1/32 Trumpeter Mig-15 bis

NATO Code "Fagot" 

by Steve Negley

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  This was my first attempt with a kit from Trumpeter and after seeing some of their other stuff I was a little disappointed at first with its contents. After starting the project though some of that disappointment went away. The kit has real nice outline and surface detail. Where the kit needs some work is in the pilots interior. The basic cockpit is there but that's about it. It lacks a proper throttle quadrant, fuse panels, flap controls, etc.  All these I had to add to make the cockpit look complete. As usual I also added a scratch built instrument panel using the same Waldron products and a Waldron jet seat and harness buckle set to finish the ejection seat.

  For the most part the kit went together quite well. The only real problem area was the wing root mates to the fuselage. There was a nasty gap there with the dry fit and I couldn't seem to remedy the problem with any filing or sanding without removing an unacceptable amount of plastic. I fixed the gap by filling the seam with some stretched sprue and Tenax-7 and sanding the seam to the right contours. There also needs some work to be done to the attachment points on the extra fuel tanks if you choose to put the flaps in the lowered position.

Click on images below to see larger images

  For the color scheme, I chose to model a North Korean Mig-15 in a four tone camouflage. I used Testor Modelmaster enamels for the paint, with an overall clear gloss before decaling. After the decals were applied the aircraft was coated with a clear flat and weathered. Decals were Aeromaster sheet 32-006. This particular Mig-15 was flown by S. Federots a Russian pilot during the Korean conflict. On April 12,1953, Federots engaged and shot down Capt. Joseph McConnell while flying this aircraft. McConnell would go on to become the highest scoring U.S. fighter pilot of the Korean War. 

Steve

Photos and text © by Steve Negley