Tiger Meet

Does this expression means something for you ?

For North America, it’s really new, but for the old Europe continent, this story started long time ago. Each year, all the European air forces (including USA and Canada) practiced air exercises, hosted by one of their members. What do they have in common? The tiger is their emblem. And at this occasion, the challenge is given to the artist, aside the fighting spirit, a competition is open for the more colorfull painted aircraft. Needless to say, yellow, orange, black, white and now tone down are used extensively to highly the squadron, and a serious vote and a trophy also award the winner. At the end of the exercises, a public meeting conclude the air by a colourful show. The artist imagination has no limits, but for modellers, sometimes it stays as a dream, as some subjects are difficult to translate in small scales.

I often imagined to put these striped Mirage 2000 in my collection.

Today, I can do it, and it would have been a shame to hide you this possibility.

After the beautiful  Mirage IV decal, Sylvain Hautier bent on a new challenge with this bright subject. The aircraft appeared at the Tiger Meet session at Cambrai from 2 to 8 June 2003. Unfortunately, the painted aircraft coded 12-YL n°83 was grounded on 5 June at 12 o’clock for engine trouble, and couldn't be shown in flight during the WE meeting. But I was lucky enough to shot it, returning from this mission on final.  The subject was different this time, with the tiger skin made of white, yellow, black for the fuselage, while the upper wing surface were silver painted, with fine black strips. The original touches were 2 big airbrushed green eyes on the fuselage and each flag of the NATO countries painted on the leading edge flaps.  The decal is complete, with a clear color instruction sheet which give figures to put decals at the right place, and areas to pre paint in different orange-yellow scheme. The eyes are beautifully designed and printed, as you could see on a finished 1/48 Esci/Italeri  model. Nothing to tell more, it’s a MUST for a Mirage 2000 lover, for a non conventional livery. The sheet exist also for 1/72 model. Recommended.

August 2006

Contact:  Shyartdecal
Sylvain Hautier
29 rue Fénelon
F-595390 Lys-lez-Lannoy (France)
http://syhartdecal.free.fr

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