Eduard 1/48th Yak-1
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Background
This is not going to be the typical Internet Modeler First Look. Since
the Accurate Miniatures Yak-1 has been around for years, what I'll do
is first focus on the differences in the Eduard boxing, then point you
to reviews of this kit in years' past.
The Kit
 For
those not in the know, the Eduard Yak-1 is just the Accurate Miniatures
(AM) kit released with Eduard goodies and decals. You get the standard
AM Yak-1 plastic along with an Eduard photoetch set, Eduard's masks and
decals from Eduard. The photoetch is extremely well done, replacing mostly
interior detail as well as some exterior as well (such as the radiator
grills, etc.). I've heard some people complain about how AM does the instrument
panel with the clear plastic; thankfully Eduard supplies their pre-painted
photoetch that looks - and works - a heck of a lot better. Basically Eduard
took a decent kit and made it better.
However, that means that Eduard did nothing to the plastic. There are
questions of accuracy with the Yak-1's upper fuselage, and Alpha-Flight
years ago came out with a resin
replacement set. Unfortunately I know not about the availability of
this set, so you may just have to live with the inaccuracies. Does it
look like a Yak-1 when built up? Of course, but if you're pedantic about
accuracy issues, then be aware.
Decals are done in the usual Eduard excellent fashion, are in register
and nicely printed. Markings are for the following aircraft:
- Lt. Mikhail Dmitrievich Baranov, HSU (24 person + 28 shared victories),
183rd fighter regiment (IAP), Stalingrad 1942. Finished in AMT-4/-6/-7.
- Cpt. Georgij Nikanorovich Zhidov, commander of 1st escadrille of 123rd
IAP, Air Defense, Lake Ladoga, Leningrad Front, April 1942. Finished
in AMT-4/-6/-7, but with a very spotty, overall whitewash.
- Lt. Stepan Tikhonovich Gabenko (4 victories), 247th IAP, Smolensk,
November 1941. Finished in overall aluminum. I'm very wary of Eduard
calling this "aluminum". My thoughts would be an overall,
"professional" winter camouflage. On page 134 of Soviet
Air Force Fighter Colors 1941-1945 is a photo of another 247th
machine, which had a professional finish, which is what I'm basing my
thoughts on.
- Lt. Innokentij Vasilievich Keznetsov (15 personal + 12 shared victories),
180th IAP. Finished in AMT-4/-6/-7 with a heavy, but spotty, whitewash.
- Cpt. Nikolai Vasilievich Vagoiko (6 victories), 122nd IAP, Air Defense,
Summer 1943. Finished in AMT-4/-6/-7.
- Yak-1 of an unknown unit, Leningrad Front, Spring 1942. Finished in
AMT-4/-6/-7.
I do wish all manufacturers would list their sources so everything could
be corraborated.
Conclusion
 It's
obvious from older builds this kit can be finished as an excellent example
of the Yakovlev Yak-1. Coupled with White Ensign Models accurate VVS paints
finishing this kit could not be easier.
I mentioned above that I would provide links to already built AM kits.
First, one from Tony
Goetz from the January 1999 Internet Modeler edition. Second, one
from our own Will
Riepl, built in the April 1999 IM edition. Third, another IM build
in July 1999, this time by Caz
Dalton. Next, we have a relatively out-of-the box build on the VVS
site by Barry
Biediger. Another excellent build by István
Vadász on the VVS site. Finally, an excellent example built
by modeler extraordinaire, Peter
Vill, also on the VVS site.
My thanks to Eduard for sending
the review sample. |
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