Sovietwarplanes

It seems that this kit is snap-tight no glue required variety.
(http://www.zvezda.org.ru/images/sets/7301.gif)
(http://www.zvezda.org.ru/images/sets/photoes/7301/1.gif)

I don't know about accuracy and details. If someone already has it please post pic's

From Scalemodels.ru, posted today (Oct.5) by AlexGRD (who has the kit), and translated by Google:

"New Yak-3 1 / 72

First impressions are very mixed
Firstly, for such a small model of a large number of sink marks on almost all large castings (!) That, given the small thickness unpleasant ...
Second, the hood and nipples clearly "not in motivic arc" - but it is to Moses, so do not stay out of work
Third, docking at the "snap tip" of the wing and in the center-fyuzelya not the best in terms of the subsequent sealing of cracks (in Hobbibossa joint border sheet repeats the fairing on the side).
Geometry has not yet had time to check, but apparently somehow struck by the keel - excessive "poker."
Dekalka poor thing .........

 Otherwise, nice (it of the benefits).
The first model of this type for easy assembly to children.  Solid 5+  Target achieved
Not bad for such a scale detailing the cockpit. At least it is still possible to improve the less effort than Hasyu or Hobbiboss (again, we can and ask Musa that he thinks about it).
Landing gear so no one does - the best one.
The quality of casting small detalek very, very, but that traces of the pushers .....
The price is more than adequate - 160r. The World Modeler. Again 5+ Manufacturer"

In a later post, he says he will take some photos tonight and post them in the thread on Scalemodels.ru:
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fscalemodels.ru%2Fmodules%2Fforum%2Fviewtopic_t_33970_start_80.html&act=url

Stay tuned! :D

John

Sprue images are up now; go here and scroll down to a post by "Sulla":
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic_t_33970_start_80.html

John

Hi John,
thank you for this post.
From the photos, my impression is good. Not only the cockpit and landing gear, but the cooler and exhaust pipes too  look better than the Hasegawa. Pity that the propeller is not separed from the spinner. The sink marks are all on internal surfaces. If it won't reveal other defects, it looks worth to buy.
Regards
Massimo

It looks nice enough to me.  I might have to buy one.

Regards,

Jason

Even better, now that Authentic's new Yak-1/-1b decal sheet is finalized and on its way to the printers, the author of these decals ("Foxbot") is working on Yak-3 decals as his next project:
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic_t_34010_start_0.html

John

Good news.  I like Authentic Decals; I have their IL-2 sheet (of course), and although it's fragile (you need to apply some sort of clear coat over the decals to strengthen them), it has very nice registration.

Regards,

Jason

Gentlemen,
It seems that Zvezda took "Hobby Boss' path" in terms of design and marketing philosophy-snap-tite, low cost, young modelers...
I can hardly argue with that but it definitely disappoints me. Just look at those "snap-tite" attachment points, this is NOT for a "serious modeler" (you know what I mean). And add those thick, out-of-scale landing gear covers
Anyone you ever tried to build HB kit to a decent standard knows what I'm talking about (Mig-3, most accurate, right?). Yes, we're getting closed-up, deep (?) and detailed wheel wells but marred (again) by those attachment points. Yes, low price is highly anticipated on the other had the reviewer did say that decals are... well you'd need the upcoming Authentic sheet so all advantage is gone anyhow!
I had gotten myself that "famous" and "so accurate" VES Yak-3. It's just slightly improved Heller kit which is, sorry, not even worth talking about.
Waiting for a really "modern" 1/72 Yak-3 is not over yet. I guess I'll stick to Hasegawa kit for now (and get a few more).
My hope is that Eduard upon their (very successful) return to 1/72 market will consider VVS subjects in the future.
Cheers,
Mario

mholly you're absolutely right! I am personally very disappointed with this model.
P & J  planning set for this model. How much will a set, I have not decided yet, but will.
Also pleased to report that "Behemoth" is preparing a very nice decal with 50 color options.

You make some good points, Mario. The problem with the HB Yak-3 (yes, I tried very hard to build it, accurately) is that not only is it simplified, but it is inaccurate in some ways. Even if the Zvezda kit is simplified and compromised by things like the landing gear door attachments, at least it's generally an accurate representation of the Yak-3 (or so I read on Scalemodels.ru, where it's the subject of much argument, I admit). Anyway, I like what I see so far, but I'll wait until I get the real thing in my hands before I uncork the champagne!

