Yak-9D Upgrade Sets (for Zvezda) 1:48

[Mike]

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