1:72 Yak-9 vacuumed clear canopy (Zvezda)

A clear cockpit canopy for the Yak-9 in 1:72

A vacuum-formed part of thin transparent film replaces the injected canopy, which even on a good model tends to be noticeable by its thick wall and slight distortion. The thin material makes it possible to build the cockpit slid open and at the same time lets the work done inside the fuselage stand out. It is based on the dimensions of the Zvezda kit.

The most numerous Soviet fighter

Yakovlev's Yak-9 grew out of an older line of light fighters and from 1942 became the most widespread Soviet fighter aircraft of the Second World War. The construction combined a metal spar with a wooden skin, which simplified production in the conditions of evacuated factories. Many versions came about, from light machines for combat over the front to a version with large tanks for escorting bombers and a variant with a gun passing through the engine's hub. Pilots praised the type above all for its agility at low altitudes, where most of the duels on the Eastern Front took place.

Recommended procedure

Cut the part out with a margin, sand the edge on a glass plate with fine paper and try the seating as you go. A short bath in polish or a thin coat of clear varnish will revive the transparency. It is glued either with a special adhesive for glazing, which leaves no clouding, or with clear varnish itself. Mask the frames with thin tape and lay the paint on in really thin coats.

Who the accessory will help

• builders who want the cockpit slid open
• modelers working with an accessory interior
• more experienced builders who do not mind cutting out and sanding
• those interested in cleaner optics for the glazing