Trumpeter Yak-18 "Max", Finished!!! Options

[LSP_Ray]

OK, I am going to try this quickie thing again. So far, my attempts have been abysmal failures...and I am supposed to be working on two decal projects, but I gotta get some modeling time in, right???

Anyway, here is Trumpeter's Yak-18 "Max":


It retails for $49.99, just making the limit, but I actually picked it up on sale for like $25, and I think you can still get it for that at GMW. I think this a/c is just a little esoteric and did not sell well, at least here in the states. It's pretty darn ugly, too, really.

I will be building it as a "Bed-check Charlie" night harassment bomber from the Korean War. As such, it will carry North Korean markings.

[LSP_Dave]

Cool! Welcome to the group!

Gotta say though, that is one ugly aircraft. One of those 'so ugly it's cool' examples!

[Allok]

I think this a/c is just a little esoteric and it's pretty darn ugly.

I would tend to agree with you.

But this could be the start of a great Russian line up from Trumpeter so probably a good one to collect/build.(Good price too)

Great to see you try a GB again, maybe one of us will get something finished this time.

Good luck,
Keith.

[Buzz1941]

The engine is great on this model. The overall fit is good and the clear canopy shows everything in the cockpit. You'll need to add hydraulic lines to the gear.

The biggest problem is lack of references. Since dozens of countries used this thing, you'd think there'd be some small-air-forces alternative schemes, but nada ....

[LSP_Ray]

The engine is great on this model. The overall fit is good and the clear canopy shows everything in the cockpit. You'll need to add hydraulic lines to the gear.

The biggest problem is lack of references. Since dozens of countries used this thing, you'd think there'd be some small-air-forces alternative schemes, but nada ....

Arghhh!!!!!! I am not listening, not listening!!!!

My plan is to ignore everything and build it SOB per IPMS rules. The only thing I am adding is Tamiya tape seatbelts.

You are correct though, it has a nice cockpit, a nice engine that no one will ever see, and every thing so far fits pretty darn good!

Hope to have some pics up tomorrow.

[Buzz1941]

I actually like this model a lot, even with the PE control connections. I'd build a passel of them if I could get some refs. Let's see, the users include
Albania
Algeria
Bangladesh
Bulgaria
Cambodia
China
Czechoslovakia
East Germany
Egypt
Guinea
Hungary
Iraq
Laos
Mali
Mongolia
North Korea
Poland
Romania
Somalia
Soviet Union
Syria
Turkmenistan
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia

[LSP_Ray]

OK, here is a couple of pics of the cockpit:

Instructions called for an interior color of Interior Blue, but I used a grayer tone, Soviet Interior Grey Primer. Technically it is a wood primer from WWII, but looked better to me compared to color photos of MiG-15 interior of Korean War time frame. I also used USN Blue-Gray for tonal variation. Instrument panel was called out as Steel, I used Nato Black with an overspray of Nato Black mixed with some white. Dull aluminum scratches, detail color, and a wash of Burnt Sienna with a finishing coat of Humbrol Matte finished it up.

[LSP_Ray]

Here are a couple more pics with the cockpit in place in a half of the fuselage:


Note the belts are simply Tamiya tape painted German AFV Dark Yellow, then hit with the Burnt Sienna wash.
Next up, the engine!!

[Allok]

That interior is fantastic! Worth 25 bucks on it's own.
Even the seats aren't terrible.

By the way, Ray... The theme is under 50 Dollars, not under 50 hours!

Excellent work.

[LSP_Dave]

By the way, Ray... The theme is under 50 Dollars, not under 50 hours!

That cockpit looks terrific Ray! No need for AM bits when you can do all that with a kit and some paint.

[LSP_Ray]

Yes, it is a very nice cockpit right out of the box!! It wouldn't hurt to add some cabling, and replace some detail on the sidewalls as it is quite flat. But that would defeat the purpose of this build, wouldn't it?

Interestingly, Trumpeter offers PE options for most of the levers, but I thought the plastic ones looked much better, the PE stuff was awefully two dimentional. And the plastic parts looked really petite and detailed to me!

[Sabre F-86]

Nice work on the pit, I'm looking forward to seeing the engine. Does that kit come with a removable cowling? Round engines look so nice when done up to the 9s.

Sabre

[LSP_Ray]

Ray,

Peterson, any Swedish conections?

That tube looks like a winner on it´s own...Can´t really wait for the rest...think you need to stay home from work today my friend?
Cheers
Ted

Thanks, Ted! And yes, there is a Swedish connection!!! From my grandfather's side, his family emigrated from Sweden in late 1800's. I am actually only 4th or 5th generation Peterson. Before that we were 'Svenson', and 'Bengston' and who knows what else! Many of the old family photos my grandfather had were taken at a Stockholm photographer's studio. Wouldn't mind visiting Sweden someday myself.

Nice work on the pit, I'm looking forward to seeing the engine. Does that kit come with a removable cowling? Round engines look so nice when done up to the 9s.

Sabre

The kit does not come with a removable cowling. They provide a clear one if you want to display the detail. No thanks. So my photos of the completed engine will be the only record as very, very little of it will be seen after I close it in. Hopefully I will have pics by the end of the weekend. Will be dicey, the exhausts will be tricky as they don't have real positive location and have to be near perfect to fit properly through the slots in the cowling. So it has been a little slow going on finishing it up.

[LSP_Ray]

Finally! Here is the engine:



I didn't do anything exciting to the kit engine - actually I didn't do anything, it is completely OOB! Only thing I did was to drill out the exhaust openings more.
I painted most of it with Tamiya Light Gunmetal out of the spray can. Some of it is Dark Gunmetal for a bit of contrast, plust a little bit of detail painting. The intake piping was done in Dark Iron, while the exhausts are Red Brown with a bit of oil wash plus rust colored pigments added while the wash was still wet.
I didn't go overboard with it at all, as a matter of fact, some of it isn't even painted! So little shows after I plug it in, I pretty much just made sure anything that would be visible is covered. I did add a wash on the cylinders plus a silver dry-brush on the front side.
It was a bit of an interesting build, as it fits so tightly in the cowl! It took quite a bit of dry fitting to make sure I can get it in there and the exhausts to all line up after I am done as the exhausts don't have a real positive key for location.

Kind of too bad I didn't have two engines, or that Trumpeter didn't provide a couple of 'face' parts so you could put the full engine on a stand beside the plane!

Next up, fitting it all together!!!

[Dave Pratt]

Ray I have this kit as well and you're doing an excellent job with it.Really makes me want to get this one going...nice work on the cockpit...cheers