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**Geoffers** · 07 October 2023, 06:49

Good start Andrew :thumb2:

Geoff.

**Tim Marlow** · 07 October 2023, 07:09

Nice start on a good looking aircraft. Fit looks really good so far. Are the wings now on? Just wondered because painting the cockpit floor and side walls might be a bit awkward now.

**adt70hk** · 07 October 2023, 08:23

Originally posted by Geoffers

Good start Andrew :thumb2:

Geoff.

Thanks Geoff!

Originally posted by Tim Marlow

Nice start on a good looking aircraft. Fit looks really good so far. Are the wings now on? Just wondered because painting the cockpit floor and side walls might be a bit awkward now.

Thanks Tim. Looks ok doesn't it.

As for the fuselage, whilst I don't mind a challenge (my Raiden being an example), I am not complete masochist! :smiling5:

The instructions were slightly ambiguous for the pieces that come up from fuselage floor. The only way to work it out was to tape the fuselage together and slot it in place.

Turned out that I initially had them in the wrong place and even in the right place they're angle in slightly due to the curve of the cockpit wall (see below). Glad I did the test whilst the glue was still setting otherwise it would have proved a real problem come assembly time!

As you see even with it only taped together it does fit nicely, so it bodes well for the future!

ATB

Andrew

**adt70hk** · 13 October 2023, 08:30

Good morning all

So I managed to get some primer on for the cockpit areas at the weekend and then got the base coat down - albeit I did it twice as I wasn't quite happy with the colour.

In terms of the 'correct' colour, knowing nothing about Soviet colours my initial research discovered Yak-3 cockpits "should" be AKAN A-14, a mid-grey. A couple of website suggest Humbrol 27 or 140 as close-ish matches. Vallejo 70.992 Neutral Grey is not that far off Humbrol 27.

However, the instructions call for a yellow colour, which I discovered was the primer which should but was not always used - apparently - see here.

In the the end I plumped for a mix of Vallejo 70.992 Neutral Grey and Vallejo 71.259 Violet Grey RLM 75....it looks ok to my eye.

For bare PE I have used good old Halfords rattle can car primer....Vallejo primer can be a bit iffy on PE. The air intake grills got a coat of Vallejo's Metal Colour 77.712 Steel. If anyone is after a water based metallic paint, these are simply outstanding and spray beautifully!

All comments welcome as usual!

Andrew

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For some reason the way the light catches the cockpit area has wiped out all the detail but it is there.

**Mickc1440** · 13 October 2023, 08:37

Nice progress Andrew

**adt70hk** · 13 October 2023, 17:15

Originally posted by Mickc1440

Nice progress Andrew

Thanks Mick......PE next....... :cold-sweat: :cold-sweat: :cold-sweat:

**yak face** · 14 October 2023, 17:20

Great start andrew , I found the same slightly ambiguous fit of the side consoles too , the instructions arent that clear are they ? I ended up doing the same as you and fitting them ,then putting the taped up fuselage over the top while the glue was still soft , to make sure they werent fouling the cockpit sides.. cheers tony

**adt70hk** · 15 October 2023, 17:13

Originally posted by yak face

Great start andrew , I found the same slightly ambiguous fit of the side consoles too , the instructions arent that clear are they ? I ended up doing the same as you and fitting them ,then putting the taped up fuselage over the top while the glue was still soft , to make sure they werent fouling the cockpit sides.. cheers tony

They're not great are they Tony, albeit in their defence after I put the post up I found a little insert shot that I missed that would have made life much easier if I had seen it! :sad:

**adt70hk** · 26 November 2023, 15:27

Greetings all

Firstly, apologies for not being around much recently, it has been hard to find decent forum time recently, plus I’m currently under the weather, so apologies for missing soooooooo much great work!!