I hate to say it, but you (and I!) may have to wait a while if we expect much more from Eduard in 1/72 after the Hellcat. From some discussion on the 1/72 forum, it sounds like Eduard (among others) are backing off on some of their future plans to concentrate on sure sellers (read, "1/48 Bf-109E") because of economic conditions in Europe and elsewhere.


Hi Musa! It will be interesting to see what you create - one of the posts on Scalemodels.ru has a long and complicated list for you! ;) It's good to hear about the Begemot decal sheet, but I'm surprised to hear that it includes 50 options - I didn't think there would be accurate information for markings of so many Yak-3's - is it all the Yak-3, or does it include some other Yak types?

Cheers!
John

Hi John,

Only Yak-3  ;D 50 options. First they wanted to 100 options, but found only 50.  ;D

In stock now at HobbyTerra:
http://hobbyterra.com/product.asp?idProduct=4181

(Also in stock as of today is the Begemot 100-option I-16 decal sheet in 1/72 and 1/48, if you haven't got yours yet... ;) )

John

I received my Zvezda Yak-3 today; my initial response is that it's excellent! Even after looking hard at the sprue images posted on Scalemodels.ru, I was still surprised at the fineness of molding and the very delicate detail on the kit - I guess I was unconsciously expecting something rather crude, like the HobbyBoss Yak-3. Some further comments:

Overall outline accuracy: The drawings from the Skrzydla monograph "Jak-3" by Zbigniew Luranc, published in 1997, are the most accurate available; rumour has it that Luranc made these drawings based on measurements taken directly from one of the three remaining Yak-3's in existence. These drawings are available here; scroll down about halfway, to a post by BM (not the ones posted earlier on the same page by Thunderbolt):
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic_t_12929_start_60.html
Comparing the main components (fuselage halves, wings, stabilizers) to these drawings, all of the parts match perfectly. I believe there was a comment elsewhere regarding the radiator housing - this seems to match the drawings in profile, but it might be a bit narrow in plan view, 1mm or less. Hardly a "fatal flaw"! All the small parts (landing gear, cockpit components, etc.) are remarkably fine a well detailed.

Rib/fabric detail: Zvezda chose not to attempt any representation of rib detail on the control surfaces. I have no problem with that - walkaround images of the remaining Yak-3's show the fabric on these surfaces to be very tight and relatively featureless, so such detail would hardly be visible in 1/72 scale. Those who feel the necessity can create this detail by filing/sanding or perhaps by adapting the control surfaces from another 1/72 Yak kit. See this image for an example of what the Yak-3 aileron looks like in real life:
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/photo/viewcat.php?id=11685&cid=343&min=48&orderby=dateA&show=12

Sink marks: There are some sink marks due to contraction of the hot plastic after molding visible on the upper and lower surfaces of the wings, in the area where the wing thickness changes suddenly due to the way the insert which includes the wheel well openings is designed. These sink marks are very shallow; they are in a location where a coat or two of liquid filler can easily be applied and sanded down without endangering any detail.

Decals: Yes, the decals don't offer an overwhelming number of choices, and the two options that are offered have been done to death over the years, but at least they're well printed if you are content with the two options presented. These are a Normandie Niemen aircraft, Captain Marcel Albert's White 6, and a standard VVS aircraft, Lt Semen Rogovoy's White 15.

Overall, I think this kit is excellent, regardless of price. At $10 US, it's a real bargain. Despite the "snap-together" design, it's by no means a toy - Zvezda really have produced a kit which will appeal to both the beginner and the enthusiast. There's no question - this kit is, by far, the best Yak-3 available in 1/72 scale.

John

Yak-3 walkarounds:
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/photo/viewcat_cid_343.html
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/photo/viewcat.php?cid=162&orderby=date

Forum thread which includes photos of NN Yak-3's:
http://forums.airforce.ru/showthread.php?t=2629

Sounds great, John - thank you for the review.  Definitely sounds like it's worth the money.

Regards,

Jason

Hi, John.
With all due respect. I do not share your enthusiasm.

Hi Musa!  :) Ouch - please tell us what things you don't like. I know there's a list of suggested corrections in one of the threads on Scalemodels.ru, but most of these (as well as I could understand the translation) seemed minor, or possibly things I could correct myself, or even ignore (like the locating holes for the inner landing gear doors, for example). Are you planning to create any resin parts for this kit?

Cheers!
John

Edit - Here's the translated version of the comments on Scalemodels.ru:

"First impressions are very mixed
Firstly, for such a small model of a large number of sink marks on almost all large castings (!) That, given the small thickness unpleasant ...
Second, the hood and nipples clearly "not in motivic arc" - but it is to [Musa], so do not stay out of work
Third, docking at the "snap tip" of the wing and in the center-fyuzelya not the best in terms of the subsequent sealing of cracks (in Hobbibossa joint border sheet repeats the fairing on the side).
Geometry has not yet had time to check, but apparently somehow struck by the keel - excessive "poker."
Dekalka poor thing .........

Otherwise, nice (it of the benefits).
The first model of this type for easy assembly to children. Solid 5+ Target achieved
Not bad for such a scale detailing the cockpit. At least it is still possible to improve the less effort than Hasyu or Hobbiboss (again, we can and ask Musa that he thinks about it).
Landing gear so no one does - the best one.
The quality of casting small detalek very, very, but that traces of the pushers .....
The price is more than adequate - 160r. The World Modeler. Again 5+ Manufacturer"

There may be other posts in the same thread; I'll look again later. Yes, there are sink marks, but again, these are easy to repair. The fin ("keel")? It matches the drawings, so...

John

Hi John,
thank you for the review, I think that I'll buy one. Pity that the plane itself hadn't a wide variety of paint schemes, or I could have bought more.
Regards
Massimo

I hope I'm not overworking this topic! As I promised (or threatened, depending on how interested you are) in my previous post, here is another comment from Scalemodels.ru. This is really a wish-list of resin or other aftermarket upgrades, not so much direct criticism of the kit itself:

"What I would like to wish the producers aftermarketa:
1. All control surfaces "smooth." And asking for replacement of the resin: the rudder, the entire horizontal stabilizer with elevators, ailerons;
2. Propeller and spinner assembly to make a good children, but also so poorly in terms of preparation and painting. It would be better to make the blades and portable cook separately (as the Czechs recently) and it would be better to cook without a bolt or something sticking out there (for a more extended elipsovidny);
3. As already mentioned are not very accurately made the center-bottom panel - drain / vent connections the made very tentatively, and judging by Luranchu it lacks some of the hatches. It was possible, would replace the entire panel for adding resin rivets on wing tanks;
4. In the model of chassis plates issued for the provision shorter than usual.  It seems it does not matter because in the set is Tselikov doors closed position, but saw the power play and wants to set not every beginner modeler. It would be better to give the normal etching plates, including a retractable rear wing wheels and struts interior shutters;
5. No flap at all. Even if they do etching, it is not easy to choose plastic of Tselikova parts of the wing.  But all the same great flaps would be revived the model;
6. Cockpit. In principle, very good for a 72-second scale, but asks to wire and refinement pr.elementami.  Why is not there, so this frame is mounted and the very sight! That which is given under the name of the sight on the bracket is very conditional and rude. The dashboard is better to give harassment despite the fact that in the set predlgaetsya two options under the decal and embossed under the painting;
7. Bronespinku cup and obviously needs to be changed to more realistic and delicate. The set of these oak (+ seat);
8. The rear compartment zakabinny with the radio data is very conditional. Not bad, would revive a more finely detailed resin, but the truth is it's better to think of Vacuum-lantern. The rear bulletproof glass is given a smooth piece - a good idea to give etched brackets or the scope of his mount;
9. The exhaust pipes are not quite like the original "jet." The impression is that their location (paired decimation) is not quite right and they are a bit too round. It would be better to give them high-quality resin;
10. The upper part of the hood. I will not try to make any definitive conclusion, but it seems that something is wrong with rounding on the sides in front of the bonnet. Slightly more convex than have something there ... But it can be asserted only after a thorough measurement and comparison with the real plane;
11. The wheels have already released Elf;
12. Despite the proposed landing gear (by the way no one else so well and technologically did!), They can easily be cut off and the resin can be given. But it's the fans;

The parallelism of the side panels in the cockpit area and rounding bath sink easily distigayutsya shkureniem.
Decal definitely need more interesting and in the form of "sheets".

What frankly puzzled:
13. Sink marks on the wing is not "polished elementary for 5 minutes." In the picture is not visible. The problem is that in that part of the wing (center section), where the groove under the lower inset panel formed swollen bulge, and the console turned out fine and get a break on the border of center and consoles as well as along the trailing edge flaps on the line. If the center-top, was not a "bloated", it was still possible to talk about the ease of alignment, but as long as it is fraught with specific gash

In general, the shared photo that is not visible sink marks, but in fact they are everywhere! Especially they stick out at all the plane parts. Something treated, but something like the center-straining. Or, I can kind of marriage has turned up? Or the manufacturer may have to experiment with more suitable material (pellets) for casting or molding regimes? While this is an unexpected anti-record for the Stars.

Summing subtotal all the same I want to thank the Star for this model. Today it is the most geometrically precise Yak-3, and even in the budget category. It is an undoubted success! One can only hope that with this approach udast'sya "score" the Chinese fast-crafts even to theirs markets. But then the quality would have to pay a little more attention.
Thank you!"

I don't quite agree that the sink marks are "everywhere", but on the other hand, I won't pretend that eliminating the obvious ones on the wings (which I've already started to do) is enjoyable. Contrary to my previous statement, it requires more than "a coat or two of liquid filler", so I'll eat crow on that one.

I'm not sure of the apparent criticism of the flaps - the flaps are represented by recessed panel lines, as you'd expect. Maybe he is suggesting photoetched replacements?

I do agree that a resin replacement for the one-piece prop/spinner (okay, it has a separate backing plate, but the front part of the spinner and the prop blades are all one piece) would be welcome.

A better seat and seat armour ("Bronespinku")? Sure, why not, but it's not critical.

Regarding the wheels, the Elf ones, as good as they are, are almost impossible to obtain outside Russia. I don't think the kit wheels are bad, although they are not as detailed as the ones on the Dakoplast Yak-9, for example.

In any case, I'm sure the resin, photoetch, and decal guys will be all over this in no time!

John

I see on ARC that Sergey from Vector says there is a Zvezda 1/48 scale Yak-3 in the works. That is very exciting news to me, especially in the light of the quality of their other 1/48 scale models - the Bf-109F in particular.

I've been working on this kit for about 3 weeks, off and on - it's embarrassing to admit how long it's taking when 10-year-old children build it in 15 minutes! Anyway, here's an image of the cockpit detail; all of the tiny parts you can see, and some you can't, are provided with the kit - all I did was paint them. The level of detail is quite high for a 1/72 kit, I think, although my fingers aren't the best tools for handling such small things:

(http://s10.postimage.org/nll8h2l3p/Yak_3_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/nll8h2l3p/)

Gads - it really looks mucky in places when you zoom it - please don't zoom it (just kidding!). The lighter grey areas on the wings are Mr Surfacer, to fill those sink marks...  :(

The only extra detail I added to the exterior (so far) was to remove the oil cooler outlets that are molded as part of the wing undersides and replace them with ones from the VES version of the Heller Yak-3. You might also be able to see that I opened up the hole in the inner end of the wheel well and added some structural detail, although the focus is poor - I was hurrying too much! I was going to detail the wheel wells themselves, but gave up - the tiny bits of wire, etc., that I was trying to use were just too frustrating. Maybe next time! ;)

(http://s8.postimage.org/qr9ngxepd/Yak_3_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/qr9ngxepd/)

Here's something I don't like about the kit - this photo is supposed to show how the fuselage half snaps into place in the wing. For whatever reason, Zvezda chose not to use the panel lines in this area as the location for the joints between the parts. To me, it seems like this would have worked; now some careful filling and sanding will be needed to eliminate the joint lines without damaging the panel lines:

(http://s12.postimage.org/hpackd3l5/Yak_3_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/hpackd3l5/)

Comments are welcome! :D

John

Looking good, John!  Pity about that fuselage-wing join.

Regards,

Jason

Yes, a strange choice, really! However the kit seems pretty... And your work is fine. Go on!

Pascal

I spent some time over the past couple of days (after attaching the wings to the fuselage) trying to fill in those joint lines. It requires some care because in places, the line you want to fill in is only about 0.5mm away from the panel line you want to preserve. Something I'd suggest to anyone building this kit (and something I'll try myself next time) is to apply a thin layer of filler (or a thick layer of Mr Surfacer) to the joint areas just before you join the parts together. Doing this, what should happen is that the filler will squeeze out from the joint and help to fill it in, without having to do as much delicate work filling these joint lines from the outside.

John

I prefer it this way, because after puttying you scribe the panel line perpendicular to putty line. This means less trouble with putty falling out beneath your blade....

Just FYI, Olimp (distributors of Authentic Decals) are now listing the new Yak-3 decal sheet on their web site as being ready for release, so I'm hopeful it'll be available in the on-line shops by early January.

John

Hi John,
I've seen the post on this subject at Scalemodels.ru today.
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic_t_34010_start_0.html (http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic_t_34010_start_0.html)
Absolutely impressive, as a research. I was particularly surprised for the red planes.
Happy Christmas
Massimo

Got my copy of the Authentic 1/72 Yak-3 decals from Modelimex today, so I guess I'd better get back to work on this one!  :D

John