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  1. In 2024 Zvezda is to release a new tool "easy-build series" 1/72nd Yakovlev Yak-1 kit - ref. 7327 Source: https://vk.com/zvezdamodels?w=wall-29859496_2798054 V.P.
  2. Yak-9K (32091) 1:32 ICM via HG Hannants Ltd The Yak-9 was an evolution of the successful Yak-7 fighter, and was intended to retake the initiative from the Nazis’ new Fw.190 and improved Bf.109s, which it successfully did. Production started in late 1942, and by summer 1943 there were enough in service to make a difference, playing a part in the crucial Kursk battle, thanks to its agility in the denser air at lower altitudes and the heavy armament it carried. It was made in a number of different variants with diverse intended uses, with the D fitted with additional fuel tanks for longer range, and the DD for longer range still. The Yak-9T was armed with a larger 37 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 cannon firing through the spinner but with only 30 rounds of armour-piercing ammunition carried, which it could fire in two or three round bursts and was intended for use against maritime targets and light armour, where it was quite effective. Careful aim was key of course due to the shortage of ammunition, but when used against another aircraft, a solitary shell strike would rip an opponent to pieces, making the enemy’s day end very badly. Because of the additional weight of the massive gun and its ammo, the cockpit had to be moved aft slightly to counter the change in centre-of-gravity, and various issues reared their heads thanks to the substantial vibrations from firing the cannon. Its standard armament of a 20mm UBS cannon still carried a full complement of 220 rounds as an auxiliary to the main armament. Almost 3,000 were made, and the designers later went one further and installed a 45mm cannon in the Yak-9K that had to be fitted with a muzzle brake to counter recoil of crippling proportions that could cause loss of flight control if fired at slower speeds, as well as instigating leaks of all manner of fluids due to the severe vibrations set up during firing. The pilot also wasn’t immune from the recoil, being tossed around the cockpit on firing, although a good aim was possible at high speed, and the impact of two or three 45mm rounds would literally disintegrate any aircraft that got in the way in a dramatic manner. Post war saw the continued development of the type, which involved the installation of a more powerful engine, and these were later hived off to Soviet-friendly satellite states at the end of the 40s, where they served into the 50s, although their unusual manual lubrication system saw accidents caused by engines seizing due to pilots that were engrossed in flying and fighting their aircraft forgetting to operate the hand-cranked lubrication lever in the cockpit. The Kit This is a minor additive reboxing of a brand-new tooling of this capable Soviet fighter from our friends at ICM, and it arrives in one of their standard top-opening boxes with the usual captive inner lid, and an attractive painting of the subject matter on the top. Inside the box are six sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue in its own bag, a rectangular decal sheet and the instructions with colour covers and spot colour throughout, plus colour profiles for the decal options on the rear. Detail is crisp throughout the model, but don’t expect too many rivets to be visible on the exterior, as the metal structure was hidden away inside an outer layer of plywood impregnated with phenolic resin, that is better known in the west by its brand-name Bakelite. Construction begins with the port fuselage, which is adorned with the tubular cockpit framework and has six exhaust stubs on a runner pushed through the slot in the cowling from inside. The tips aren’t hollow, so prepare your pin vice if that bothers you at all. The starboard fuselage half goes through the same process, but adds the structure of the chin intake and its oil radiator cores, then the upper parts of the cockpit are made up, starting with the seat that has a pencil-rolled back cushion, and attaches to the short deck behind it, slotting into the starboard fuselage half along with a bulkhead and the instrument panel, which has a number of additional parts and a dial decal added along the way. With the completion of the tail-wheel assembly the fuselage can be closed up around these sub-assemblies, with an insert added under the chin, while most of the underside is open to the elements at this stage. The kit includes an engine that you can show off or hide away in its basic form of block with cylinder banks that is made out of nine parts plus another two for the cannon, which is similarly basic, but as none of it will be seen if you close the cowlings, that hardly matters. The muzzle brake can be found in the prop assembly if you’re in the mood to drill it out. The basic assembled engine slides into the front of the fuselage with the breech of the cannon slipping through a depression in the bulkhead, after which it can be covered over by two sections of cowling after removing a pair of pips that stand up from the seamline. If you intend to expose the engine however, the power plant is further detailed with an additional twenty parts for the engine itself, and another gaggle for the compartment around it, adding ancillaries, hoses, cowling support structure, the .50cal auxiliary cannon, and a pair of ammo cans for them both that slip into the aft section in front of the cockpit to create a nice replica with plenty of detail. The surround to the cockpit aperture is detailed with the gunsight mount and a piece of clear armoured glass behind the pilot, a small coaming, and the fixed rear canopy part, with the windscreen and its separate clear armoured panel, which is best “glued” on using a clear varnish such as Klear, taking care not to trap any bubbles in between the layers. The opening canopy slides back over the aft section, or you can leave it closed up to keep the snow out. In preparation for the wings, a short spar is created with a fluid tank in the centre and a couple of jacks at the ends, then a raised platform is made of the cockpit floor, which has the control column, rudder pedals and a flare pistol fixed in place for later attachment. The lower wing is full-width, and has the central radiator with textured front and rear panels added underneath, and the spar assembly inside, which forms the rear walls of the main gear bays that are joined by a number of other wall sections and internal ribs that are closed in by adding the upper wing halves. The bay roof is moulded into each wing half, with a little detail visible, but a single ejector-pin mark is visible, and is best dealt with before you glue the assembly together. The ailerons are individual parts that can be posed deflected, then the cockpit floor is glued in and a pair of tapering boxes are inserted in front, although I couldn’t divine their real-world purpose. The wings and fuselage are joined by carefully lowering the latter over the former, taking care not to bend or snap the control stick. The elevators and their fins are each two parts, and these also can be posed deflected if you wish, as can the rudder, which is also made of two parts and glued to the moulded-in fin. The landing gear is a little contrary in that it adds retraction jacks for the struts and inner bay doors first, which are also fitted at this time, with a scrap diagram showing the fine placement of the jack within the bay. The main wheels are each made from two halves with moulded-in hubs, and these are fixed to the axles at the bottom of the struts, with a separate scissor-link and captive bay door on each one, then they mate with the bays on a transverse pivot point, linking to the retraction jacks installed earlier. The model is finished off by adding the clear wingtip lights, gear-down indicator stalks on the wing tops, radio antenna on the fuselage spine, and the propeller assembly, which is made from the moulded-together blades plus front and rear spinner, then the brake of the new 45mm cannon’s barrel, which will need drilling out with a 1.4mm bit if you would like a hollow muzzle. Markings There are three markings options on the decal sheet, with three pages of profiles giving concise