible by modified electronics, a laser rangefinder and other equipment for precise weapons guidance. Outside France, Mirage F.1CTs were deployed in Chad or over Kosovo. The last Mirage F.1CTs were retired in 2012.

The 1:72 scale Special Hobby kit is the best available Mirage F.1 model in this scale. Compared to previous versions, it includes one more frame with parts typical of the CT and CR versions, including a large under-fuselage tank and a Corail decoy target ejector. The decal features four French machines, each from a different unit - two flew in France, one was deployed in Chad and one in Kosovo. The kit offers interesting camouflage and a wide range of accessories from seats to figures. The package does not include the paint or glue needed for assembly.