Background

This is an interesting accessory for Mirage III or V models from PJ Production of Belgium. These R.P.K. tanks are basically 500 L fuel tanks with four 250 kg bombs attached to each. The weapons are used for ground attack. They were used by French aircraft as well as Australia, South Africa, Peru, Bolivia and possibly others. I was able to find a few photos on the internet but very little data. Most of the information came from a request to PJ Production.

The Kit

The kit consists of three castings. The first contains the two fuel tanks, the second contains the eight bombs while the third contains the sixteen clasps that attach the bombs to the tanks. The pour sprues made it simple to hold the parts while painting. The instructions call for the tanks to be painted aluminum with a blue gray nose but the tanks could also be painted in the colors of the aircraft upper and lower surfaces. The painted tanks are then easy to separate from the sprue with little clean-up required.

The eight 250 kg bombs are easily painted while on the sprue. A couple of swipes with my UMM saw blade separated them with minor clean-up required.

Next came the sixteen clasps for attaching the bombs to the tanks. These are really SMALL. I found that the most convenient way to remove them from the sprue was to divide the sprue into four pieces and then use my UMM saw blade to cut off four at a time. I put a piece of tape behind the parts so that they didn’t disappear into the void of my bench. Next, the clasps are glued to the tanks. The tanks have grooves to locate the clasps but the modeler needs to be very careful to make sure that the clasps are in the same relative position around the tank so that the bombs can be mounted cleanly.

The moldings are very fine and only require minor clean-up.

Conclusion

These two tanks are great additions to Mirage III and V models. They make the Mirages into mean looking ground attack machines. A big thank you to PJ Production for supplying this unique looking accessory. This item can be purchased directly from PJ Production and also from Hannants. Well recommended.