locations for the decals and letters showing the colours in reference to a table on the front page that gives names and codes in ICM, Revell and Tamiya brands of paint. From the box you can build one of the following: 274th Fighter Aviation Regiment, August 1944 43rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, 1944 812th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Germany 1945 Decals are by ICM’s usual partner, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. A decal for the instrument panel can be found in the top left of the sheet, with just the dials and white lines defining the sections of the panel, allowing the paint to show through from below. There are also a pair of fuel gauges for the wing tops that can be viewed by the pilot from his seat, rather than taking up space on the main panel. You might notice that the red stars have been cut in half by the decal designers, and the stars on the profiles are just a series of five < shaped points in white. Understandable under the circumstances. Add them yourself for historical correctness, or leave them off. Your choice, dear modeller. Conclusion A welcome new tooling of this impressive Soviet fighter that has the bigger 45mm, unreliable gun that should please many a large-scale modeller, with plenty of detail to be had from a relatively simple construction. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  3. Yak-9K/T Wheels (Q32407 for ICM) 1:32 CMK Quick & Easy Line by Special Hobby Kit wheels are generally moulded in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. As usual with CMK's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar clear vacformed box, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. Each wheel is attached its own casting block at the contact patch, which has a small flat-spot and bulge that indicates the weight of the airframe on the tyres. The two hubs for each tyre are moulded flat against their casting block, and detail is excellent. The main wheel tyres have radial tread on the contact surface, while the tail-wheel has a circumferential tread with radial lines on the sidewalls. Once they’re cut from the blocks, installation is as simple as sliding them onto the axles of the main wheels, and flexing the kit's tail-wheel yoke to admit the replacement resin part. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  4. Yak-9D Wheels (648821 for Zvezda) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally moulded in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are wrapped around. Inside are three resin wheels on separate casting blocks and a sheet of masks for them. Each wheel is attached to the casting block at the contact patch, which has a small flat-spot and bulge that indicates the weight of the airframe on the tyres. Detail is excellent on the hubs, and the main wheel tyres have radial tread on the contact surface, while the tail-wheel has a circumferential tread with radial lines on the sidewalls. Once they’re cut from the blocks, installation is as simple as sliding them onto the axles of the main wheels, and flexing the kit's tail-wheel yoke to admit the replacement resin part. In addition, there is a sheet of pre-cut kabuki-style masking material (not pictured) included in the package, which should allow you to cut the demarcation between the tyres and hubs sharply and without any effort. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  5. Yak-9D Wheels (Q48405 for Zvezda) 1:48 CMK Quick & Easy Line by Special Hobby Kit wheels are generally moulded in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. To be clear, the photo above shows both sides of the set. You get two main wheels and one tail-wheel. As usual with CMK's Quick & Easy resin sets, they arrive in the familiar clear bag, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. Inside are three resin wheels on a single casting block. Each one is attached to the casting block at the contact patch, which has a small flat-spot and bulge that indicates the weight of the airframe on the tyres. Detail is excellent on the hubs, and the main wheel tyres have radial tread on the contact surface, while the tail-wheel has a circumferential tread with radial lines on the sidewalls. Once they’re cut from the blocks, installation is as simple as sliding them onto the axles of the main wheels, and flexing the kit's tail-wheel yoke to admit the replacement resin part. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  6. Yak-9D Exhaust Stacks (P48004 for Zvezda) 1:48 Special Hobby 3D Print We reviewed the new Yak-9D from Zvezda recently here, and now Special Hobby have produced a 3D Printed set of replacement exhausts to ramp up the detail on the kit. The set arrives in the new orange-themed blister pack with card hanger on the rear and the instructions sandwiched between the two parts. Inside are the resin parts, surrounded by a laser-cut foam insert. Inside the package are four rows of beautifully printed exhausts on a single print-base that all have hollow D-profile tips. The kit includes a full depiction of the Klimov engine for inside the cowling, with individual stacks included, but they don’t have hollow tips. The replacements do have hollow D-profiled tips, and are supplied as two paired exhausts in the centre openings, and two more singles at each end of the block. Once removed from the print base they are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, with the only difference (apart from the detail) that you need to use super glue (CA) to locate them in their slots. An straight-forward update to the kit parts that is eminently simple to use and won’t leave you exhausted (I know, not funny ). Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  7. Yak-9D Exhaust Stacks (648805 for Zvezda) 1:48 Eduard Brassin PRINT We reviewed the new Yak-9D from Zvezda recently here, and now Eduard have begun to release some additional detail sets for the detail-hungry modeller who isn’t satisfied with the capabilities of injection-moulded styrene. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), small Brassin and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. The resin is further protected by a crystal-clear clamshell box that closes securely with a friction-toggle. Inside the box are two rows of four beautifully printed exhausts on a single print-base that have hollow D-profile tips. The kit includes a full depiction of the Klimov engine for inside the cowling, with individual stacks included, but they don’t have hollow tips. The replacements do have hollow D-profiled tips, and are supplied as two paired exhausts in the centre openings, and two more singles at the ends of the block, replicating the pegs at the base to secure them into the engine block. Once removed from the print base they are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, with the only difference (apart from the detail) being that you need to use super glue (CA) to locate them in their slots. A superb update to the kit parts that are eminently simple to use. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  8. Yak-9T Exhaust Stacks (632182 for ICM) 1:32 Eduard Brassin PRINT We reviewed the new Yak-9T from ICM recently here, and now Eduard have begun to release some additional detail sets for the detail-hungry modeller who isn’t satisfied with the capabilities of injection-moulded styrene. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), small Brassin and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. The resin is further protected by a crystal-clear clamshell box that closes securely with a friction-toggle. Inside the box are two sets of beautifully printed exhausts on a single print-base that have hollow D-profile tips. There are two paired exhausts in the centre and two more singles at the ends of the support strip, which has locating shapes at each end. Once removed from the print base they are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, with the only difference (apart from the detail) being that you need to use super glue (CA) to locate them in their slots. A superb update to the kit parts that are simple to use. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  9. Modelsvit is to release a 1/48th Yakovlev Yak-9DD kit - ref.4804 Source: http://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=68170&start=6390 V.P.
