I serve the Soviet Union! Yak-3, Hasegawa, 1/72

[opus999]

Yak-3 | Hasegawa | 1/72

303IAP, Major General G. N. Zakharov, April 1944

 

Finished this on 10/4/2021.  This was a bit of a stash-clearing exercise -- Small plane, big box, quick build.  It was the 1991 boxing of this kit and the mold is older, so there was no detail in the wheel wells or cockpit, so I had to scratch build both.  Even though I spent 2 nights on the scratchbuilding, it was still finished in a week.

 

Despite being a stash-clearing build, I discovered I really like this aircraft as I researched it and its stable mates (the Yak 1/7/9 series).  I also found that the Yak-3 is an unsung hero -- one of the best fighters of WWII.  I also found that there aren't many finished Yaks on Britmodeller!  This really got me into VVS aircraft and I'm thinking a lot about that Mig-3 I have in the stash...  

 

It seems that matching VVS colors to hobby paints are mysterious and contentious to some out there.  I see Yaks finished in all shades of dark and light gray -- I just went with the instructions.  I don't think the blue on the bottom is as accurate -- I used RLM 65, which was what the instructions called for, but I think the light blue they used was brighter, and perhaps a touch more green.

 

Finishing:  Gaps filled with CA, scratch built cockpit and wheel well details.

Paint:  Mr. Color 11 & 52 top, Hataka RLM 65 bottom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had to make a rear bulkhead since you could see through the canopy into the back.  It didn't need to reach all the way to the top.

 

 

 

Hope you like it!  Questions, comments and constructive criticism always welcome.

 

 

Edited October 9, 2021 by opus999
Tried to be a little more accurate about color

[Learstang]

Nice job on that Yak-3 kit! Good job tarting up the interior. Regarding Soviet colours being contentious, that is a bit of a canard. There is a general consensus on Soviet colours, and the Soviets did not use a large number of colours during the Great Patriotic War, unlike the Germans. They used black, dark grey, medium grey (which the Soviets referred to as 'Grey Blue', though it was really a grey colour with perhaps a bit of blue), tan (which they referred to as 'Light Brown'), a medium green with a bit of olive, blue for the undersides (RLM 65 is perhaps not an exact match, but not too far off), and a neutral grey for the interior. Those seven colours right there are it. Oh, and a temporary white (MK-7) for winter finishes. That's it for the camouflage colours (and the neutral grey is good for the interior). Hardly a minefield. Other colours were used, of course, such as on the engine, hydraulic and other lines and pipes, medium green for the wheels (not the tyres, of course), and silver was also used, more extensively than had been thought, both on markings (such as outlined stars) and on the interior. Although you will often see it on kit instructions, older decals, and colour profiles, yellow was seldom used on the exterior as it was the Axis recognition colour. I'm certain @Massimo Tessitori, @John Thompson, and @Troy Smith can add to the colour discussion. Welcome to VVS modelling; it's easier than you think!

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

Edited October 10, 2021 by Learstang
Additional comments added.

[John Thompson]

Nicely done - beautiful model! (Although it would be very hard to make a Yak-3 look anything but beautiful...)

 

Jason has pretty much summed up the VVS colours situation. In my opinion, it's only a problem if someone wants it to be a problem; there's a word for those people - hmmmm, what is it? Ah yes - they're called "trolls". I gave up worrying about it a long time ago. I use Akan paints and the well-researched guidance on Massimo Tessitori's Sovietwarplanes site, and I have no reservations at all about the results.

 

https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/index.html

 

John

[opus999]

@Learstang, @John Thompson  Thanks for the info!  The link that John pointed me to is a terrific resource and now I've looked at it I don't feel as bad about the underside color choice.  It is pretty much my luck that I get a good resource after I'm done. I wonder why I didn't stumble on it when I was doing research? 

 

Jason -- I think my misperception about VVS colors wasn't that we don't know what they are, but rather what hobby paint colors to use to match them.  That was my  impression anyway after looking at a couple of forums where people argued quite a bit how best to match the AMT 7 blue.  Since I had a look at the table of colors at the site that John pointed me to, I don't see why it would be that hard to match colors.  Thanks for the concise run down on VVS colors!  I suspect I will be doing more VVS aircraft now that my interest has been piqued.

[opus999]

I edited my post to be a little clearer about colors -- that the arguments I saw were about paint matching and not about the colors themselves.  

[Learstang]

1 hour ago, opus999 said:

I edited my post to be a little clearer about colors -- that the arguments I saw were about paint matching and not about the colors themselves.  

