The Little World

The crude nature of some kits is so overwhelming that many people just cannot bring themselves to build them. This is the result of the continuing development of the hobby over the last 70 Years.

We in the west have benefited tremendously from the initial efforts of the British, American, and French firms that took the crude wooden and celluloid models of the 40’s and refined them into the classic plastic kit. Then the rise of the eastern European moulders and oriental firms completed the revolution. There are lots of fabulously-detailed kits on the shop shelves and it only takes $ 80 a kit to own them.

Well, what about the poor old Russian or Pole or Czech in the interim. They have no western money to buy detailed kits and have to make do with what they can get. When they get old FROG moulds they at least advance one more step.

I like marching with them. Their politics might be execrable and their economics deeply flawed, but I admire their ability to extract fun from the smallest resources.

The Yak 6 is coming on well. To start with, you must trim all the locating pins from the fuselage halves and then make your mind up where you want the seam work to be – top or bottom. One will fit and one will be hard work – I chose to put the inevitable step on the bottom and deal with it savagely. There is a day’s work filing, sanding and filling there. Even the engine nacelles are a sketch – but the Mr Putty filler cut with regular thinner can flow on and self-level there before you start sanding.

The control surfaces were separate on the sprue trees so I elected to pose them in flexed positions. I won’t generally cut and re-position these parts on a regular build, but I appreciate the opportunity to do it when the moulding permits.

I note that this utility Yak was used in all sorts of roles – including twin-engine training for the Soviet air force. But I cannot recall ever seeing Soviet trainers of any kind in training marking. Certainly no bright yellow planes. I wonder if they existed?