  10. Yak-9T Upgrade Sets (for ICM) 1:32 Eduard We reviewed the new large-scale ICM Yak-9T in July of this year, which you can see here. It’s a lovely piece of plastic engineering and has a good-looking instrument panel, but you can always improve on unpainted styrene. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's 3D printed SPACE and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. SPACE 3D Printed Cockpit Decals (3DL32008) The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. This is the first set of this kind I’ve seen in 1:32, and it looks GOOD. The Photo-Etch (PE) sheet contains a full set of pre-painted seatbelts and a mass of levers and toggles that are applied to the instrument panel and side consoles. The decal sheet doesn’t have a high part count, but it’s a single seat fighter, so that’s not surprising. The most impressive decal is the instrument panel, which has relief all over its surface, and a handful of crisp dials with glossy surfaces imitating the glass lenses. A peculiar little gaggle of instruments are glued on a raised portion in the top left of the panel, and I want to say it’s the oxygen system due to the blue dial. Some of the levers and toggles are applied to the panel, and you will of course have to remove the kit’s moulded-in detail before applying the decals. The narrow side consoles are also relieved of their details before applying the replacement decal that will conform to the shape of the panel, and once the glue has set, both sides are festooned with levers, a couple of regulators get tops and toggle switches are inserted into the decals. The kit’s trim-wheel is retained and projects through a slot in the console. In addition, a pair of raised panels are attached to the vertical surfaces, then at the rear on the “parcel shelf” an instrument box (looks like the radio) is given a nicely painted surface with horrible yellow and grey shades – ick! The final two parts are a pair of replacement fuel gauges that are recessed into the wing in view of the pilot, with a lovely glossy surface. P.S. I’ve just noticed that the 3D printed decal sheet has 1:72 printed on it as the scale. The joys of copy & paste in our digital age, eh? I can assure you however, than the instrument panel decal is almost as large as a wing in 1:72, so there’s no doubt this is 1:32, just ignore the typo. Masks (JX293) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition, you get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort, plus a couple of masks for the wing-mounted fuel gauges. Masks Tface (JX294) Supplied on a larger sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything above, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the interior of the glazing so that you can paint the interior and give your model that extra bit of realism. Conclusion With the cockpit glazing beautifully clear thanks to the masks, the rest of the cockpit really cries out for some super-realistic decals for the instruments and so forth. It would be churlish not to Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  11. Yak-9D Upgrade Sets (for Zvezda) 1:48 Eduard The Zvezda Yak-9D in 1:48 has arrived on the shelves, and it’s a very competent kit that has lots of detail out of the box thanks to modern injection moulding technology and some clever engineers. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner using different media to do so. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Upgrade Set (491300) Two frets are included, both nickel-plated and pre-painted. A complete set of new layered instrument panels, sidewalls and side consoles with added levers for the cockpit and the extensive instrument panel for the rear cabin are in full colour, with a floor skin for the rear; ejection seat details with pull-handles, spine details and seatbelts, plus three four-point seat belts for the rear crew are also supplied. The first action is to add a wiring bundle that snakes across the oddly shaped cockpit floor, then adds a pair of straps to the rudder pedals so that your miniature pilot’s feet don’t slip out of the stirrups under G. An instrument box on the rear shelf is given a pre-painted front, then the two sidewalls, which are essentially the fuselage’s structural framework are detailed with new parts, levers and shallow side consoles that are rather chunky as supplied in the kit. The instrument panel is transformed by using the blank panel that Zvezda thoughtfully included in the kit, and applying three layers of pre-painted PE and a number of levers to create a superbly detailed panel with glossy clear dials, plus a tiny ring sight on the minimalist cockpit coaming. Outside the cockpit, the main gear legs are detailed with hoses, plus another short length on the centre of the hub, while the tail wheel first has its bay skinned with side walls and a perforated roof, and a pair of new bay doors. In the wing tops, remote fuel gauges are inserted flush within depressions on the skin, and underneath in the gear bays, a wiring loom is draped across the roof of the large circular section. The rest of the set is taken up in creating the flaps and their bays for this Soviet fighter. The bays are made from a folded up outer skin, with double-thickness ribs inserted into slots in the bay roof, after which they are used as a template to thin down the trailing edge of the upper wing, and cut out the lower surface to be replaced by the new flaps. Each flap is constructed in the same manner, by twisting and folding over the attached ribs to create a 3D shape and folding up the corrugated rear, with extra strips folded and added along the way, a scrap diagram showing how the finished article should look from the side. The bays glue to the inside of the upper wing and the flap attaches to the rear wall of the new bay. Repeat this for the other side, and you're done. They’re very effective, and having the separate flap makes masking easier. Zoom! Set (FE1200) This set contains a reduced subset of the interior, namely the pre-painted parts that are used to improve on the main aspects of the cockpit, as seen above. Whatever your motivations for wanting this set, it provides a welcome boost to detail, without being concerned with the structural elements. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1301) These belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. This set includes an inverted V-shaped pair of shoulder belts, plus separate lap belts, all of which have large silver adjustment holes running down their lengths. Masks (EX889) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy. In addition, you get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Masks Tface (EX890) Supplied on a larger sheet/two sheets of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything above, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the interior of the glazing so that you can paint the interior and give your model that extra bit of realism. Review sample courtesy of
  12. (Updated - thank you drake122) Prop&Jet new project is a 1/72nd Yakovlev AIR-7 resin kit. Source: https://propjet.ucoz.ru/forum/2-305-38093-16-1657699121 V.P.
  13. Yak-9T (32090) 1:32 ICM via Hannants Ltd The Yak-9 was an evolution of the successful Yak-7 fighter, and was intended to retake the initiative from the Nazis’ new Fw.190 and improved Bf.109s, which it successfully did. Production started in late 1942, and by summer 1943 there were enough in service to make a difference, playing a part in the crucial Kursk battle, thanks to its agility in the denser air at lower altitudes and the heavy armament it carried. It was made in a number of different variants with diverse intended uses, with the D fitted with additional fuel tanks for longer range, and the DD for longer range still. The Yak-9T was armed with a larger 37 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 cannon firing through the spinner but with only 30 rounds of armour-piercing ammunition carried, which it could fire in two or three round bursts and was intended for use against maritime targets and light armour, where it was quite effective. Careful aim was key of course due to the shortage of ammunition, but when used against another aircraft, a solitary shell strike would rip an opponent to pieces, making the enemy’s day end very badly. Because of the additional weight of the massive gun and its ammo, the cockpit had to be moved aft slightly to counter the change in centre-of-gravity, and various issues reared their heads thanks to the substantial vibrations from firing the cannon. Its standard armament of a 20mm UBS cannon still carried a full complement of 220 rounds as an auxiliary to the main armament. Almost 3,000 were made, and the designers later went one further and installed a 45mm cannon in one variant that had to be fitted with a muzzle brake to counter recoil of crippling proportions that could cause loss of control if fired at slower speeds. Post war saw the continued development of the type, which involved the installation of a more powerful engine, and these were later hived off to Soviet-friendly satellite states at the end of the 40s, where they served into the 50s, although their unusual manual lubrication system saw accidents caused by engines seizing due to pilots that were engrossed in flying and fighting their aircraft forgetting to operate the hand-cranked lubrication lever in the cockpit. The Kit This is a brand-new tooling of this capable Soviet fighter from our friends at ICM, and it arrives in one of their standard top-opening boxes with the usual