Phil,
Three tapered mirrors gives a larger viewing area. Four tapered mirrors results in a spherical image.
John,
Two mirrors and a black surface result in a circular mandela. With a mandela the symmetry or lack thereof becomes very obvious. Two mirrors and two black surfaces result in a linear repeating pattern. Three or more mirrors create a multitude of images and fill the whole viewing screen. Some artists use multiple mirrors and literally suspend images in what appears to be mid air.
A friend of mine, Kevin Kohler, is a SERIOUS collector, runs the Brewster Society Website and has an extensive collection by some of the premier scope makers around the world.
Rather than me steal his pics to post here, I suggest you take a tour of his collection to see the variety of exterior as well as interior applications. I'm sure you'll appreciate his collection and the images that scope makers can create. Among them check out the Learys, Tickles, Jerry Beall (yup- "our" Beall), Karadimos, and Knapp.
http://www.kaleidoscopecollector.com/mycollection.html
My wife and I are more restrained in our collecting both in scope and expense. While some makers are going towards exterior glitz, IMHO serious collectors are more concerned with quality interior symmetry and the beautiful mandalas that results.
PS- I warned you this was a slippery slope....[
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