Private enterprise in Soviet Russia - Yak-6

[Michou]

I have been browsing through Russian aviation and hobby magazines on the internet.  No, I don't read Russian!  I just look at the pictures .  I found a short article in English in M-Hobby (M-Хобби) magazine number 1-93 which gives an interesting peek at private enterprise and the creation of short-run kits in Soviet Russia.

 

The ALFA‘s Yak-6
A.Epshov

            Everybody knows him as «ALFA», though his name is Gennady
Vasiliev. In the early 80‘s he made no less than the first Russian 1/72 scale
kit. It was the time when ex-FROG kits became widely available on Soviet
market, and scale modelling was getting more and more popular. The prob-
lem however was that most of the kits depicted such an exotic foreign subjects
as Hurricane and Lightning and were interesting only for guys who really
believed that there could be some airplanes outside Russia. Only two red stars
(SB-2 and La-7) were available. How he made his first mould is a story by
itself. Every cottage industry manufacturer, who made his first kit on a
kitchen table, knows the problem — total lack of equipment and experience,
though overweighted by great amount of enthusiasm. The first kit was in fact
very basic set of injection moulded parts which could be built (with a lot of
patience and care) into 1/72 scale model of MiG-3. MiG-3 was soon followed
up by Su-2 and Yak-4 — now really a collector’s items! However in what-
then-was Soviet Union private business was not allowed to be, and MVD guys
kept their watchfull eye on it. Gennady has been taken to court and though
acquited. all his moulds were destroyed. ’That’s life’ - he told, and when
the word ’businessman’ became legal he got started again. This time with
l/72 scale model of LaGG-3, and then with this gem – Yak-6. I’ve seen in
some foreign magazines this kit reviewed under wrong names (Santa, Ajax),
in spite of the fact that ’ALFA’ is clearly mentioned on the box in Latin. The
decal provided in this kit is in fact one from LaGG-3 (nobody knows why).
Colour painting guide on instruction sheet is a little wrong. In all other
respections the kit is pretty good. Both wheeled and skied versions can be
built.  I-like this kit not because of it’s subject - like any other jet fan
I can hardly believe this propellered things could really fly.  I just like ALFA.

Mike

 

 

Edited February 25, 2018 by Michou
My brain is wearing out!

[John Thompson]

Interesting bit of history - thanks for posting that, Mike!

 

John

[warhawk]

Thanks for a very interesting bit of short-run history.

 

Not sure if this is actually connected to Alpha company (or "venture", or "illegal short-run cottage " in those days  ), or some other manufacturer name.

A couple Years ago, a local (Serbian) hobby shop salesman, also an early short-run kit enthusiast, mentioned this to me:

when he imported first kits from (then) Soviet Union, the kits came in wooden boxes (just like quality cigars).

 

Apparently, in Soviet Russia (some pun intended), wooden boxes were cheaper or easier to manufacture than cardboard ones.

 

 

[tempestfan]

Thanks for sharing - the Alfa LaGG seems to be based on the Frog/Red Star and is somewhat crude, but the Yak is a nice example of 90s medium run standards ( I think it used a conventional steel mould, not resin). The kit (Yak) also was available under Squadron's Encore brand if I'm not istaken.

[Roger Holden]

I have 3 of those original kits. Yak-6 and Su-2 came in astonishingly crude boxes, which appear to have been spray-painted through stencils ! My Yak-4 is just in a poly bag. It wasn't actually a Yak-4, but the BB-22 prototype,

a very interesting plane in red/white colour scheme. The mould of that appears to be damaged, as there is a large crack visible on one of the major components, so I guess it didn't last long, probably why it was never re-issued. 

[AWFK10]

On 2/26/2018 at 4:14 PM, tempestfan said:

The kit (Yak) also was available under Squadron's Encore brand if I'm not mistaken.

Yes, it was. I bought one, and I still have it somewhere, less the box.

[JWM]

Scalemetes says that Alfa mould  is in fact the same as Encore,..., Zvezda and Mistercraft

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/1089725-mistercraft-d29-yak-6lnb

There is also A-model Yak 6/Yak 8 but this is a separate mould

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/106776-amodel-72181-yak-6m

Cheers

J-W

 

 

[Michou]

I have just remembered that I have a Yak-6 amongst far too many unbuilt kits and have managed to find it hiding at the back of the fall-out shelter.  It is in white plastic with very fine raised detail.  No box, just a plastic bag, and no assembly instructions, merely a single sheet of paper with good 3-view and what I suppose is a short history of the aircraft.  There is no kit  manufacturer's name on the sheet, just Yak-6 and Nbb (in Cyrillic script).  The decal sheet consists of six red  stars with a fine black outline.  Does this have any relation to that Alfa kit? 