captive inner lid, and an attractive painting of the subject matter on the top. Inside the box are five sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue in its own bag, a large square decal sheet and the instructions with colour covers and spot colour throughout, plus colour profiles for the decal options on the rear. Detail is crisp throughout the model, but don’t expect too many rivets to be visible on the exterior, as the metal structure was hidden away inside an outer layer of plywood impregnated with phenolic resin, that is better known in the west by its brand-name Bakelite. Construction begins with the port fuselage, which is adorned with the tubular cockpit framework and has six exhaust stubs on a runner pushed through the slot in the cowling from inside. The tips aren’t hollow, so prepare your pin vice if that bothers you at all. The starboard fuselage half goes through the same process, but adds the structure of the chin intake and its oil radiator cores, then the upper parts of the cockpit are made up, starting with the seat that has a pencil-rolled back cushion, and attaches to the short deck behind it, slotting into the starboard fuselage half along with a bulkhead and the instrument panel, which has a number of additional parts and a dial decal added along the way. With the completion of the tail-wheel assembly the fuselage can be closed up around these sub-assemblies, with an insert added under the chin, while most of the underside is open to the elements at this stage. The kit includes an engine that you can show off or hide away in its basic form of block with cylinder banks that is made out of nine parts plus another two for the cannon, which is similarly basic, but as none of it will be seen that hardly matters. The muzzle can be found in the prop assembly if you’re in the mood to drill it out. The basic assembled engine slides into the front of the fuselage with the breech of the cannon slipping through a depression in the bulkhead, after which it can be covered over by two sections of cowling after removing a pair of pips that stand up from the seamline. If you intend to expose the engine however, the power plant is further detailed with an additional twenty parts for the engine itself, and another gaggle for the compartment around it, adding ancillaries, hoses, cowling support structure, the .50cal auxiliary cannon, and a pair of ammo cans for them both that slip into the aft section in front of the cockpit to create a nice replica with plenty of detail. The surround to the cockpit aperture is detailed with the gunsight mount and a piece of clear armoured glass behind the pilot, a small coaming, and the fixed rear canopy part, with the windscreen and its separate clear armoured panel, which is best “glued” on using a clear varnish such as Klear, taking care not to trap any bubbles in between the layers. The opening canopy slides back over the aft section, or you can leave it closed up to keep the snow out. In preparation for the wings, a short spar is created with a fluid tank in the centre and a couple of jacks at the ends, then a raised platform is made of the cockpit floor, which has the control column, rudder pedals and a flare pistol fixed in place for later attachment. The lower wing is full-width, and has the central radiator with textured front and rear panels added underneath, and the spar assembly inside, which forms the rear walls of the main gear bays that are joined by a number of other wall sections and internal ribs that are closed in by adding the upper wing halves. The bay roof is moulded into each wing half, with a little detail visible, but a single ejector-pin mark is visible, and is best dealt with before you glue the assembly together. The ailerons are individual parts that can be posed deflected, then the cockpit floor is glued in and a pair of tapering boxes are inserted in front, although I couldn’t divine their real-world purpose. The wings and fuselage are joined by carefully lowering the latter over the former, taking care not to bend or snap the control stick. The elevators and their fins are each two parts, and these also can be posed deflected if you wish, as can the rudder, which is also made of two parts and glued to the moulded-in fin. The landing gear is a little contrary in that it adds retraction jacks for the struts and inner bay doors first, which are also fitted at this time, with a scrap diagram showing the fine placement of the jack within the bay. The main wheels are each made from two halves with moulded-in hubs, and these are fixed to the axles at the bottom of the struts, with a separate scissor-link and captive bay door on each one, then they mate with the bays on a transverse pivot point, linking to the retraction jacks installed earlier. The model is finished off by adding the clear wingtip lights, gear-down indicator stalks on the wing tops, radio antenna on the fuselage spine, and the propeller assembly, which is made from the moulded-together blades plus front and rear spinner, then the very tip of the 37mm cannon’s barrel, which will need drilling out if you would like a hollow muzzle. Markings There are four markings options on the decal sheet, with four pages of profiles giving concise locations for the decals and letters showing the colours in reference to a table on the front page that gives names and codes in ICM, Revell and Tamiya brands of paint. From the box you can build one of the following: 3rd Fighter Corps, Kursk Area, 1943 149th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, 2nd Ukrainian Front, Summer 1944 53rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, 1st Ukrainian Front, Summer 1944 513th Fighter Aviation Regiment, 2nd Ukrainian Front, 1945 Decals are by ICM’s usual partner, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. A decal for the instrument panel can be found in the top left of the sheet, with just the dials and white lines defining the sections of the panel, allowing the paint to show through from below. Conclusion A welcome new tooling of this impressive Soviet fighter that should please many a large-scale modeller, with plenty of detail to be had from a relatively simple construction. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  14. Yak-9D Interior 3D Decal Set (QD48281 for Zvezda) 1:48 Quinta Studios When Quinta’s innovative products first came to our attention, they caused quite a stir, as well they should. The replacement Instrument Panels and internal details are mind-boggling to look at, because we’re used to seeing simplified styrene instrument panels with decals if you're lucky, or Photo-Etch Brass panels with either two layers of etch, or laminated parts that can be tricky to glue together, even though they are pre-painted for your ease. But decals? These aren’t your run-of-the-mill decals though, they’re 3D printed in many layers and colours on a flat carrier film, having as much in the way of elevation as is needed to complete a realistic panel printed in the correct colours, complete with shiny dial faces and metallic-effect hardware, and often including cushions and seat belts in the set. Each set arrives in a Ziploc bag with a folded instruction booklet protecting the decals, which are also separately bagged, so they should reach you in good condition. The pictorial instructions are printed on glossy paper, and are shown in full colour as befits the awesomeness of the sets, showing exactly where each part should go on the actual model, so there’s no confusion due to the “pictures speak a thousand words” maxim. Additional hints and instructions are also included, marking out parts needing bases, kit parts and other useful tips. The technical instructions in the text-based, giving additional tips to the new user about maximising adhesion and preventing lift at the edges by wicking in super glue, and not using decal softener due to the possibility of it melting the resin. Application is much the same as your standard decal, but you will need to remove any raised detail that would be underneath the location depicted in the instructions, and some new parts will need small backing panels or bases on which to apply the decal. A slim piece of sheet styrene would perform that task, and painting the edges a matching colour should minimise its appearance or turn it completely invisible. This set is patterned for the brand-new Zvezda Yak-9D in 1:48, and includes all manner of goodies. The set comprises two sheets of decals, containing a superbly detailed instrument panel and side consoles, additional black box fronts, levers and a full set of seatbelts for the pilot’s convenience and safety. The coolest parts are the pair of fuel gauges that are fitted flush with the wing top surface. The kit has clear lenses, which are over-thick, so this set replaces them with an inverted printed dial under a spacer in white resin, then a clear lens with bezel to go over the top. There are two types of gauge dials, and those are the white circular parts on the sheet with L and R printed on them to show which wing they fit in. very clever! There’s even a flare pistol for attachment to the floor by the seat. Conclusion The detail on the parts is incredible, even down to the infinitesimal switches and impressive crispness of the set. This cockpit really needs a crystal-clear or opened canopy to show off the details. