Yakovlev Yak-9 family, SIGNUM 1/48
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-9BoxArt.jpg
Background
The Yakovlev Yak-9 was a single-engine fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union in World War II and after. Fundamentally a lighter development of the Yak-7 with the same armament, it arrived at the front at the end of 1942. The Yak-9 was the most mass-produced Soviet fighter of all time. It remained in production from 1942 to 1948, with 16,769 built (14,579 during the war). It was used by North Korea in the Korean War.
Yak-9T - armed with a 37 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 cannon with 30 rounds instead of the 20 mm ShVAK, had the cockpit moved 0.4 m (1 ft 3 in) back to compensate for the heavier nose. Initially poor quality control led to multiple oil and coolant leaks from cannon recoil. Recoil and limited supply of ammunition required accurate aiming and two-three round bursts. Yak-9T was widely used against enemy shipping on the Black Sea and against tanks, but was also successful against aircraft with a single cannon hit usually sufficient to tear apart the target. The time needed to turn a complete circle in combat: 18-19 sec.
Yak-9K - modified with a 45 mm NS-45 cannon with 29 rounds and a distinctive muzzle brake to deal with the massive recoil. Firing the cannon at speeds below 350 km/h (220 mph) caused dramatic loss of control and tossed the pilot back and forth in the cockpit, however accurate shooting was possible at higher speeds and in 2-3 round bursts. The recoil also caused numerous oil and coolant leaks. The heavy cannon installation degraded performance sufficiently to require fighter escort. Yak-9K saw only limited use due to unreliability of the NS-45.
Yak-9D - long-range version of Yak-9, fuel capacity increased from 440 l (115 US gal) to 650 l (170 US gal) giving a maximum range of 1,360 km (845 miles). Combat usefulness at full range was limited by lack of radio navigation equipment, and a number of aircraft were used as short-range fighters with fuel carried only in inner wing tanks. The time to complete a circle in combat: 19-20 sec. Weight of fire: 2 kg (4.4 lb)/sec.
Yak-9M - Yak-9D with the cockpit moved 0.4 m (1 ft 4 in) to the rear like on Yak-9T, numerous fixes and improvements based on experience with previous versions.
------------------------------------
Model
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-901.jpg
A few years ago the Polish company SIGNUM issued on market a series of Yak-9 models in 1/48 scale, including versions-9: M, D, DD, K, and T. The model is really a mix of ICM sprues and new decals printed by Techmod.
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-903.jpg
The model consists of a dozen parts cast from green plastic. Molded parts are clean, with no shifts and flash. Panel lines are delicate and engraved. The texture and quality of the material makes you want to begin construction. The quality and the details of elements is satisfying, although does not overly done - thanks to this a model will be a good choice for a beginner and advanced modelers (this last one will receive a good base for enhancements and modifications). A nice feature is the possibility to build the model with an open engine compartment. The aileron and rudder are separate and can be mounted in any position as well. Glass elements are clear and transparent. The test fitting of the main parts suggest that putty, files and sanding will be minimal and limited to cosmetic improvements and filling small gaps.
Decals and assembly instructions.
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-904.jpg
At first view, the decals look good - they are delicate and cleanly printed. The print quality matches the new, higher quality introduced by Techmod from some time with success. Nevertheless I suggest caution - several times Techmod surprised me in a not so positive manner.
The instructions are printed on both sides of a big sheet. The first page incudes the paint schemes and a brief description of the aircraft (the history and technical data) and the second is a assembly chart shown on 9 drawings. Assembly is illustrated clearly and logically - building the model should not be a problem. Since the manual was originally prepared for the "T" version, the other variants have a separate sheet with dedicated paint schemes. Signum specifies colors based on three references: Pactra, Humbrol and Federal Standard, which is a a tremendous advantage for modelers.
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-905.jpg
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-906.jpg
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-907.jpg
Summary
The model is still in sales, but its availability is slowly becoming difficult to find - no doubt due to the attractive price, the model cost around 10-15$USD. PART of Poland has released a PE detail set dedicated to this kit. For very little money, we can build a correct model of one of the aircraft piloted by "Stalin's Falcons".
