The Dassault Mirage I was a light weight interceptor designed in the early 1950s. Although it performed well enough it was not suitable for operations and so a larger version was developed, which became the Mirage III.

The Dassault Mirage I was a light-weight interceptor designed to climb rapidly and exceed mach 1 in level flight.

Originally known as the MD.550 Delta Mystere, it flew for the first time on 25 June 1955.

Initially it could only exceed mach 1 in a dive but, when it was fitted with afterburning engines and a rocket motor, it was able to achieve mach 1.3.

It took part in a light fighter competition with two other fighters but the French Air Force decided such small aeroplanes were not capable of meeting its requirements, leading to the need for a larger and heavier aeroplane. This led to the development of the Dassault Mirage III.

This model represents the Mirage I after it has been rebuilt with a smaller tail and turbojets with afterburners.

Dujin 1/72 kit. Completed in October 2012.