 

Mike 

[Roger Holden]

Yes, that sounds like it. Same as mine (but without the box). It was a much better kit than the Su-2, which is rather crude.

[Aardvark]

On 25.02.2018 at 5:10 PM, Michou said:

I just look at the pictures

Many pictures you may look on topic Russian forum 

"From cooperation to corporation - Nostalgia":

http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic.php?t=54367&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

 

On 25.02.2018 at 5:10 PM, Michou said:

However in what-
then-was Soviet Union private business was not allowed to be, and MVD guys

As the editor-in-chief M-Hobby N. Polikarpov remembers in the big interview:

(very interesting interviev in 5 parts about beginning modelism in USSR and Russia, but only on Russian):

 

problems at ALFA have arisen because the cost of the ALFA models many times over to surpass cost similar the FROG model.
He gives an example when the price the FROG of M.S.406 in state shop made 0.40 soviet rubles and the ALFA model was 25.00 soviet rubles. That is the difference in the price made 62,5 times. Without having read materials of criminal investigation, from the point of view of today it is difficult to judge what articles of the law of the USSR have been broken.
It is only possible to assume. Perhaps it was not payment of taxes, perhaps super profits, perhaps some violations by production mould... without criminal case file it is difficult to discuss something. But as far as I know, it was the only case of criminal prosecution for production of models in the USSR

On 26.02.2018 at 1:53 PM, warhawk said:

A couple Years ago, a local (Serbian) hobby shop salesman, also an early short-run kit enthusiast, mentioned this to me:

when he imported first kits from (then) Soviet Union, the kits came in wooden boxes (just like quality cigars).

Wooden boxes?

It's city legends!

As well as around the world parcel posts from the USSR went on weight, and the maximum weight and the sizes of the mailing have been limited.
I don't remember, in my opinion 25 kilograms.
Why to spend money on sending a tree when on this weight it is possible to put still models?

 

B.R.

Serge

 

UPD.

I have understood about what models in wooden boxes there is a speech!!!!!
The USSR really did models in wooden boxes!
It were the flying kord (cable) models of the copy! It were MiG-3 and YAK-18, here their photo and their photo 
wooden boxes:
 

 

So that to some extent this seller was right! In the USSR really there were models in wooden boxes, but they have no relation to plastic models!

 

 

Edited March 1, 2018 by Aardvark

[JWM]

I remeber from my early days, let say about 1970 some Russian models available in Poland like rather well done detailed warships Aurora and battleship Potiomkin as well as more basic Yak-18, Yak-25, Il-2 and  Jak-3 all in 1/50. 

Besides it a father of my friend brought him from some duty trip to Soviet Union models not available in Poland like very poorly detailed An-26 or 24 (with plastic transparent circles as propellers) in some 1/200 likely and  Il-18 in some 1:120 or 1:125. All this was far before Nove bought ex-Frog moulds. 

Cheers

J-W

 

[Aardvark]

42 minutes ago, JWM said:

well done detailed warships Aurora and battleship Potiomkin

It I was state order  moulds at Heller in honor of the 50 anniversary of Great October socialist revolution of 1917

1 hour ago, JWM said:

as more basic Yak-18, Yak-25, Il-2 and  Jak-3 all in 1/50. 

These models were produced in Moscow by the state KRUGOZOR plant.

1 hour ago, JWM said:

very poorly detailed An-26 or 24 (with plastic transparent circles as propellers) in some 1/200 likely and  Il-18 in some 1:120 or 1:125. All this was far before Nove bought ex-Frog moulds. 

These models have been developed in the real aviation design offices and were made at various plants of toys.
In detail the situation on models of the USSR to NOVO/FROG is available an era in Russian in it a topic:

http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic_t_51010.html

But all this there were state models. In the USSR could do rather good models for that period what confirm original development of a series of the Russian tanks in scale 1/30, but have decided that cheaper to buy the Frog forms.
Thus, NOVO/FROG has actually killed own production of models of the USSR, but together with VEB Plasticart has entailed many people in a modelism.

 

B.R.

Serge

[tempestfan]

A Most interesting thread - Sergei, can you confirm the Ogonjek 1/30 tanks are „homegrown “, as I have read reference to them also bring Heller-tooled? And as Lenin also commissioned for the anniversary like Aurora ?

Back to Alfa, that the Yak-6 is still available suggests it indeed is a long run mould. If the story about his original moulds is true, possibly they suspected him of using state resources? And re 40 Kopeks vs. 25 Rubel: IIRC DCM was in deep financial trouble when the Frog moulds were sold, and the arrangement was for them to be paid by  delivery of mouldings to be packed into (English) Novo boxes. So the moulds were essentially acquired without investment. Besides,the state of the USSR economy in the late 80s proves that pricing didn‘t necessarily reflect actual cost 😉

[Aardvark]

1 hour ago, tempestfan said:

A Most interesting thread - Sergei, can you confirm the Ogonjek 1/30 tanks are „homegrown “, as I have read reference to them also bring Heller-tooled?

