Aiming to further expand their Air Force Academy, the Iraqis were highly enthusiastic customers for the Aero L-39 Albatross jet trainer. However, due to huge Soviet orders, they had to wait years for them. Eventually, the Iraqi Air Force acquired no fewer than 81 L-39s: the first of these were L-39C.2 and L-39ZO.6s, delivered in 1975–1977, and usually painted in white on supper surfaces, and light grey on lower undersurfaces. The last three batches delivered beween 1981 and 1985 wore camouflage colours including 6600 žluť dubová (dark yellow sand) and 5450 zeleň khaki (khaki green) on upper surfaces and sides, and 4265 modř pastelová (pastel blue) on undersurfaces. Fin-tips and wing-tip-installed drop tanks were in yellow, but noses were in dark red. Illustrated here is the example with serial number 1375. (Artwork by Tom Cooper)