ICM Yak-9T

[Dpgsbody55]

My next project will be ICM's Yak-9T.

 

 

I've also bought some Eduard etch as well as their Brassin exhaust set. 

 

 

Here's a look at what's in the box.  Firstly, the clear parts.

 

 

Wings.

 

 

Fuselage bits.

 

 

Detail sprues.

 

 

 

The kit includes a representation of the Klimov V12 engine and it must be built as this is how the propeller mounts.  You have a choice as to how you build it; either detailed with the upper cowlings off, or bare basics with engine cowling closed.  I always like to see what powers the plane, but I also like to have the option to close it up so this will make me put on my thinking cap as to how I could achieve this.

 

The Yak-9 is slightly bigger than the Yak-3, and it may fit into a Trumpeter display case, so that may be an option too.  Here's a picture of my SH Yak-3 against the wings on this kit.

 

 

There are four options for markings provided OOB.  I'd like to paint this in the mid war VVs camo scheme of green/black topsides, which is provided for in the kit.  I'm going to look around for something different but unfortunately Begemot, who did the decals on my Yak-3 haven't yet done a set for the Yak-9.  I may be able to use some of the markings left over from the Yak-3 build, so who knows what I'll do eventually.  However, a quick internet search hasn't revealed anything so far.

 

Nothing has yet happened on this build, but I'll probably start painting the inside bits tonight.  I'm hoping that this will be another very enjoyable ICM kit, as all the others built so far have been.  More soon, I hope.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

[dennismcc]

Nice one, will be following with interest as mine is sitting on a shelf just above my head and I have 3 Yaks in my display cabinet (2x1b and a 3).

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[BarryWilliams]

I have one of these with some aftermarket in the post. I don't expect to start my build for a while yet so I will be looking in on this one. 

[Steve Eagle]

I have started mine, and I am very impressed. Pretty simple build in my opinion. Have only added seatbelts to this point. Paint is on, but on hold with doing markings.  Waiting, hopefully, for some aftermarket decals. 

[themongoose]

11 hours ago, Dpgsbody55 said:

The kit includes a representation of the Klimov V12 engine and it must be built as this is how the propeller mounts.  You have a choice as to how you build it; either detailed with the upper cowlings off, or bare basics with engine cowling closed.  I always like to see what powers the plane, but I also like to have the option to close it up so this will make me put on my thinking cap as to how I could achieve this.

They make some pretty small neodymium magnets now. That would be a possibility to open and close it. Looks like you could nearly hide something 1mm or so in diameter 

[nmayhew]

I remember a 1/48 kit I had and the undercarriage and wheel wells were just so bare 

 

I’d be interested to see what they have done in these areas compared to some detailed pics of the real thing

 

best of luck with the build

[scvrobeson]

Good to see someone building one of these. Been interested to see how it goes together.  Best of luck

 

 

Matt 

[Dpgsbody55]

On 11/24/2022 at 7:32 PM, MARU5137 said:

Michael 

Ooh How lovely   

I like this aircraft and its history. 

Look forward to following your build with much enthusiasm. 

 

Here I have gotten these links in MY favorites..

 

Yakovlev Yak-9 Modeler's Online Reference
https://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/yak-9/yak-9_all.shtml

 

 

 

https://www.net-maquettes.com/pictures/yakovlev-yak-9-walkaround/

 

 

Thanks.  Those ore very useful links.  I like the cutaways too.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

[Dpgsbody55]

On 11/24/2022 at 9:42 PM, Steve Eagle said:

I have started mine, and I am very impressed. Pretty simple build in my opinion. Have only added seatbelts to this point. Paint is on, but on hold with doing markings.  Waiting, hopefully, for some aftermarket decals. 

 

Yeah, it looks to be typical ICM - well detailed and great parts fit.  I'm sure my etch addon set will complicate that, though.. 

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

[Dpgsbody55]

On 11/25/2022 at 12:18 AM, themongoose said:

They make some pretty small neodymium magnets now. That would be a possibility to open and close it. Looks like you could nearly hide something 1mm or so in diameter 

 

I'm not yet sure if it's a question of the cowlings not being able to stay on if you fit all the parts provided, or whether it's more of a case of you can fit the bare minimum and close it up, or fit the details and never be able to fit the cowlings.  The instructions are like this for a closed set of cowlings:

 

 

Or like this if you want to display the engine, with the cowlings left off:

 

 

I suspect it's steps 28 and 29 that will cause the issues with your choices here.  I'm also a bit surprised that the 12.7mm machine gun shown in step 30 isn't common to both options, as it should be visible through the aperture in the front cowl, however you choose to build this.