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  15. Yak-9D (4815) 1:48 Zvezda The Yak-9 was an evolution of the successful Yak-7 fighter, and was intended to retake the initiative from the Nazis new Fw.190 and improved Bf.109s, which it successfully did. Production started in late 1942, and by summer 1943 there were enough in service to make a difference, playing a part in the crucial Kursk battle, thanks to its agility in the thicker air at lower altitudes and the heavy armament it carried. It was made in a number of different variants with different intended uses, with the D fitted with additional fuel tanks for longer range, and the DD for longer range still. There were also other versions with a larger 37mm cannon in the nose, and even a 45mm cannon in one variant that had to be installed with a muzzle brake. Post war saw the continued development of the type, which involved the installation of a more powerful engine, and these were later hived off to Soviet-friendly satellite states at the end of the 40s, where they served into the 50s, although their unusual lubrication system saw accidents caused by engines seizing due to forgetful pilots neglecting the hand-cranked lubrication lever in the cockpit. Something that might not necessarily be top of your agenda during a hectic dog fight or tricky manoeuvre. The Kit This is a brand-new tooling from Zvezda, and as it comes from Zvezda’s home country, the boat has been fully pushed-out, with the result a highly detailed kit. It arrives in a flimsy end-opening box, with a top-opening tray inside that is tough enough to hold everything safely inside, firm up the outer box, and comes complete with an additional captive lid/flap. Inside are six sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, decal sheet and the black and white printed instruction booklet, which has a separate painting guide in full colour, printed on both sides. A quick look at the sprues reveals that the detail is excellent throughout, with fine engraved panel lines and rivets where applicable, which are noticeably absent from the wings due to their construction with metal framework and a Bakelite impregnated plywood skin that was responsible for a major reduction in weight between it and its predecessors. There is also a complete engine that has some stunning detail moulded-in and goes all the way back to the cockpit, for which there is a very nicely sculpted pilot that has separate arms, torso and a choice of heads with goggles up or down at your choice. Other options include having the gear down, the engine exposed or closed up, with the additional option of closing up the landing gear and purchasing a separate stand for an in-flight pose. Construction begins with the engine, which is made from a substantial number of parts, and has some super mouldings that would make it a shame to pose it closed up. You will need the engine whether you display it or not, but most of it won’t require painting if you leave the engine closed. The radiator bath is next to be made, with back and front surfaces depicted, after which it is inserted into the full-width lower wing, which has a riveted armour insert behind the chin intake, and that also has front and back surfaces, plus a two-part fairing around it that has a seam up the middle, so will need careful fitting to minimise the seamline for easy hiding. The radiator intake also has a separate lip added to the front before it is flipped over and the wheel bay walls are made up, with the rear wall also forming a short spar that extends to the outer edge of the bays. Behind the spar a box is made up from individual surfaces, the aft section again forming a short spar as well as having tubular framework raised up that forms the rear of the cockpit. The floor of the cockpit sits on the boxed-in area, and has details such as rudder pedals and a choice of two control column types added, with a fuel tank and bulkhead in front, which are joined to the rear with more tubular framing that supports the cockpit sides and instrument panels, as well as other equipment within the cockpit. The instrument panel is well moulded, and four decals are included as well as a part that boxes in the rear of the panel, and a flat cross-member on which it sits at the front of the cockpit. If you're after more detail, Quinta Studio have already released a 3D Printed replacement that you can see here. The afore mentioned pilot is similarly well-moulded, with enough leeway in his arms to allow you to fine-tune them to reach the controls, plus a choice of goggles up or down, and you could incline his head up, down or to the sides to give him a little bit of additional character. The completed engine is decked out with four individual exhaust parts per side, and as some of them are twin pipes, care must be taken to correctly orient them firstly, and put them in the correct order. They aren’t hollow-tipped, but are very small, so with a dab of your blackest black it’s unlikely anyone will notice. The cockpit assembly is completed by bringing together the frames, the lower portion of the seat on its cross-frame, the vertically roll-quilted seat back set against the rear frame, the large cannon breech that runs through the prop, and the pilot if you are using him. At this stage the instructions have you inserting the landing gear legs and their retraction jacks, but these could be left off until later if you wish. The upper wings are joined to the lower after painting the bay roofs on the inside surface, and adding a pair of intake inserts to the wing root leading edges, and a cooling flap at the rear of the radiator, which has its actuators pushed through two holes from above. Wingtips with clear lights, the tail wheel leg that has a separate wheel and yoke half, and rear deck with equipment added are all built up in preparation for fixing the fuselage to the wings and internals. The inner surface of the fuselage halves are painted and has an additional frame added to the nose area on the starboard side, while a floor insert is prepared with the tail wheel for insertion later. The fuselage halves are closed around the existing structure plus the rear deck and a short bulkhead that also has the antenna moulded-in, although I would almost definitely knock that off during handling, so would probably replace it and drill a hole for later insertion of the antenna or its replacement. The port fuselage half is missing its side cowlings to accommodate the display option, and this is prepared with an intake in the lower nose, with a frame added to the inside for the closed-up version. The elevators and their fins are each made of three parts with the flying surfaces able to be posed, as is the rudder and both the ailerons, all of which are separate individual parts with lightly engraved fabric detail visible on the surfaces. If you are opening up the engine cowling, additional parts are included for the port nose machine gun as well as its ammo supply, made from a number of parts and nestling in the top of the engine. The canopy and its companion piece are then inserted in place whether you are showing off the engine or not. The section of the cowling at the very tip of the nose is used if you expose the engine, and this too has additional parts fitted underneath before it is installed behind the prop. The full upper cowling is supplied as a single part if you choose to close it up, leaving you with a neat panel line and one less seam, which is always nice. The prop is moulded as a single boss with the three blades integral, and this is surrounded by the spinner, with the boss and a cannon barrel part to allow the modeller to leave off the spinner front if desired. The canopy opener and the fixed aft section are added behind the windscreen and in front of the aerial antenna. After adding in the main gear legs during earlier construction, the task is completed by adding a captive outer bay door and inner door with actuator, adding two bay doors to the side of the tail gear leg, oil-cooler flap on the chin-intake under the nose, then making up the main wheels from two halves plus inner and outer hubs, after which they slip over the axles to complete the build phase. Markings There are three decal options included on the sheet, with a separate half-page of the instruction booklet showing where all the stencils should go, while the main markings are given on the colour sheet. From the box you can build one of the following: 1st Separate Regiment Normandy-Niemen, Pilot Marcel Lefebvre, #14 6th Guards Regiment IAP of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force, Pilot Grib, #22 64th Guards Regiment IAP, Pilot Denchik #3 Decals are printed for Zvezda in a similar style to Begemot, although no logo is included to confirm. They are in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin satin carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion This is a highly detailed model of this important WWII Soviet fighter that some may contend was the best of the war, and certainly one of the best Soviet fighters of the war. Lots of detail throughout, and with enough difference in personal markings to interest many modellers. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Alex at Quinta Studios
  16. A reliable Russian source (AlexGRD) has just announced that Ark Models is to release very soon a 1/48th Yakovlev Yak-52 kit - ref.AK48016 Source: http://www.master194.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=89764&p=1081402#p1081402 A competitor for the - Amodel Yak-52 kit ref.4806 http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234934381-148-yakovlev-yak-52-yak-53-released-a-model-catalogue-2013-2014/?p=1353872 - NeOmega Yak-52 resin kit http://www.neomega-resin.com/yak-52-509-p.asp V.P.