Any way enough waffle……this build has been plodding on and is finally buttoned up and primed but not without some issues:

Ambiguous instructions caused a few issues;
Having cut the rudder pedals off the sprue at Club night, I could not find them ANYWHERE when it came time to fit them but at least they’re not visible;
One of the undercarriage parts was missing from the sprue when I went to cut it off…..no idea what happened….fortunately, it’s not a major structural piece and I was able to fashion a reasonable looking replacement from thin styrene rod;
The PE first aid box cover pinged off without me noticing when I tried my first test dry fit of the taped together fuselage;
Another test dry fit also broke the rest that the rear glass screen (I assume bullet proof) sits on, fortunately some judicious use of TET sorted that out;
Above dry test fits damaged some of the PE that I had fitted to the cockpit, which was looking quite nice;
As a result of the damage to the PE during the dry-fits, I decided that trying to join up the two fuselage halves and fit them over the cockpit as per the instructions was not worth the risk. Therefore, I slid each half from the side but that made it harder to get a nicely aligned and clean fuselage join and so some filling and sanding was required.

BUT…………………..

By far and away the worst issue was the PE IP panel:

Front part = nice fold lines giving nice sharp creases;
Back part = no fold lines, leaving small curves making it tricky to line up and join the two parts properly;
BUT the worst part was that it was 1-2mm too tall……..making it impossible to fit into the cockpit as per the instructions.
I thought I was going mad I really did. But I spotted the issued when I lined it up against the plastic one…after a LOT of faff, including trying to cut a bit off the bottom of the PE IP, I just went with the plastic one and the decal IP.

Clearly some of the issues above were my fault but the IP panel fit was truly awful and no matter what way I look at it, I don’t think I did anything wrong. The IP issue also dented my enthusiasm a bit and so rather than plough on an screw it up completely, I put it to once side until I had calmed down a bit.

That said in having to repair some of the above problems, it allowed me to correct some issues of my own making!

ACW welcome as usual.

Andrew

PS….there were some things the cockpit instructions called for that I could not be faffed with, as they will never have been seen and/or were virtually impossible to achieve!

-----------------------------

The cockpit and IP before it started to go wrong….

All buttoned up….still not sure quite how much you will see!

New undercarriage part…..
I traced the outline in pen from the remaining one to help….it’s not perfect but given where it is, it’s not going to be on show much!

Primed and ready to go, once it has fully cured!
Prop is obviously just pushed in place for the photos

**scottie3158** · 26 November 2023, 15:31

Andrew,
This is looking very nice mate the office and replacement leg look superb.

**stillp** · 26 November 2023, 16:38

That primer looks really smooth.
Pete

**Andy T** · 26 November 2023, 16:48

Well I popped in hoping you were having more luck than I am but it seems not!

It's all looking splendid though, and I agree with Paul, brilliant scratch work on the strut.

**adt70hk** · 26 November 2023, 17:07

Originally posted by scottie3158

Andrew,
This is looking very nice mate the office and replacement leg look superb.

Scottie, thanks for the support, it's not turned out too badly has it?!?

Originally posted by stillp

That primer looks really smooth.
Pete

It does look like smooth doesn't it, almost glass like! I use Vallejo primer as that's all I have at the moment and it has a slight sheen to it, so when you put under a bright light it reflects far more than a matt one does!! Will have to remember that trick for next time!!

Originally posted by Andy T

Well I popped in hoping you were having more luck than I am but it seems not!

It's all looking splendid though, and I agree with Paul, brilliant scratch work on the strut.

Thanks Andy! I think though you're still ahead in the frustration stakes...unfortunately.

The strut has turned out ok hasn't is....sods law meant I had 0.8mm and 1.5mm rod but need 1mm...so, I went with the 0.8mm. I'm just glad it is actually just for show and all the weight is taken by the main undercarriage leg!!

Thanks again chaps!!

ATB

Andrew

**Jostro65** · 26 November 2023, 17:09

Looks great, all that work in the cockpit, although mostly not seen, just satisfying knowing it's there. Gonna be a beauty,nice one.

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Andrews's 1/48 Eduard ProfiPACK Yak-3

Andrews's 1/48 Eduard ProfiPACK Yak-3

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