The Little World

I discovered this Yak 6 model sitting forlornly under a pile of junk in the storage room of the model club. There are any number of derelict kits in there – some abandoned half-built, and some just unwanted. The simple ones could be turned into basic trainers for young modellers, but the dreadful short run ones or the vac-forms are destined never to see the light of day in a collection.

All except this little Yak. it is an Encore model – Scalemates says this is a Squadron product, but the slip of paper inside says it is made in Russia. Whether this was a very early Zvezda mould …or a wayward FROG…or whatever…it was just an unopened bag of parts. The detritus of a stash.

I asked whether it was for sale – the club members said it was unwanted anyway, so $ 5 in the kitty would be fine. Home it came. Once here, the bag was knifed and the full horror of the sprue trees revealed.

Actually, they are not that bad, in a basic sort of way. The decals look decent, the instructions no worse than many others, and at least the maker had the pride to identify where it was moulded. And there are no other Yak 6 aircraft on Perth’s shelves right now – certainly none of them for $ 5.

Why build a crude model? Why build a sophisticated one? It isn’t for prestige with me – I’ve written before about being the kit whisperer. I do really need a Soviet light transport aircraft in early war colours for an airfield diorama and this is a godsend for a fin.