DaveCov's Airfix 1/72 Yakovlev Yak-9D (01034-6)

[davecov]

Here is my third entry for the 2023 Karl & Andrew Soviet Wingy Thing GB, the Airfix 1/72 Yakovlev Yak-9D (01034-6). My thanks to them for hosting this GB.

This particular boxing is a blister pack version. The artwork:

The parts are moulded in a light blue plastic but I won't be revealing the contents until my next post:

The painting profile:

Assembly Sections One and Two:

Assembly Section Three, General instructions and a Potted History of the Yak-9D:

That's all for now

Dave

 

[Mini Me]

Be careful Dave, not to get yer Yaks mixed up.....I don't think the 3's and 9's will interchange parts.

 

[Geoffers]

That’s a blast from the past Dave good luck with the build

Geoff.

 

[davecov]

Be careful Dave, not to get yer Yaks mixed up.....I don't think the 3's and 9's will interchange parts.

Just to be on the safe side, Rick, I have kept my Mistercraft Yak-1b in my stash for now as things could have got really complicated.

Dave

 

[davecov]

Time to break open the blister pack now.

Parts are moulded in light blue plastic. There is a lot of flash and seams which will require a lot of cleaning up:

There are few parts with the cockpit detail consisting of just a seat so I will add an instrument panel and cockpit tub based on the one in the Yak-3 kit I am currently making. The wheels are naff so I will replace them with aftermarket resin ones:

There is a single-piece cockpit transparency and a stand. The decals are in register but due to their age, there is a lot of yellowing that will require a few days under a UV lamp:

The aftermarket resin wheels are from ResKit (RS72-0030):

All parts were removed from the runners. To avoid confusion later on, the tailplanes were marked to show port and starboard:

It took a mammoth cleaning-up session to get the parts ready for assembly:

That's all for now

Dave

 

[adt70hk]

At this rate you'll have three done before I finish my first!!

ATB.

Andrew

 

[Jim R]

By 'eck Dave that kit's going back a bit - 1960s?
Having said that you've got the experience to get a good result and a bit of aftermarket and scratching will help. There is a real sense of achievement when you can get a satisfying result from such a geriatric kit.

 

[davecov]

At this rate you'll have three done before I finish my first!!

ATB.

Andrew

I only wish that could be true, Andrew. Sadly, the effort required to clean up the parts has had an adverse effect on my hands, especially the fingers. I am taking a break from the builds for a couple of days so that I can recover.

By 'eck Dave that kit's going back a bit - 1960s?
Having said that you've got the experience to get a good result and a bit of aftermarket and scratching will help. There is a real sense of achievement when you can get a satisfying result from such a geriatric kit.

Jim, the original poly-bag release of this kit was in 1963, only 4 years before the Fiat G50.bis that I completed a few days ago. With that particular build I could get away without any cockpit detailing as it would have been hidden. That is not the case with this Yak-9D!

Dave

 

[davecov]

After a little break from modelling to rest my hands, I got back to work.

Filler was applied to a couple of ejector pin marks within the wheel bay areas. The resin wheels were drilled and the kit axles cut down to size. I also glued the locating pin for the propeller inside the hub and the exhausts were fitted:

I knocked up a basic cockpit tub based on the Yak 3 model I am also building. I also fitted some plastic card inside the under fuselage radiator to block out daylight:

A little extra detail added to the cockpit area and seat back:

The kit pilot figure was very poor and impossible to fit into the cockpit without breaking his legs and back so I dug out an old already-painted figure from the spares box. Even so, I had to cut away his backside so that he would sit low enough:

The chin radiator area is nothing but a big hole so I filled it with plastic card:

The wing halves were glued together and then it was time for some painting. The interior was given a first coat of H31 Matt Slate Grey:

That's all for now

Dave

 

[adt70hk]

Looking good Dave! Pressed to hear your hands are a bit better.

Andrew

 

[davecov]

Thanks Andrew.

Latest update.

The fuselage halves are ready for glueing together. Since taking this photo, I have modified the pilot figure slightly so that he doesn't sit so far back and prevent the canopy from fitting correctly:

The fuselage halves have been glued together but the join on the underside requires a lot of filler. The wing/fuselage joins were not good underneath but I filled the gaps with plastic card:

Joins on the top were not so bad though and the wing roots topside didn't need any filler at all:

The plastic card on the underside has been cut back and all filler sanded. The kit tailwheel doors were way too thick so I have replaced them with plastic card:

The main undercarriage legs and wheels have been glued as have the main undercarriage doors:

That's all for now.

Dave

 

[Mini Me]

Great progress on this one Dave.....thinking all the add ons and conversions are going to bump this up more than a couple of notches.

 

[davecov]

Painting time.

I brush painted a first coat of H29 Matt Dark Earth. It is very streaky and will require at least two more coats:

The first coat of the other camouflage color of H116 Matt US Dark Green was applied:

Second coat of H29 Matt Dark Earth:

That was followed by the second coat of H116 Matt US Dark Green. Both colours will require one more coat:

You may recall that the kit decals were yellowed but having been under a UV lamp for almost two weeks, they look almost new:

That's all for now.

Dave

 

[davecov]

It has been a very hard week trying to model but I have made a lot of progress.

Having put three coats of camouflage on the top, I painted the first coat of H65 Matt Aircraft Blue:

Followed by a second coat:

It was at this point that I glued the resin tailwheel in place. More on that later:

The canopy was glued in place:

Third coat of H65 Matt Aircraft Blue was applied. During the painting, I dropped the plane and the resin tailwheel flew off into the sunset, somewhere...:

The canopy had an unsightly gap on the starboard side which I filled with plastic card strip and painted:

I decided to add aerial rigging which I found very difficult to fit due to my finger problems. It was a wasted effort as later on in the build it broke:

The plane was Kleared for decalling:

The decals were not too good which wasn't a surprise seeing as they are over 40 years old. I fitted the propeller but I have a bit more painting, weathering and varnishing to do before I can call this build finished:

I am now taking a few days break from the modelling bench and will finish this build next week.

That's all for now.

Dave

 

[stillp]

Very good brush work Dave.
Pete

 

[adt70hk]

That's come nicely indeed Dave, despite the problems.

I always struggle with the radio wire too.

Keep up the good work.

Andrew

 

[davecov]

My final update for this build.

I applied weathering and a coat of light sheen varnish. It is now finished:

Thanks again to Karl and Andrew for hosting this group build.

Dave

 

[Tworrs]

Brilliant Dave.

 

[adt70hk]

Again, nicely done Dave!! Thanks for your contributions. Hope you're hands are ok?

ATB

Andrew

 

[davecov]

Thanks Andrew.

My hands have been okay for some long periods over the past week and I am managing to get quite a bit of modelling done. Big day tomorrow though as I start on Methotrexate which I am hoping will improve my RA, greatly.

Dave