  17. Yakovlev Yak-50, pics thanks to Sergey.
  18. Yak-28PP Brewer-E (81768) 1:48 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Ltd. First flying in the late 50s, the Yak-28 was an early Soviet swept wing design that began life as a bomber but was adapted to fulfil other roles such as interceptor, reconnaissance and electronic warfare. The PP was the electronic warfare variant and carried no weapons, instead the bomb bay was filled to the brim with electronic countermeasures, making it the first Soviet EW aircraft. The radome was replaced by a greenhouse nose cone, and an operator’s position was added in the nose with a canopy that opened up in front of the main cockpit. To dump the heat created by the electronics, there were lumps and bumps on the underside of the aircraft to help dissipate the excess and prevent overheating. There were numerous attempts to improve on the basic airframe, but none proceeded past prototype, although the PM did achieve a speed record while the Yak-28-64 had wing root mounted engines giving it a more modern look, but again was cancelled before it reached production. It was eventually replaced by the Su-24 in many of its roles, including the Electronic Warfare role of the Brewer-E. The Kit This is a fairly major retool of the original Yak-28P Firebar that we reviewed here late last year. It arrives in a similar box with painting of the type on the lid, and inside are ten sprues in grey styrene, two of clear parts and a small decal sheet. The instruction booklet and separate colour painting guide complete the package, with only wings, engines and landing gear sprues carried over from the P. Complete new fuselage, tail and cockpit sprues have been tooled for this variant, along with a beautifully detailed greenhouse for the nose cone, which has been slide-moulded to obtain maximum detail on the framing. Two of the smaller sprues contain rocket pods that are mounted under the outer wing in the instruction, but as this variant usually flew without armament, it is unlikely they were actually carried, so check your references before making holes in the wings. Construction begins with the pilot’s solo cockpit, which revolves around the long tub with instrument panels (with decals), bulkheads, control column and seat added before the sidewalls are installed. The seat has good detail and consists of seven parts but no lap-belts visible on the cushions, although can easily add those from tape or foil. Like the Harrier, the Firebar had bicycle undercarriage with a nose wheel and one main gear leg toward the aft of the fuselage with each bay boxed in with good detail, and struts with retraction jacks added along the way. While they can be left off until later the supporting jack on the nose wheel could be difficult to fit retrospectively, so check this in advance of applying too much glue. The front cockpit is formed by adding a detail insert and window into each side of the front fuselage, then while closing up the fuselage, a bulkhead and an additional ejection seat is inserted along with an ancillary instrument panel visible from the lip of the compartment. All the assemblies have good supports and tabs within the fuselage to assist with positioning. Once you have dealt with the seams, there are numerous cooling lumps and antennae to be added along the bottom of the fuselage, some of which covers the seam and reduces the amount of making good needed there. A louvered panel is inserted in front of the rear gear well, and the instructions would have you adding the bay doors at this stage, which is fine if you won’t be masking and painting, but otherwise they’re best left off until later. Flipping the fuselage over the airbrake in either open or closed configuration is added, the nose glazing, top cover for the EW officer with clear window, coaming and rear deck are installed along with a few more ill-advised antennae, with the pilot’s canopy left off until later. The engine pods bear a passing resemblance to extended Me.262 pods and each one has two main cowlings with a rear blanking plate, stator blades and nose cone enhancing that feeling. The intake is close enough to the cone that more detail isn't really visible to anyone with normal levels of inquisitiveness especially when the intake lip is added to the assembly, so there aren't any blades depicted on the plate. At the rear a four-part exhaust is provided with blades visible at the end of the trunking, and a nice tapered exhaust tip. Tons of small slide-moulded intakes are added to each side along with clear vision ports toward the front, and of course this assembly is repeated in mirror image for the other nacelle. Additional fuel tanks are joined at this stage, with each one being handed for its own wing due to its close-fitting nature. The wings are simple assemblies of two parts with holes needing drilling depending on whether you plan to fit the supplied pods, and they incorporate the tops of the engine pods that the main sections are added to during their construction. The short wingtip mounted stabiliser wheels that fit into their bays with two doors, retraction jacks, wheels and yoke are fitted, as are the fuel tanks and those rocket pods if you really must. There are also wing-fences and more intakes on the engine cowling, plus a small flap between the fuselage and engine pods and a pointed fairing near each wingtip that attaches to a small cut-out in the wing surface. The new tail is separate from the fuselage and consists of two parts for the fin with another for the rudder, then two single part elevators half-way up the fin are fitted on two pins each, and a couple of blade antennae swept in the direction of flight. Adding the wings to their slots in the fuselage, gluing in the two canopy parts and fitting the pointy probe on the nose completes the build. Markings Hobby Boss aren’t renowned for their verbose informative decal instructions, and this kit is no different, although it does have two quite different options depicted on the little decal sheet that accompanies the kit. From the box you can build either a three-colour camouflaged aircraft with grey/blue lower, or a silver machine, about which we know very little from studying the large and colourful painting guide, which shows four views that will be particularly useful for the camouflaged option. The decals are printed to HB’s usual standard and are workmanlike in their sharpness and colour density. The majority are plain red or red and white, so registration isn’t an issue, but the instrument decals are worth pointing out because they are very well done with crisp details and colour where necessary. Conclusion If you’re in the market for a Brewer-E, this will be a nice addition to the stash, and with Hobby Boss’s penetration into the market, it’s also fairly easy to get hold of. Detail is very good throughout, and it should build up into a nice model. Do the camo one – you know you want to! Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  19. Seen in a image from the Hauler-Brengun stand at Nürnberg Toy Fair 2016. Type: Yakovlev Yak-1 in 1/72nd Source: https://www.facebook.com/HaulerBrengun/photos/pb.440180076140646.-2207520000.1454082361./534013936757259/?type=3&theater V.P.
  20. A brand new 1/48th Yakovlev Yak-3 is to be released by Zvezda. Sources and pics: http://www.facebook....26613179&type=3 http://scalemodels.r...1-48-jak-3.html V.P.
