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VVS Yakovlev Yak-3 from the 402nd FAR, Spring 1945


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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/14/2017 at 5:43 AM, Hewy said:

You really do have an eye for the tiniest details, i like it peter

Glynn

 

Thanks Glynn. Unfortunately other commitments slowed things a bit on the build, but I got a few things done. I know I said the next picture will be of the completed cockpit. Well, it isn't complete yet, but I do have the new lap harness fitted and I think this harness made of paper looks stunning.

Yak-3-118.jpg

 

Yak-3-119.jpg

But more important, it is now the correct type!

 

Also got he gun blisters glued on.

Yak-3-120.jpg

Yak-3-121.jpg

They still need a bit of work and the riveting will be re-done at the correct locations. The next post will be definitely with the completed cockpit and the fuselage on the wings. Promise.

 

Cheers, Peter

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As usual Peter cracking work even  under the zoom lens of the camera,  the radio and wire detail especially , very impressive, I've got a lot on the bench at the moment but everytime i look in i want to start mine, but,   i know what you mean about other commitments, I'm  swamped at the minute, 

Very nice model in the making, 

Glynn

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Hi Peter. Your work and attention to detail has resulted in a superb looking cockpit. And you are right - those seatbelts are very impressive. Well done again. :worthy:

Kind regards,

Stix

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On 8/25/2017 at 7:06 AM, Hewy said:

As usual Peter cracking work even  under the zoom lens of the camera,  the radio and wire detail especially , very impressive, I've got a lot on the bench at the moment but everytime i look in i want to start mine, but,   i know what you mean about other commitments, I'm  swamped at the minute, 

Very nice model in the making, 

Glynn

Thanks Glynn. In regards to the radio wire detail I was very lucky. I came across a post on Scalemodels.ru which contains some interesting information and this drawing.

1501745226_1501692402_20170802_223208.jp

It shows all the components fitted which make up the radio system in a Yak-3. Most is not visible, but it clearly shows how the cabling was routed from the radio and I got it very close :)

 

On 8/26/2017 at 3:52 AM, PlaStix said:

Hi Peter. Your work and attention to detail has resulted in a superb looking cockpit. And you are right - those seatbelts are very impressive. Well done again. :worthy:

Kind regards,

Stix

Thank you Stix. The problem is, it looks the only thing I build are cockpits :hmmm:

 

On 8/26/2017 at 4:05 AM, Murmillo said:

Great job. 

Thanks.

 

On 8/26/2017 at 4:33 PM, Biggles87 said:

If I send you my shoulder straps, will you fit the grommets for me and send them back by the end of next week!

The cockpit looks as if it comes from a " walk-around " photo.

 

Cheers

 

John

Thanks John for your kind comment. In regards to the grommets, I think you missed that "window of opportunity". Also, after completing two sets, I have seen enough grommets and no desire to see any more :puke:

 

I got some answers to my questions regarding the mystery pipe by KL at Sovietwarplanes! Following is from KLs post: "This pipe was indeed a cartridges chute as in early Yaks, empty cartridges were collected in canister which was located under the canon breach, but this arrangement changed in the Yak-3 as following drawing shows how cartridges and links were collected in 3-weapon Yak-3s.

318.jpg
Canister for empty canon cartridges was now located above the canon muzzle. Cartridge route is indicated with curved arrow in the left side of the drawing. If your model is a standard Yak-3 with 2 UBS, it did not have cartridge chute in the cockpit.

 

So it is confirmed that the pipe is the ejection chute for spent ammunition and wasn't fitted in the Yak-3 with two UBS guns!

 

I just noticed that there is only one week left till the end of this GB :shrug: You don't need to be an Einstein to realized I won't complete this build in another week, but I hope to have at least buttoned up the fuselage with wings attached.

 

Cheers, Peter

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On 8/27/2017 at 10:09 PM, Hewy said:

 Yes very Good reference material peter and a good read

Glynn

Thanks Glynn.

 

As promised in my last post, the next post will have the wings on.

Yak-3-122.jpg

The fit was solala, but the bigest problem was that the wing was not sitting horizontally, creating a larger wing dihedral on the port side.

