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  Mirage IIICZ
  by Jason Ashworth

  (Previewed December 2001)


Jason Ashworth is getting closer to releasing his Mirage IIICZ.  This aircraft represented in this color scheme is the last flying CZ and is still flown by the South African Air Force (SAAF) Museum at airshows.  According to Jason, "It's quite a striking scheme and gives a beautiful black delta silhouette when viewed from a distance."  The preview Jason sent included extra textures for the subtle differences between three of the schemes that the aircraft has been seen it.  The SAAF refers to this particular Mirage IIICZ as the 'Black Widow'.

      It is represented here in the scheme applied for the 75th Anniversary of the SAAF in 1995.  Jason has done a nice job of incorporating an afterburner in the style introduced by Oxyd with his Mirage 2000.  The two split exhaust petals of the Snecma Atar 09B engine move in relation to the engine RPMs.

Shown here with airbrakes extended in the scheme applied for the 75th Anniversary Airshow of the SAAF at Waterkloof AB in 1995.  While in combat colors with the SAAF this aircraft carried the number 800, thus the small "800" on the fuselage flash.  Incidentally, No. 800 was the first IIICZ delivered to the SAAF in April 1963.      

      The scheme to the left was applied for the 50th Anniversary of the SAAF's No. 2 Squadron, The Flying Cheetahs, in 1989.  The black insignia of the No. 2 Squadron is more clearly seen in the image below.  The landing gear and all control surfaces are animated.  The braking chute does a good job of slowing the aircraft.

Jason photographed a Mirage IIICZ and IIIBZ on display at the SAAF Museum.  He has taken those photos and applied them to the landing gear struts, gear wells, and wheels/tires for a very realistic looking set of landing gear.  The oleos on the main struts extend and compress during takeoff and landing.      

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