 

Right, you are correct about that. Unfortunately, the colours I used (and use - I have a stockpile) were all Testors Model Master enamels, which line has been run down severely, and some of the paints I use(d) aren't even available anymore. Massimo's site really is the go-to English-language site for VVS aircraft in general and I highly recommend it. Some of the lovely colour profiles that Massimo has done for the site have appeared in some of my humble books on Soviet aircraft.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

[Giampiero Piva]

Very nice work and WIP; brilliant final result. Congrats.

Edited October 9, 2021 by Giampiero Piva
error

[Sky Keg]

Mr Opus……….you have provided me with an idea, clearing out the stash of the simple kits and to dress up neglected sections such as the cockpit and gear wells.  The “Ballerina of the VVS” turned out great.  

 

Mike

[IanC]

An excellent little model.

 

@Learstang @John Thompson and others- what are your opinions on the colour accuracy in the two Vallejo Model Air sets for VVS aircraft? I quite like the idea of these sets for subjects I'm not familiar with. 

[Wulfman]

Lovely looking Yak, excellent work !

 

Wulfman

[Learstang]

4 hours ago, IanC said:

An excellent little model.

 

@Learstang @John Thompson and others- what are your opinions on the colour accuracy in the two Vallejo Model Air sets for VVS aircraft? I quite like the idea of these sets for subjects I'm not familiar with. 

 

I'm afraid I can't help you here as I generally avoid acrylic paints like the plague (they are death to my airbrush, a Badger 150). Sorry!

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

 

P.S. For what it's worth, I just had a butcher's at the Vallejo site, and if the paints look anything like the colour profiles of aircraft they have on the boxed sets, they look about right to me. Mind you, this is without me actually using the paints.

Edited October 9, 2021 by Learstang
Additional comments added.

[opus999]

17 hours ago, Learstang said:

 

Right, you are correct about that. Unfortunately, the colours I used (and use - I have a stockpile) were all Testors Model Master enamels, which line has been run down severely, and some of the paints I use(d) aren't even available anymore. Massimo's site really is the go-to English-language site for VVS aircraft in general and I highly recommend it. Some of the lovely colour profiles that Massimo has done for the site have appeared in some of my humble books on Soviet aircraft.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

 

I really miss the Model Master paints from the '80s and '90s -- The ones I picked when I re-started modeling seemed to be hit and miss with quality.  The performed well, had a wide range of colors that seemed to be fairly accurate and I could get them locally.  I'd read somewhere they had stopped making them altogether.

 

9 hours ago, Sky Keg said:

Mr Opus……….you have provided me with an idea, clearing out the stash of the simple kits and to dress up neglected sections such as the cockpit and gear wells.  The “Ballerina of the VVS” turned out great.  

 

Mike

Thanks Mike!  The stash cleaning exercise has been interesting because I found I'm focusing on kits that usually get passed over when I'm on a British kick or a German kick.

[Pete in a shed]

Beautifully turned out Yak with scratch enhancements that have really raised the standard of the build to new heights. I thought this and the two Japanese aircraft you have posted were 1 /48th when I first looked, great skills indeed in 1/72.  Incidently Ive been thinking about having a go at some Japanese aircraft and I think you have inspired me to do a few. Maybe a Pete from Pete.

[opus999]

7 hours ago, Pete in a shed said:

Beautifully turned out Yak with scratch enhancements that have really raised the standard of the build to new heights. I thought this and the two Japanese aircraft you have posted were 1 /48th when I first looked, great skills indeed in 1/72.  Incidently Ive been thinking about having a go at some Japanese aircraft and I think you have inspired me to do a few. Maybe a Pete from Pete.

Thanks Pete!  You should have a go at a Japanese build! If it turns out as good as your Amonster, it would be terrific to see.

[VMA131Marine]

That’s so nice! Really well done!

[2996 Victor]

Beautiful YAK, Opus! Two weeks? Gosh - I wish I could turn out half a model in that time

 

Looking forward to seeing the MiG-3 - one of my mostest favouritest aircraft!

 

Cheers,

Mark

[opus999]

3 hours ago, 2996 Victor said:

Beautiful YAK, Opus! Two weeks? Gosh - I wish I could turn out half a model in that time

 

Looking forward to seeing the MiG-3 - one of my mostest favouritest aircraft!

 

Cheers,

Mark

Thanks Mark.  It went quick because it was a very simple kit.  Plus the excellent fit meant only 5 or 10 minutes of sanding.

 

The MiG-3 has been in the stash since college.  It's an Encore model and looks rather nice.  I love the look of the MiG-3, and pull this kit out from time to time swearing I'm going to start on it, but I am a bit intimidated by the extensive resin cockpit that's included with it, so it usually goes back in the closet.  Since doing the Yak, I've really been eyeballing it.  I just need to bite the builet...