Why I'd Like to Have a Brand-New 1/72 Yak-9

[John Thompson]

Currently the choices available to anyone wishing to model this important fighter in 1/72 scale are as follows, ignoring knock-offs like Kitech:

(1) Airfix Yak-9D (VK-105): A very old kit (first released in 1963, according to Scalemates), crude and grossly inaccurate. Over the decades the molds have deteriorated to the point where large amounts of flash need to be removed before assembly is even possible; deficiencies include:

- Fuselage too short, by at least 3mm - most of this is between the cockpit and the fin.

- Rear part of fuselage too shallow, by about 2mm. Could be corrected by building up the underside of the fuselage, then reshaping the fin and rudder, which will be (in effect) displaced upwards by deepening the fuselage bottom.

- Wing tips rounded (like a Yak-1 or Yak-3) - should be almost square at the leading edge of the tip.

- Wing chord is too narrow, especially at the root.

- Spinner is too large and bulbous; prop blades too narrow; prop rotation is backwards

- Oil cooler and radiator housings seriously misshapen

- Landing gear crude and simplified

(2) ICM/Alanger/Encore Yak-9D and Yak-9T (VK-105): The -9D and -9T are actually the same kit both boxings include two separate fuselages. This is one of ICMs first kits, and is relatively crude. Shortcomings which must be corrected if an attempt to build an accurate Yak-9 is intended are as follows:

- Excessive rib/fabric detail on rear fuselage and all control surfaces

- While the kit does have recessed panel lines, these are wide and soft-looking

- Poor profile of upper cowling requiring it to be built up to a more curved outline

- Poor shape of oil cooler housing, requiring rework with putty to correct

- Poor shape of engine coolant radiator housing this is too boxy-looking and needs to be reprofiled

- Wing root intakes are represented only as outlines and need to be opened up and made larger

- Main landing gear wells open into the cockpit and need to be modified to close this up

- MLG wells are incorrectly shaped, and do not match the kits LG doors

- The prop and spinner are incorrectly shaped - the prop in an Alanger example I built recently was so flash-encrusted/mold-damaged that it was unusable

- The canopy is incorrectly shaped and must be replaced, after widening the spine of the fuselage in order to make a Pavla or Falcon vacuform fit properly

- Some small details (vents, gun camera port) are missing from the cowling

- The hinge lines between the stabilizers and the elevators are very poorly defined and need to be rescribed

(3) Dakoplast/Modelist/Eastern Express Yak-9D, Yak-9D/B/R and Yak-9T (VK-105): These are the best of the 1/72 Yak-9 kits released to date. Some minor corrections and added detailing are possible; otherwise, they represent the Yak fighter quite well. Dakoplast kits are a moderately difficult build, but its nothing compared to (2) above. The main problem here is lack of availability these kits are no longer manufactured, theyre not available from on-line shops, and even e-bay sources have dried up.

(4) Valom early Yak-9 (VK-105): This is based on their Yak-7 series, which was in turn based on the Dakoplast Yak-7. The kit is almost the same as the Valom Yak-7B (late version) but includes resin parts (single-gun upper cowling panel, squared wing tips) to convert it to a Yak-9. This is a reasonable kit (not surprising, considering its ancestry), but its clearly limited run in nature, more difficult to build than the Dakoplast Yak-9, and relatively expensive.

Two other Yak-9 kits are available from Amodel these are the Yak-9U and Yak-9P. These later versions of the aircraft, which were powered by the VK-107 engine, have very little in common with the Yak-9D and related VK-105-powered airframes, so conversions are not practical.

John

[Navy Bird]

Yeah, what he said!

Cheers,

Bill

[tempestfan]

Have you checked the Ark models site? They produce/distribute an interesting range of Soviet/Russian kits including a lot of Frogs, and IIRC some Yaks are shown which may be the Daco's.

There was one more 9 by I think Nichimo which ended up or was copied by Idea in Korea, but the scale I've seen quoted was 1/65 anyway, and likely it's not much more accurate than Airfix's.

[Graham Boak]

I believe that the Nichimo was a 9U or P anyway.

[tempestfan]

The Idea kit says D, but letters are probably rather meaningless in this case anyway.

[vppelt68]

Yep, it was the most respected adversary of all fighter aircraft the Soviets used in 1944, according to their Finnish opponents. A good kit is sorely needed! Regards, V-P (again)

[Navy Bird]

The Yak-9 kits from ARK Model are in 1:48 scale and are reboxings of the ICM kits. Here is a link. The Dakoplast kits were all 1:72, I believe. I have one of the Eastern Express boxings, and it looks good, yet challenging. I'll get around to building it just when Airfix or someone else announces a new kit!

Cheers,

Bill

[John Thompson]

Thanks, everyone - it's good to see there is some support for my obsession! The Yak-9, "soldier of the sky", was as significant to the VVS as the Spitfire to the RAF, and well deserves a detailed, accurate new kit in 1/72 scale. The release of the Modelsvit 1/48 Yak-9DD gives me hope that a 1/72 kit is not out of the question - a snap-together from Zvezda of the same quality as their Yak-3 would be just fine with me. OTOH, maybe I need to move up to a bigger scale!

John.

[Learstang]

Heresy! You don't need to move away from the gentleman's scale, John, we just need some more nice new-mould GPW subjects in 1/72nd scale, like an early or mid-Yak-9. Now how about a new-mould Il-4, whilst we're at it?

Regards,

Jason

[Seahawk]

OTOH, maybe I need to move up to a bigger scale!

.[/quote

Steady on! Time for a lie-down.

[tempestfan]

The Yak-9 kits from ARK Model are in 1:48 scale and are reboxings of the ICM kits. Here is a link.

You're right, I thought there were also -9s in 72nd, but it's only an Eastern Express 7 - does anyone know whether that's the fairly dreadful kit which came out when there was still a Soviet Union ?

[Ed Russell]

I have this lovely thought that we should do a John Thompson Tribute Yak-9 Build.............. but should we do it now with the less than wonderful kits available or when the new Eduard/Tamiya/Airfix Yak comes out?

PS - Thanks for the run down of available kits.... perhaps a WIP of each might stir up some action?

[Hhhalifaxxx]

I have the Korean Idea 1/72 kit: it is a copy of the old Airfix release.

Yes, I'm all for a new, accurate Yak-9 in 1/72. I still hope Airfix includes the Yak in their programme of renovating their classic lineup.

[Navy Bird]

You're right, I thought there were also -9s in 72nd, but it's only an Eastern Express 7 - does anyone know whether that's the fairly dreadful kit which came out when there was still a Soviet Union ?

According to the Scalemates database, the 1:72 Eastern Express Yak-7 is a reboxing of the Dakoplast kit.

Cheers,

Bill

[Graham Boak]

I had one each of those horrible Yak 7/9 kits - can anyone tell me the name of the producer?

[KRK4m]

According to the Scalemates database, the 1:72 Eastern Express Yak-7 is a reboxing of the Dakoplast kit.

Cheers,

Bill

And this is the best (save almost identical Valom) Yak-7 on the market, as John Thompson has stated in his first entry

Cheers

Michael

[PFlint]

I had one each of those horrible Yak 7/9 kits - can anyone tell me the name of the producer?

the worst kit of a Yakovlev fighter in 1/72 that I came across was this one:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/170310-hobby-7202-yak-7

from what I am told it is also available under the name "Red Sky"

(not sure if the Maquette kit is this or not)