It is the interesting moment! I can see a link on this information?
Why I claim about independent development? There was very known, cult, article in the seventies, in the "Tekhnika-Molodezhi" magazine about development a modelizm and its prospect in the USSR. To write in article about own development the tank and about development of the Heller ships.
But if you have other information about the tank, it is very interesting!

 

1 hour ago, tempestfan said:

And as Lenin also commissioned for the anniversary like Aurora ?

Sorry, the English not my native language, I can't understand this phrase.

Do you mean what relation Aurora has to Lenin? Directly - any! But it is considered that the shot with Aurora has served a signal to assault Winter palace and respectively a signal to the beginning of revolution. 
Or it is about model the icebreaker Lenin?
I don't understand ...

1 hour ago, tempestfan said:

Back to Alfa, that the Yak-6 is still available suggests it indeed is a long run mould.

Yak-6, LaGG-3 as well as MiG-3 of the second edition (very good by the way model) as far as I understand became after that as it left from prison. Among the modeller they were called then ALFA-2.

It is in general very interesting and complicated story which is known only at the level of rumors.

1 hour ago, tempestfan said:

And re 40 Kopeks vs. 25 Rubel: IIRC DCM was in deep financial trouble when the Frog moulds were sold, and the arrangement was for them to be paid by  delivery of mouldings to be packed into (English) Novo boxes. So the moulds were essentially acquired without investment. Besides,the state of the USSR economy in the late 80s proves that pricing didn‘t necessarily reflect actual cost 😉

I will perhaps return to it later as here it is necessary to explain much about that life in the USSR and its economic , and it is a lot of text.
I should formulate him compactly and so you would understand what there is a speech about.

 

B.R.

Serge

[tempestfan]

Sorry Sergei, the iPhone has a will of its own when „correcting“ my typing. With Lenin I meant the kit of the icebreaker, indeed.

Sorry I can‘t provide any link re the Ogonjek tanks, the Heller connection IIRC was claimed in a German mag, either Modell Fan or modell Magazin, some 35 years ago, and I have no idea where precisely to look for the info.

[Aardvark]

2 hours ago, tempestfan said:

Sorry Sergei, the iPhone has a will of its own when „correcting“ my typing.

iPhone tempestfan v.s. Android Samsung Aardvark it's great machine battle......but win China were made this device!!!

2 hours ago, tempestfan said:

With Lenin I meant the kit of the icebreaker, indeed.

Ah, in this sense!

Ships & tank no my theme  therefore I should specify.
It not precisely, but in my opinion too Lenin has been ordered from Heller.
However there were also own developments of the USSR if I am not mistaken it there was a cruiser Kirov.

3 hours ago, tempestfan said:

Sorry I can‘t provide any link re the Ogonjek tanks, the Heller connection IIRC was claimed in a German mag, either Modell Fan or modell Magazin, some 35 years ago, and I have no idea where precisely to look for the info.

 I of course will specify this version, but 35 years ago it was 1983 and the tank were issued at least from the middle of the 70th.
Besides it is unlikely Eller would refuse to sell these tanks in the catalog as it was with Aurora, but if it would be so we knew about it!

 

B.R.

Serge

[Dimmy]

On 01.03.2018 at 9:06 PM, Aardvark said:

He gives an example when the price the FROG of M.S.406 in state shop made 0.40 soviet rubles

Sorry for correction  Price for MS.406 was 45 kopeсks (SU Roubles 0,45). 

NOVO MS.406 (ex-FROG F157) kit (by Moscow "Ogonyok Toy Plant") was my very first kit so it has very special place in my memories. When my Summer school vacations started, my father took me to the Moscow Central Toy Store and bought 2 NOVO MS.406s and WEB Plastikart Tu-144 for me. First MS.406 failed victim of my familiarising process with scale kit building so I was happy what we bought 2 of them.  

[Aardvark]

4 hours ago, Dimmy said:

Sorry for correction  Price for MS.406 was 45 kopeсks (SU Roubles 0,45). 

In video Polikarpov say: "Fourteen" means - Fourteen!

Or you don't trust 

chief-editor M-Hobby magazine? 

Do you go against the general line of Party Modeller's? 
You risk to be left without party-membership card Party Modellers  to be deportations to Siberia, glue models in cooperations with siberian bear's!

B.R.

Serge

 

P.S.

Actually, I don't remember price M.S. 406 - 0.40 SU rubles or 0.45 SU rubles.....