 

My present thinking is that I'm going to build the fuselage, then the engine to step 20 but not fit it yet.  The I'll build the wings and attach them to the fuselage, then trial fit the engine followed by trial fitting part A8 as shown in step 29.  Next, I'll try some of the other bits in sequence until I can no longer fit the cowlings, and see what causes problems.  I don't yet see that the ammo m boxes in steps 32 to 34 should cause any problems with the cowlings, so they'll go in anyway.

 

Magnets may help if I stick one in parts E36 and E37 and another on the cowl underside.  Either way, I think I'll build it and paint it without the engine.  That way, I can add the exhausts after painting then add the engine in whatever form I go with as part of final assembly, and that should simplify masking.  You'd think .

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

[Dpgsbody55]

On 11/25/2022 at 5:12 PM, nmayhew said:

I remember a 1/48 kit I had and the undercarriage and wheel wells were just so bare 

 

I’d be interested to see what they have done in these areas compared to some detailed pics of the real thing

 

best of luck with the build

 

The wheel wells look pretty basic by today's standards, though there is some detail molded onto the upper surfaces and side walls.  I've added some etch to these and the Eduard set does have some pipework to add here, but I suspect that the real thing was pretty basic anyway.  The Russians didn't have high power V12's thanks to their fuel being even lower grade than Germany's at that time, so size and weight had to be kept down to make their planes effective, which they certainly became.  This also meant simplicity too.  As Colin Chapman said, "add lightness".

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

[Dpgsbody55]

Not a lot to report so far.  I've been adding etch to various parts so that I can start painting.  This is the tail wheel area in the fuselage.  The etch kit has a roof for this section, but I have no idea yet how to attach it securely so I may/may not get added later if I can manoeuver it into place without making a mess.

 

 

Wing spar and rear wall of the undercarriage bay.

 

 

Some more of the undercarriage bay.

 

 

Then I painted everything I could in light gray, as per the primer used in many of the factories that built this.

 

 

That's it so far.  I'll be starting on the cockpit next.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

[Dpgsbody55]

After some hours working on this, there's a little more progress.  I started working on both left and right consoles for the cockpit.  As is usually the case with Eduaurd etch, all the detail needs to be removed from these pieces, and they're very small.  The right side is also very delicate, as there's a slot for a control wheel to poke through, and my initial thought is that this would take more time.  Yet this is the side I finished first, probably because there's less fiddly etch pieces involved.

 

 

The two turn knobs on either side of the wheel are stock lit to which  etch parts are added.  The two knobs behind are stock kit as I thought they looked better than the etch bits.  The same applies to the red handled lever behind the wheel.  There's an etch piece behind what I now see is a poorly painted switch which will get fixed later and the wheel at top is ICM kit with etch cabling added.  I think the ends will disappear behind the instrument panel when that gets fitted.  Here it is trial fitted into the right side fuselage half.

 

 

The part is located by two tiny pins inserted into corresponding holes in the fuselage.  Location is a bit vague and the frame is very delicate.  That last upright on the left half is now broken on my kit as I was silly enough to touch it.  That will create a problem when I glue that side into place as the busted bit has the locating pin.   These frames are held very securely to the sprue and need very careful removal.  Once done, they need some clean up and repainting, and this needs to be done very carefully.  That was how the left frame broke in my case

 

The other thing finished is the radiator.  Here's the front:

 

 

And the rear, with ducting added:

 

 

No etch here and none is provided in the etch set, so this is just paint.  It looks better to the naked eye than as shown in my picture.

 

The left side console is less complete and still needs six etch levers to be added which will take a couple of sessions.  Then it can be added to the left side frame set.  There's a bottle that also goes onto the broken part of the frame which I've also painted up, but that will be for next time.  Hopefully, I'll have something more than that to show next time too.  Until then.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

Edited November 29, 2022 by Dpgsbody55

[Greif8]

Good start Mike, looking forward to following your progress!  

 

Ernest

[rigor]

Alright been waiting for someone to start one of these watching