  21. Yak-28P Firebar (81767) 1:48 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Ltd. First flying in the late 50s, the Yak-28 was an early Soviet swept wing design that began life as a bomber but was adapted to fulfil other roles such as interceptor, reconnaissance and electronic warfare. The Firebar was the long-range interceptor variant and gave up its weapons bay to accommodate more fuel and carried offensive missiles to complete its role when it had arrived on station. Over 400 of this variant were produced between 1960 and 1967. The interception radar that made its task possible was placed at the front of the aircraft in a long radome, which was extended for the later improved radar installation. It carried the Kaliningrad R-98 missiles on stations under the wing between the engine pods. There were numerous attempts to improve on the P, but none proceeded past prototype, although the PM did achieve a speed record while the Yak-28-64 had wing root mounted engines giving it a more modern look, but again was cancelled before it reached production. The Kit This appears to be the later version with the longer radome from mooching around on the web, and it's a new tool from Hobby Boss but with a moulded-in radome it would take a whole new fuselage to change it to an early model, or one of the other variants that are probably more sensibly done that way anyway. It arrives in a longish box due to the size of the fuselage in this scale, and inside are nine sprues in grey styrene, one in clear, a sheet of decals and the instruction booklet with a sheet of glossy A3 folded inside it that shows the painting and decaling options. Detail is good and there has been a fair amount of slide moulding used to improve detail without increasing the part count, especially around the engine pods and their many auxiliary intakes, and there is plenty of detail to be seen in the cockpit tub and wheel bays, including the wingtip stabilisers. Construction begins with the cockpit, which revolves around the long tub with instrument panels (with decals), bulkheads, control columns and seats added before the sidewalls are installed. The seats have good detail and each consist of seven parts each but no lap-belts visible on the cushions. Like the Harrier, the Firebar has bicycle undercarriage with a nose wheel and one main gear leg toward the aft of the fuselage with each bay boxed in with good detail, and struts with retraction jacks added along the way. While they can be left off until later the supporting jack on the nose wheel could be difficult to put in later, so check this in advance of applying too much glue. With these three sub-assemblies completed the fuselage can be closed up around them, and there are good supports and tabs within to assist with positioning. As mentioned earlier the nose cone is moulded into the fuselage so there's one seam top and bottom to deal with, and as the majority of the Firebar fleet was bare metal or painted silver, you'll need to take care with the handling of seam hiding, as these colours show up the slightest of blemishes. The gear bay doors are added around the sides next, and the rear tail cone is fitted in either open or closed positions adding a couple of antennae top and bottom, and you are also invited to install the canopy at this point, which requires the coaming to be fitted first before you add the fixed windscreen and the separate canopy. The drawings show a seamline down the centre, but on the sprue there isn't one which is nice, as no-one really enjoys removing these seams whether we're good at it or not. The engine pods bear a passing resemblance to extended Me.262 pods and each one has two main cowlings with a rear blanking plate, stator blades and nose cone enhancing that feeling. The intake is close enough to the cone that more detail isn't really visible to anyone with normal levels of inquisitiveness especially when the intake lip is added to the assembly, so there aren't any blades depicted on the plate. At the rear a four part exhaust is provided with blades visible at the end of the trunking, and a nice tapered exhaust tip. Tons of small slide-moulded intakes are added to each side along with clear vision ports toward the front, and of course this assembly is repeated in mirror image for the other wing. The weapons are next and include four of the R-98 missiles mentioned earlier or two K-13A Atoll short-range missiles, depending on your tastes. The wings are simple assemblies of two parts with holes needing drilling depending on which weapons fit you intend to use, and they incorporate the tops of the engine pods that the main sections are added to during their construction. The pylons and weapons are added at this time too, as are the short wingtip mounted stabilisers that fit into their bays with two doors, retraction jacks, wheels and yoke. There are also wing-fences and more intakes on the engine cowling, plus a small flap between the fuselage and engine pods and a pointed fairing near each wingtip that attaches to a small cut-out in the wing surface. The tail is separate from the fuselage and consists of two parts for the fin with another for the rudder, then two single part elevators half-way up the fin are fitted on two pins each. Adding the wings to their slots in the fuselage and fitting the pointy probe on the nose completes the build. Markings As is often the case with Hobby Boss kits, only one decal option is included in the box and very little information about it is given to assist with accuracy. From the box you can build Blue 01 which is painted silver, although many Firebars were left in bare metal, so check your references before you paint. The main decals are supplied plus a few stencils, many of which are for the missile complement, and the sheet is completed by the two instrument panel decals. The decals are printed anonymously, and have good registration, sharpness and clarity so are suitable for the task if you elect to use this option and not go off-piste and use one of the aftermarket sets available. Conclusion This new tool from Hobby Boss has plenty of detail from the box and includes the weapons you'll need to complete the job. The decals are perhaps a little lacking in choice but that's a minor inconvenience and if you're looking for other options they are available. This kit should also be more readily available than other brands, which is always handy. Review sample courtesy of
  22. After the Yak-9DD (link), Modelsvit is to release in March 2019 a 1/48th Yakovlev Yak-9T kit - ref. 4807 New variant with a.o. a new wings sprue and paint masks. Sources: https://www.facebook.com/modelsvit/photos/a.1859368940998815/2277002095902162/?type=3&theater https://hobbyterra.com/product/1-48-model-kit-yak-9t-anti-tank-soviet-wwii-fighter-modelsvit-4807.html V.P.
  23. Calling this one done, even though I have still have to paint the wingtip lights, and I might add the chaff launchers of which I just recovered a part that was lost. It's the Bobcat Yak-28PP, done as blue 45, OOB. A very enjoyable kit with lots of nice detail and good fit. Painted with various shades and mixes of Vallejo Metal Color. Thanks for looking!
  24. Russian Yak-130 "Mitten" (KH80157) 1:48 Kitty Hawk The Mitten (that's a cute name!) is a small 2-seat advanced subsonic trainer that is able to haul around 3,000kg of munitions to perform its ancillary role of light fighter. It began development as a joint project with Italian company Aermacci, but creative differences led to a split after the unveiling of the prototypes in the mid-90s, following which each manufacturer went their own way, even though the majority of the design and airframe work was completed. The Italian version became the M-346 and they agreed to split the market roughly between NATO and independent states that were previously aligned with the Soviets, or had good relations and a track history of purchases. The Yak-130 won the competition to become the new Russian trainer in the early noughties, beating Mikoyan into second place, and securing a small pre-production order to begin with. It is a thoroughly modern trainer, and can mimic the controls of the majority of the current 4th and 4.5 generation aircraft in the Russian inventory, and also has the capability to replicate the controls of the new Su-57, formerly known as the Pak-Fa. This is accomplished by a fly-by-wire system plus a trio of large Multi-Function Displays (MFD) in the cockpit, which can be configured according to their training requirements, involving dogfighting, missile and weapons launch, self-defence and other systems in order to prepare the pilots for their eventual role. A side project to create the Yak-131, a light-attack aircraft was terminated due to insufficient safety of the pilots at low levels, leaving the Mitten as the only fork of the design in Russian service. The Kit This is a brand new tooling from Kitty Hawk of this diminutive trainer, and coincides with the release of the Aermacchi "version" from another vendor, which may or may not be a coincidence, who knows? With it being a small aircraft, it's surprising to see that it arrives in the same sized box as some of the larger aircraft from the KH line, but once you open the box you can see why. It's a box of Russian/Soviet weapons with a free Mitten for good measure! There are seven large sprues in the box, plus one clear sprue, a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, a container with two resin pilot figures inside, three decal sheets, one of which is tiny, and the instruction booklet with pull-out centre pages on glossy paper for the full-colour painting and decaling guides. Detail is nice, with lots of raised and engraved features, plus use of sliding moulds to give either additional detail, or reduce part count, which alongside the four weapons sprues makes for a well-rounded package. Parts breakdown is interesting, with the top fuselage and blended wings moulded as one part, plus a two-part lower fuselage and wing inserts completing the main airframe. The canopy has been moulded in a split-mould, so that