It's November the US national elections are here and it's time to start which may be my final new build for 2016. Trumpeter's MiG-23ML in Iraqi colors. Box and whats in it to start. Using Linden Hill's excellent decals for the Iraqi markings, Eduards cockpit zoom set. More to follow as the construction begins.

1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

As a youngster I read an article in Scale Modeler Magazine, on a Monogram F-14 build. Don't remember who the author was but his technique on building swing wing aircraft was to build the wings first. So I did when building the old Revell F-111B. The fact of having them built and painted first would be easier to paint before they were installed. Made sense to me, so I have been doing that technique ever since. So as usual for me we start with the wings. But before actual building I went ahead and prepainted the interior colors while parts still on the sprue. Starting with Aeromaster Russian Interior Grey/Green, Aeromaster Dk Ghost Grey for the wheel bays, landing gear struts, door and dive brake interiors. Testor metallizer Burnt metal, burnt Iron and Steel for the exhaust bits. Aeromaster Gull Grey for the seat components.

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After some prepainting, now to start with the wings. I noticed that the attachment stubs from the sprue are into the attachment surface of the wings. If not cleaned properly you will not get a proper edge when glued together. So once the wings are removed from the sprue you will need to address this before gluing the wing halves together. Just something to be aware of. Easy to remedy. 4 pieces and wings are assembled. More to come.

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Looks like a good start so far, Chuck. Trumpeters Flogger family is known as good kits.

With the wings assembled, I will put them off to the side for now. Next is the seat. Which is quite busy out of the kit. The PE really enhances it. Adding the bits to the seat itself involves quite a few bits of PE. Really looks pretty good once completed.

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Thanks Halvar, some will say that Trumpeter may over engineer their kits, too complicated on even simple assembly steps, but this one goes together well so far. The sub assemblies go into the fuselage quite well. Just watch the attachment points as the pour stubs from the sprues need to be cleaned up so the parts will sit properly. Otherwise so far so good.

Getting back to the wings. After cleaning up the seams. Pre shading, then airbrushing the Lt Blue under surface and then the tri-color camo on the upper surfaces of Tan, Dk Green and Dk Earth. More to follow.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Thanks Roberto