Having just seen one at an ait show… now I wnat to build one. Any opinions as to which is the best Kit-9 out there. Preferably 1/48.
TIA
wing_nut
I think that in 1/48 the ICM kit is the way to go, it’s seems to be a difficult build however. And there are some accuracy issues.
In 1/72 the dakoplast kit is considerd to be very good.
check this site for more info.
Another vote for the ICM kit. I did not have any problems building the model and it comes with a complete engine. The interior could use a little more detail but even straight from the box it’s acceptable by most standards. ICM offers several versions of the 9 and they are all inexpensive.
ICM by far.
ICM is the best in 1/48. Just be sure & give that oily plastic a good cleaning.
Regards, Rick
Hem… a little question : are there other Yak 9 kits out of ICM in 1/48 ?
I though ICM is the only manufacturer to make the Yak-9 in 1/48.
LTD produced a 1/48 Yak 9 a few years ago. It’s cruder than the ICM kit, but the outline is more accurate. There’s lots of flash, and no locating tabs/slots. It’s a very basic limited run kit. I have both, but they’re still unbuilt.
Great models.com has four different kits of Yak-9’s. Go to manufacturer and select ICM, and the first four or five choices are Yak-9 kits.
Thanks for filling me in.
[:)]
Thanks everyone… I will be placing my order soon. My in-flight shots did not turn out but this is why I asked.
Take a look at the relationship between this aircraft and the Yak-15
Looks like a Yak and an ME_262 went on a date and 9 months later that popped out.
Wingnut,
That’s pretty much the case, I recently read that the Yak 15 used captured and/or new engines built to the specs of captured German Me-262 engines.
BTW, here’s some pix of an Encore (ICM molds, I believe) 1/72 Yak 9 I recently finished for the Russian Group Build, to give you some comparison(scroll about halfway down the page):
http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?page=49&TOPIC_ID=34395
The worst parts of the kit were the prop and the wingtip shapes, which took a good bit of filing to get to more correct shapes. I don’t know if the 1/48 version shares these issues though.
Jeff
personally I think the LTD kit is actually better than the ICM (accuracy)
the fact that is was a limited run kit is where the real work is involved
(I have 5 and am still working on the first one)
to date the Dakoplast Yak-9 (early or late version) is THE best Yak-9 kit in either scale.
(kinda had to find though…wait there’s ebay)
Wingnut, that Yak 9 in your photo is gorgeous! Makes me want to build one to look just like that! [tup]
that photo is of a Yak-3UA not a Yak-9
U stands for Ulutchshenniy meaning improved.(more metal)
A stands for Amerikansky meaning American
A can also stand for Allison, the usual engine fitted there.
I find the whole, YAK9 negligence thing rather curious. For what is probably the most numerically superior Russian plane in WWII, the near avoidance of it by “bigkit” makers is weird.
Nothing but limited run and other problem kits in the larger scales - well, what’s up with that?!
WOw now that’s one old post revived. But I have to say I agree with you. I still wonder why Tamigawa has not made one.
marc:
I took some photos of Eddie Andreini’s Yak 9, including the data plate in the cockpit. They are on my web site, here is the URL:
http://www.yolo.net/~jeaton/Propplanes/yak3/yak9.htm
As to the real designation of these airplanes, the data plate says YAK-9U-M followed by the serial number. This is an Allison powered airplane of course. I think there are also R-2000 powered Yak 9’s also, but I haven’t seen the data plates. In Gunston’s book "“Russian Aircraft 1875-1995”, these new Yaks are described as Yak-3UA’s, I don’t know what that is about.
If you are going to model one of these new Yaks from the ICM kits you may want to look at the canopy, I’m pretty sure the canopy, especially the sliding portion, is more bulged than the wartime Yaks, and I think there be two different shapes to the rear fixed part as well.
Here is a really nice in-flight photo from airliners.net:
