Alanger 1/72 Yak-9

[John Thompson]

Okay, I'm bored...? Yesterday I picked up the Alanger 1/72 Yak-9 (kit No.072001). I was about 99% sure it would be just a reboxing of the old and not-very-accurate ICM Yak-9 (one of ICM's first kits; maybe even the very first), and I was right. The reason I bought it anyway, though, was because I hoped the decals might be good. They are not to the same standard as AML, for example, but they are not bad. Very thin, and will require careful handling or even a coat of Squadron Liquid Decal Film or a similar product before using them. A slight bit of yellowing is visible on the clear film. Three options, all fairly well-known and all identified as Yak-9D's in the artwork on the back of the box:
(1) Mikhail Grib's "White 22", 6th Guards Fighter Regiment, with HSU and Guards nose emblems, reasonably well printed for 1/72 scale
(2) "White 31", from the same squadron, and seen flying in formation with Grib in many photos (possibly Grib's wingman? Or even wingwoman, with my full respect for the many brave female VVS pilots who fought during the GPW!)
(3) "White 930", 976th Fighter Regiment

Several excellent air-to-air photos of Grib in formation with other 6 GIAP aircraft (including "White 31"), taken by wartime photographer Evgeni Khaldey, can be found among the photos here:
http://fotosoyuz.ru/en/catalog/&vqFrnepu=1129371228&cntvat_pheCntr=2&cntvat_fgneg=0&png=651996?cat=418864&newSearchFlag=1
(But no Grib Yak-9U, although maybe I should look again!)

John

[Dark Green Man]

from those nice folks at Bellabs.Ru we get this :
(translated by Babelfish so it is not that good)

Destroyers Yak-9. 3-4 Squadrons Of the 6th Of GvIAP VVS Of Black Sea Fleet. They pilot:
№"22" - GSS Grib Mikhail Ivanovich (17 personal victories)
№"31" - Voronov Vladimir Ivanovich
№"2'" - GSS Of Belozerov Ivan Pavlovich (8 personal victories on April of 1944 g.)
№"20" - V. Akulov Sevastopol region, May of 1944. Photos: KHALDEY YE.A.
 
 Yes, the number 31 machine was piloted by Grib's wingman.

[/color]

[John Thompson]

Thanks, DGM - no sign of a photo of Grib's Yak-9U there, by any chance??

John

[Dave]

Ah yes! I made this one, and in retrospect it wasn't a very good yak-9. Didn't even come with as many decals as the instructions mentioned. Did the ICM boxing come with more of a selection?

Oh and BTW, is there a good injection La-5fn kit (for under 20 pounds) about? I have the revell/italeri, and will buy again if necessary but really would appreciate any improvement. I would never consider brutalising the Eduard La-7 to make an La-5 (I have neither the skill or knowledge of the plane).

The only La-5 (razorback, 1/72) kit I ever found was by Gran, and the crappy plastic wouldn't even glue together with poly cement    I kept the big tiger mouth decals though.

Any help appreciated John 

[John Thompson]

The better 1/72 La-5FN (versus the Italeri/Revell La-5FN) is the KP kit; despite its age, it's reasonably accurate. If you check the following thread, you'll also see that Jan from Avalon Decals has some future intentions for an improved reissue of this kit:
http://sovietwarplanes.com/board/index.php?topic=247.15

PS - This kit was also reissued by Amodel. It's the KP kit, but in an Amodel box. Look here:
http://www.modelimex.com/inshop/scripts/detail.asp?itemid=19549&Level=398

Otherwise, there is expected to be a series of 1/72 La-5 kits from AML, based on their La-5UTI, with different fuselage parts depending on whether the version is La-5, La-5F, or La-5FN. I suspect these will be *much* more expensive than the KP La-5FN, and, based on what I see with the La-5UTI, not necessarily any more accurate. So, right now, the best and least expensive choice is still the KP La-5FN. Considering the sudden interest in the La-5 in 1/48 scale lately, maybe ICM or someone will take the hint and *finally* we will have new, accurate La-5-series kits in 1/72 scale (new, accurate 1/72 Yak-1b and I-153 kits would also be very welcome!).

John

[Dark Green Man]

if I ever find a photo of Grib's Yak-9U I'll let you know.

the Dakoplast Yak-9 is an excellent kit that I would recommend to anyone.
it's available in early versions (D,B,R) and late ones (K,T, DD,M)
and is available under the Modelist and Eastern Express boxes,the ICM kit is also re-boxed by Encore so don't buy that if you don't like the ICM kit.
the EE boxing has some decals of 'questionable' quality but, the Dako and Modelist have pretty good ones.

I have an extra set of ICM decals and the instructions to go with them if you are interested.
or is it too late ?
(10 machines on the decal sheet)

I can also completely agree that we need a new and accurate Yak-1b in 1/72 , Amodel released a nice early (and mid-)Yak-1 but it's hard to find decals for those...
yes , a new and accurate I-153 Chaika would also be nice.

[John Thompson]

I can also completely agree that we need a new and accurate Yak-1b in 1/72 , Amodel released a nice early (and mid-)Yak-1 but it's hard to find decals for those...
yes , a new and accurate I-153 Chaika would also be nice.

The more things change, the more they stay the same... Note that this post is four years old, and still no new 1/72 Yak-1b or I-153!

if I ever find a photo of Grib's Yak-9U I'll let you know.

Here's one, or so it appears:



Sad to see it in this condition, but better than nothing. Compared to profiles, this seems to show some differences - fewer (or no) kill markings, unless they've worn off due to weathering; no HSU star emblem (that I can see, anyway); and what appears to be a white rose emblem on the panel behind the exhaust stacks - a tribute to Lydia Litvyak, perhaps, or am I being too romantic?   

Anyway, I'm actually building the Alanger kit after all these years; it's just as bad as I thought, but with some work it seems to be turning out not too badly. Maybe I'll post some images sometime; I only intended this as sort of an experiment and I didn't want to try to describe all the little, annoying things that are wrong, but now (once again) it's become an AMS-afflicted obsession... 

John