GB-53 1/72 Yak-3 - Eastern Front (1 Viewer)

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PlasticHero

Senior Airman
394
762
Jul 31, 2019
Pennsylvania, USA
Username: PlasticHero
First Name: Alan
Category: Intermediate
Scale: 1/72
Model: Yak-3
Manufacturer: Zvezda snap 7301
Extras: None

So I've got a very late start on this project. A combination of house projects, travel and general laziness has put me far behind everyone else. On the plus side, it's only about 50 parts so how hard can it be?
ZVE7301__90948.1566228284.jpg
profile6.jpg

Oddly enough, the box art shows a plane with number 4 in a lightning bolt graphic but the decals are for number 6. This is a plane flown by a French pilot, Marcel Albert. More details about him and the plane can be found here

The initial prep has begun with no problems. The only flash was around the tail and that sanded away cleanly. I have no idea how I'm not going to break off the pitot tube on the wing. The instructions call for two different colors for the cockpit; interior green and the wheel wells; gray. The internet says they should be the same gray so I'm going to use Tamiya 54; dark sea gray for both.
spru1.jpg

spru2a.jpg

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Those 3 red, white and blue curves are to go around the prop hub; I have no idea if that is going to work for me. And get the holes lined up on the props??? Ugh. I might try the trick where you mask with a plastic circle template.
pilot.jpg

I am still enamored of this pilot figure; it's so tiny yet well detailed. I would really like for kit makers to take the effort and add a figure to every kit.
 
I have all the cockpit and wheel well areas painted. I went with the light gray like the other Yak builders have done. I added a touch of green for a primer vibe and a black wash for the details. The way the pilot is made is the bottom of the seat is included in the pilot figure and a separate empty seat bottom is included if no pilot is your choice. I really like this approach because there is no problem trying to get the pilot glued onto a single empty seat. He fits and fills the cockpit as he should. Confession time, I have not yet completed a GB with having some every so important but ever so tiny detail ping off into the void. This time (so far) the joystick is gone; and it was very well done with all the bumps and angles of the 1/48 one. A simple broomstick of stretched sprue will have to suffice. The instrument panel comes with two choices; no surface detail for the decal and with instruments engraved so each can be painted and detailed. Another excellent option the the skill level of the builder. I chose the (easy) decal version.
pilot2.jpg

cockpit2.jpg
 
I'm asking for a medical extension for this build. Rotator cuff surgery is done and I'm getting good prognosis reports but I won't be able to move my arm for the next several weeks. Still watching all the other builds with interest.
 

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