1:72 Jak-1 (Yak-1) wheel bay plugs (for Zvezda)

Covering the wheel bays of the Yak-1 fighter in 1:72 scale

A small but immensely useful aid. The wheel bays of a model are painted differently from the outer skin and tend to be finished before the camouflage comes in turn. These shaped covers are set into the openings, close them, and after spraying are taken out again. This does away with packing with paper and adhesive tape, which in a small scale never holds where it should. The target kit is Zvezda.

The Yakovlev Yak-1 in brief

The Yak-1 was the first production fighter aircraft of Alexander Yakovlev's design bureau, and at the moment of the German attack it was the Soviet Air Force's hope for modern machines. It was built from a welded tubular frame completed with wood and plywood, which was a great advantage during the war, because it did without light alloys that were in short supply. It was powered by a liquid-cooled twelve-cylinder engine, and the main weapon fired through the hub of the propeller reduction gear. From the same basis a whole line of further types later grew, which over the Eastern Front became the most numerous fighters of all.

When to fit the covers

First paint the bays and let them cure properly. Only then set the covers in, so that they do not stick to fresh paint. Before spraying, check that they sit level with the surrounding skin, otherwise a step will arise at the edge. Once the camouflage is finished, take them out carefully, best of all with the point of a wooden stick, so that the edge of the finish is not damaged.

Who it suits

• Builders of Soviet fighters of the Second World War
• Those who spray with an airbrush and deal with exact boundaries
• Modelers working in a small scale
• Those interested in clean work without paint running in

The accessory is supplied on its own; the model is not part of it.