 

I corrected this as much as I could by adding a shim to push the wing down on the port side.

Yak-3-124.jpg

 

There was also a larger gap at the front of the fuselage to wing joint which I also filled with plasticard.

Yak-3-125.jpg

 

Some of the resulting stresses when forcing the wing into place made the fuselage tubing crack on both sides in front of the seat. :(

Yak-3-126.jpg

Also to make the tubing parallel to the hinge line, the cockpit insert needed to be raised by 1mm which I done with a shim when attaching the cockpit insert to the wing prior fitting the wing to the fuselage. All these little mismatch are unfortunately the hallmark of a short run kit. But I actually enjoying solving these challenges :mental:

 

The next challenge is the correct placement of the two side panels above the metal tubing as the instruction is rather vague about it.

 

This picture fortunately shows were they go.

Yak-3-130c.jpg

They are in line with the vertical tubing.

 

And that how they look in the kit.

Yak-3-127.jpg

 

Yak-3-128.jpg

 

This pictures shows unfortunately some discrepancies in the kits lay-out.

Yak-3-130b.jpg

The horizontal metal tubing is above the hing line covered by the wooden side panel construction. The kit has it below the hing line and not covered by the side panels.

 

Unfortunately there are some other issues if you like to build the kit with an open cockpit.

Yak-3-130.jpg

 

1. You can notice that the two side panels stick out a little from the cockpit. I haven't seen this in any of the other builds. But it is most likely because i raised the cockpit insert by 1mm ...

 

2. The rail for the canopy to slide it open should go all the way where you can see the red line and not just at the rear. As it is on the kit is fine for a closed canopy, but not for an opened one.

Yak-3-130c.jpg

Same picture as above which shows this clearly.

 

What it also shows is that the side panels are actually flush with these rails for the canopy! So after extending the rail, the location of the side panels will be correct, :)  Lucky me.

 

Oh, and I have to do something about the red cross box, just doesn't look right. Still a bit more work to be done around the cockpit. But first I will get the airframe cleaned up and completed which be a fair amount of work.

 

So still lots to do.

Cheers, Peter

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Great to see it coming together, and more excellent reference and tips for when I eventually get around to mine.

Will the extra week be enough  to finish it? It would be a shame to rush it and run the risk of messing it up at this stage, I'm sure we will all continue to watch if you decide to take your time.

 

Cheers 

 

John

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Detail  descrepancies apart,  most is a very fair representation of the 1to1 version,  but with your eye for even the most technical of  details peter, i have expectations you'll accurise this further, don't rush now, not after what youve done, exellent work

Glynn

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On 9/4/2017 at 1:24 AM, Biggles87 said:

Great to see it coming together, and more excellent reference and tips for when I eventually get around to mine.

Will the extra week be enough  to finish it? It would be a shame to rush it and run the risk of messing it up at this stage, I'm sure we will all continue to watch if you decide to take your time.

 

Cheers 

 

John

Thank John. I'm afraid there is no chance to finish this model in a week - or even a month or two. I have a lengthy list of things I like to detail on the airframe before I commence painting.

 

14 hours ago, Hewy said:

Detail  descrepancies apart,  most is a very fair representation of the 1to1 version,  but with your eye for even the most technical of  details peter, i have expectations you'll accurise this further, don't rush now, not after what youve done, exellent work

Glynn

Yes it is a fair representation of the original, but aren't most kit fair representation? Where do you draw the line?

 

I enjoy the building and the research and the discovery of issues and the working out how to fix them. It is the first model I build in 1/32 scale and I just love the detailing of things. In other words, I enjoy the journey immensely and the destination as such is not really important ... Still, it will be finished one day ;)

 

In the meantime I had another look how the cockpit compares to the real deal and I have to say that the side panels do bother me. Here a comparison.

Yak-3-131.jpg

The extension where the trimming wheel is mounted should be part of the tubing and not above as on the kit.

 

Extending the side panels so they cover the horizontal tube will then also hide the crack in it :thumbsup:

 

And here is how the real red cross kit does look like.

Yak-3-132.jpg

 

Looks like still some work for me to do in the cockpit. :D

 

Cheers, Peter

 

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