1:48 Yak-1b

Wood, steel tubes and fabric

The structure of the Yakovlev fighter was a considered compromise of a time when Soviet industry did not have enough light alloys. The load-bearing frame of the fuselage was made of welded steel tubes, the wing was wooden with a plywood skin and the rear part of the fuselage was covered by a layer of fabric. The result was built quickly, could be repaired even at a field airstrip with ordinary carpenter's tools, and stood up to conditions in which more delicate machinery would have stopped. Production ran until the summer of 1944 and the machine served along the whole length of the Eastern Front.

What was painted next to the star

The national marking was compulsory; everything else was an expression of the particular crew or unit. Guards regiments carried a badge with a wreath on the fuselage, pilots added personal symbols, kills were recorded on the side as rows of small stars, and not rarely an inscription appeared referring to the public collection the machine came from. The French volunteer regiment flying Yakovlevs added a tricolor to the propeller spinner. For the modeler that means the decisions do not end with the marking: it is the second layer of marking that gives the model a name and a story.

Box contents

The enclosed decals complement the sprayed insignia and the cockpit masks fit outside and inside. Always spray onto a thoroughly cured base, otherwise a fresh coat tears when the film is peeled off. On a wooden airframe it pays to smooth the surface with fine abrasive paper so that the structure of the plastic does not print through under the mask. The bag contains neither paints nor glue.