the correct "bubble" of the part is obtained, but it behoves you sand down the seam and polish it back to clarity, which is a common theme of modern jets and their quest for situational awareness. Construction begins with the cockpit, making up the two NPO Zvezda K-36LT3.5 ejection seats, which share a common look with many modern Russian seats, and have separate cushions and PE seatbelts if you aren't using the supplied resin pilot figures, in which case you would leave off the rear seat's belts, as the front seat pilot is depicted climbing aboard. The cockpit tub is built from a stepped floorpan, onto which a combined rudder/control stick assembly is fitted, then the sidewalls are brought in, which hold up the instrument panels, both of which have decals for their MFDs. The rear IP has a coaming added, the rear bulkhead is installed, and the launch rails for both seats are affixed to the resulting bulkheads, with the seats fitting into their slots at this point. As with many smaller modern fighters, the nose gear bay is right under the cockpit floor, being built up from individual panels and glued in place straddling the step, and held in the correct location by a quartet of L-shaped guides. The nose gear leg has a two-part yoke that traps the wheel in place, and can be fitted now or later as you see fit, with a clear landing light attached to the oleo. The completed assembly is then dropped into the lower nose part, which needs a few holes drilling beforehand, after which it is set aside while the upper fuselage is prepared. The upper fuselage and wings are fitted out with an airbrake bay and a pair of inserts inside the root extensions, which once the lower nose and cockpit are installed, these parts will be partially seen under the extensions, so fit them nice and neatly, minimising any gaps, and filling those you can't disguise. The Mitten (I do like that name) is a twin-engined aircraft, and the intake trunks are built up as assemblies that are then installed above the main gear bay in the lower fuselage. You'll need to take a view on how much will be seen here before you go mad with filling seams, but as the tubular section is a single part and has an engine front attached to the end, only the U-shaped initial area will have a seam to fill. The gear bay is central and shared by both wheels, with bulkheads added before it can be slotted into the fuselage along with the APU exhaust on the starboard side. The rear of the engines are fitted to the exhaust trunks, which are split lengthways in half, so may need filling, and these are then attached to their troughs, with fairings added between and around them, leaving just a fraction of the lip exposed. This assembly can then be added to the upper fuselage and you have a fairly complete airframe that just needs lower wing panels, leading edge parts, then the flaps in the deployed position, ailerons, and finally the intake lips installing to complete the wings. The main gear legs have more clear lights added, and two-piece wheels fitted at the end of the cranked oleo, before they are glued along with the retraction mechanism on either side of the centre bulkhead, with doors and their jacks for all the wheels added later. Flipping the model over, the nose cone is affixed along with a forest of antennae and aerials around the front, plus the large HUD for the pilot, which has two clear lenses for added realism. The crew ladder is depicted deployed by default on the model, which is to take advantage of the resin crew figures, one of which is climbing into the front seat with his face masked and ready to go, while the instructor peruses a checklist. They're very nicely sculpted, and give a human dimension to this little aircraft. Two inserts are supplied for the holes in the root extensions, which I would rather have installed earlier in case they fall through into the interior, but there's nothing stopping you from doing this yourself if you wish. The auxiliary intake doors behind the cockpit are depicted closed, which is a bit of a shame from a detail point of view, but I would imagine that Eduard or someone will be all over that very soon now, as they're often seen open, especially in flight. The airbrake bay gets its door and jack, the windscreen is fitted around the now-complete coaming, and the rear canopy is bedecked with a set of PE rear-view mirrors and handle before it is installed in either the open or closed position. As it hinges sideways, you might want to do something to strengthen the bond early on, and a little research should result in a solution. You might also notice that there is a shallow blast shield between the cockpits, so grab a piece of spare acetate sheet and make your own if you're in the mood. The wingtips have pods on adapter rails fitted, with the chaff and flare dispensers moulded into the tops, with two pins holding each pod in the correct location, and a small clear wingtip light visible on the inside of the rail. Your poor little Mitten has lost his tail, or rather it's not been fitted yet, so a nicely slide-moulded fin part fits into a depression in the top of the fuselage, with two pins for good measure, while the elevators are moulded in one part each, with a central(ish) pin around which they rotate. Now for the stores and hard-points, which the Yak has seven of excluding the already occupied wingtip points. Three stations per wing are supplied, with the outermost one having PE shackle-points, and the centreline point has a twin-cannon pod fitted, in case things get down-and-dirty. There is a cornucopia of weaponry on those four sprues, some of which won't be carried in real-world scenarios, but it's surprising just how many it can carry, but with hindsight it has to carry pretty much everything that the frontline aircraft can or it won't be an adequate trainer. Here's a list of what's suggested as candidates for a load-out, but if you want accuracy, check your references for actual configurations. 2 x fuel tanks 2 x KAB-500KR TV-guided bomb 2 x KAB-500L or 500SE laser guided bomb 2 x KH-29T A2S missile with different seeker heads 2 x R-73 Archer short-range A2A missiles with APU-73 adapter rails 2 x R-77 Adder A2A missiles with adapter rail 2 x KH-25-ML or MT A2S missiles with adapter rail 2 x U-4 launch rails 2 x U-6 launch rails 4 x BD-3UMK adapter rails 4 x BD-4UMK adapter rails 2 x KH-58ME Kilter anti-radiation missiles 4 x R-60 Aphid A2A heat-seeking missiles with adapter rails 2 x KAB-1500-L, KR or SE laser guided bomb 2 x KH-31 Krypton supersonic A2S anti-shipping missiles 2 x R-27ER or ET Alamo long-range A2A missiles with APU-470 adapter rails 2 x R-27T Alamo medium-to-long range A2A missiles with APU-470 adapter rails There are also some rocket pods and iron bombs that aren't used, so if you wanted to play "spot the unused bombs" have fun with it! There's a diagram at the end of the instructions that shows which loads can be placed where, but again, if you're going for realism, there's no substitute for checking your references for real-world choices. Markings There are a lot of decals with this kit, and from the box you can build one of seven options. The second large sheet of decals is purely for the weapons, while the other sheet is destined for the airframe and the little sheet contains the MFD decals for the instrument panel and a couple of colourful decals that couldn't be included on the main sheet. The markings guide is stapled in the centre of the booklet, so as usual I have liberated them by unpicking and re-bending the stapes, leaving the last glossy page in situ as its reverse side contains some of the build instructions. Here are your decal options: Kitty Hawk are another of those companies that sometimes don't include any information about the location, unit or time period for their decal options, and this is one of those times. We know that you can make Russian machines in primer, grey, red or green, or a Bangladesh Air Force option, which they have accidentally referred to as "Bulgarian" on the side of the box, and that's your lot. The primer airframe is one of the prototypes, and the colourful ones are aircraft that have been on display, the red one bearing a resemblance to the Russian acrobatic team's red and white scheme. Decals aren't always the strongest part of KH kits, but this one seems to be ok, save for a slight offset on the white, which creates a little "shadow" on some of the decals that it has been used to underprint weaker colours. The instrument decals are really detailed, and could pass for real, but you would need to leave the canopy open to really appreciate them, so give that some thought during the build. The det-cord that shatters the canopy before ejection is supplied as a decal, which there are always divided options about, with two camps that prefer either moulded-in or decals, so there's no pleasing everyone. The carrier film should be easy to hide with some careful application of Klear/Future or similar gloss varnish however, so with a bit of care they can be made to look good. The decals for the weapons are good enough for the task, although my copy has a slight blemish in the black banding for the KH-59 missiles, but as those don't appear to be on the sprues, I'm not even worried. Conclusion Cute as a button, and a nice-looking aircraft that comes with a huge range of stores and some nice schemes. The lack of blow-in aux-intake doors and more information on the decal options are minor downsides on the whole, but who wouldn't want a Yak-130 in their stash (I know, some people won't, but you've got this far)? What's more, if you bought two, you could answer the question "What's in the bag?" from your Significant Other honestly, if a little misleadingly. "Oh, just a pair of mittens, darling". Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops
  25. Silver Wings is to release in late April 2018 (?) a 1/32nd Yakovlev Yak-9M/T resin kit - ref. 32-021 Source: http://master194.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=102597 2 out of the 7 schemes V.P.
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