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-9BoxArt.jpg
Background
The Yakovlev Yak-9 was a single-engine fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union in World War II and after. Fundamentally a lighter development of the Yak-7 with the same armament, it arrived at the front at the end of 1942. The Yak-9 was the most mass-produced Soviet fighter of all time. It remained in production from 1942 to 1948, with 16,769 built (14,579 during the war). It was used by North Korea in the Korean War.
Yak-9T - armed with a 37 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 cannon with 30 rounds instead of the 20 mm ShVAK, had the cockpit moved 0.4 m (1 ft 3 in) back to compensate for the heavier nose. Initially poor quality control led to multiple oil and coolant leaks from cannon recoil. Recoil and limited supply of ammunition required accurate aiming and two-three round bursts. Yak-9T was widely used against enemy shipping on the Black Sea and against tanks, but was also successful against aircraft with a single cannon hit usually sufficient to tear apart the target. The time needed to turn a complete circle in combat: 18-19 sec.
Yak-9K - modified with a 45 mm NS-45 cannon with 29 rounds and a distinctive muzzle brake to deal with the massive recoil. Firing the cannon at speeds below 350 km/h (220 mph) caused dramatic loss of control and tossed the pilot back and forth in the cockpit, however accurate shooting was possible at higher speeds and in 2-3 round bursts. The recoil also caused numerous oil and coolant leaks. The heavy cannon installation degraded performance sufficiently to require fighter escort. Yak-9K saw only limited use due to unreliability of the NS-45.
Yak-9D - long-range version of Yak-9, fuel capacity increased from 440 l (115 US gal) to 650 l (170 US gal) giving a maximum range of 1,360 km (845 miles). Combat usefulness at full range was limited by lack of radio navigation equipment, and a number of aircraft were used as short-range fighters with fuel carried only in inner wing tanks. The time to complete a circle in combat: 19-20 sec. Weight of fire: 2 kg (4.4 lb)/sec.
Yak-9M - Yak-9D with the cockpit moved 0.4 m (1 ft 4 in) to the rear like on Yak-9T, numerous fixes and improvements based on experience with previous versions.
------------------------------------
Model
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-901.jpg
A few years ago the Polish company SIGNUM issued on market a series of Yak-9 models in 1/48 scale, including versions-9: M, D, DD, K, and T. The model is really a mix of ICM sprues and new decals printed by Techmod.
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-903.jpg
The model consists of a dozen parts cast from green plastic. Molded parts are clean, with no shifts and flash. Panel lines are delicate and engraved. The texture and quality of the material makes you want to begin construction. The quality and the details of elements is satisfying, although does not overly done - thanks to this a model will be a good choice for a beginner and advanced modelers (this last one will receive a good base for enhancements and modifications). A nice feature is the possibility to build the model with an open engine compartment. The aileron and rudder are separate and can be mounted in any position as well. Glass elements are clear and transparent. The test fitting of the main parts suggest that putty, files and sanding will be minimal and limited to cosmetic improvements and filling small gaps.
Decals and assembly instructions.
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-904.jpg
At first view, the decals look good - they are delicate and cleanly printed. The print quality matches the new, higher quality introduced by Techmod from some time with success. Nevertheless I suggest caution - several times Techmod surprised me in a not so positive manner.
The instructions are printed on both sides of a big sheet. The first page incudes the paint schemes and a brief description of the aircraft (the history and technical data) and the second is a assembly chart shown on 9 drawings. Assembly is illustrated clearly and logically - building the model should not be a problem. Since the manual was originally prepared for the "T" version, the other variants have a separate sheet with dedicated paint schemes. Signum specifies colors based on three references: Pactra, Humbrol and Federal Standard, which is a a tremendous advantage for modelers.
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-905.jpg
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-906.jpg
/images/articles/Dewertus/yak9/SignumYak-907.jpg
Summary
The model is still in sales, but its availability is slowly becoming difficult to find - no doubt due to the attractive price, the model cost around 10-15$USD. PART of Poland has released a PE detail set dedicated to this kit. For very little money, we can build a correct model of one of the aircraft piloted by "Stalin's Falcons".