Arma Hobby 70030 - 1:72 Yakovlev Yak-1B Soviet Aces - Limited Edition

Plastic model kit of the Soviet Yakovlev Yak-1b fighter aircraft in 1:72 scale – Soviet Aces, limited edition

Four aircraft of Soviet fighter aces, including machines funded by public subscription – that is how this limited edition, honoured with the Model of the Year 2020 title, was put together. Kit 70030 uses the 2019 tooling and reproduces the "b" version with its cut-down rear decking and bubble canopy.

Two decal sheets are supplied, so the extensive presentation inscriptions and emblems carried by the donated aircraft could be reproduced in full. The instructions also include a template from which masks for the canopy and wheels can be cut at home.

The decals cover four marking options: aircraft no. 58 of Maj. Sergei Luganski of the 152nd GvIAP, July 1944, Ukrainian Front, funded by the Komsomol members of Alma-Ata; aircraft no. 5 of Capt. Pavel Chuvelyov of the 427th IAP, Sokolniki, August 1943; aircraft no. 16 of Maj. Alexei Reshetov of the 31st GvIAP, 1944, funded by collective farm workers; and the 31st GvIAP machine of Maj. Boris Yeryomin from 1943, adapted to carry a camera for aerial reconnaissance.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprue with the airframe parts
• Sprue with the transparent parts
• Two decal sheets covering four marking options
• Assembly instructions with a template for cutting your own canopy and wheel masks

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: 70030
• Manufacturer: Arma Hobby
• Model length when assembled: approx. 118 mm
• Model wingspan: approx. 139 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate (low parts count, small details)

Please note: glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. The model requires assembly.

Building the model:

Assembly goes smoothly thanks to the low parts count and the clear breakdown of the sprues. We suggest finishing the cockpit before joining the fuselage halves, as it stays clearly visible through the bubble canopy. Ready-made masks are not included, but the instructions carry a template from which they can be cut from film or masking tape – a convenient solution when painting the canopy framing and the wheels.

The aces' aircraft of 1943–1944 usually wore the grey-blue and dark grey camouflage (AMT-11 and AMT-12) over light blue undersides (AMT-7), complemented by personal colour markings and presentation inscriptions. For the cockpit interior we recommend the Soviet grey-blue interior shade. The extensive dedication lettering calls for particularly careful decal work – ideally over a gloss coat and with setting solutions, so that the decals conform well to the curved fuselage sides. A panel line wash is best limited to the metal areas, as the fuselage was largely fabric and plywood covered.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling side cutters for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Precision modelling tweezers for the small parts
• Brushes in various sizes or an airbrush
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• A wash to emphasise panel lines and details
• Gloss varnish under the decals and a matt or satin coat for the final finish
• Masking tape for the canopy glazing and the camouflage demarcations
• Masking film or tape for cutting your own masks from the template in the instructions
• Decal setting solution

About the aircraft – Yakovlev Yak-1b:

The Yak-1 was the first fighter designed by Alexander Yakovlev's bureau and the starting point of the entire family of Soviet wartime fighters – from the Yak-7 and Yak-9 through to the Yak-3. It was created in the second half of the 1930s in response to a competition for a modern fighter and entered series production in 1940. The aircraft used mixed construction: the fuselage was built around a welded steel tube frame covered with fabric and plywood, while the wing was wooden. This approach reflected the shortage of light alloys in Soviet industry, but it also made mass production and field repairs easier under front-line conditions.

The Yak-1b version, introduced at the end of 1942, was the result of combat experience gathered during the first two years of the war. The most obvious change was the cut-down rear fuselage decking behind the cockpit combined with a bubble canopy, which dramatically improved the pilot's rearward view – previously one of the type's most serious shortcomings. The armament was revised as well: instead of two 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, a single 12.7 mm Berezin UBS heavy machine gun was fitted, while the 20 mm ShVAK cannon firing through the propeller hub was retained. The Klimov M-105PF engine of around 1,180 hp gave good performance at low and medium altitudes – exactly where most of the fighting on the Eastern Front took place.

The Yak-1b fought at Stalingrad, over the Kuban and in the Kursk salient. Its pilots included the airmen of the French "Normandie" regiment, leading Soviet aces and the women fighter pilots of the 586th and 73rd fighter regiments – among them Lydia Litvyak, one of the best-known female fighter pilots in history. The type also equipped the 1st "Warsaw" Fighter Regiment, formed in the USSR in 1943 and fighting alongside the Red Army all the way to Berlin. More than 8,700 Yak-1s of all versions were built in total, with the "b" variant accounting for close to half of them.

Original aircraft specifications (Yakovlev Yak-1b):

• Length: 8.48 m
• Wingspan: 10.00 m
• Height: approx. 2.64 m
• Wing area: approx. 17.15 m²
• Empty weight: approx. 2,394 kg
• Take-off weight: approx. 2,880 kg
• Crew: 1
• Powerplant: Klimov M-105PF inline engine of approx. 1,180 hp
• Maximum speed: approx. 590 km/h at approx. 4,300 m
• Service ceiling: approx. 10,000 m
• Range: approx. 700 km
• Armament: one 20 mm ShVAK cannon firing through the propeller hub and one 12.7 mm Berezin UBS heavy machine gun
• Structure: mixed – welded steel tube frame covered with fabric and plywood, wooden wing
• Production: 1940–1944, over 8,700 Yak-1s of all versions built

About the manufacturer – Arma Hobby:

Behind the Arma Hobby name stands a Warsaw company that released its first plastic kits in 2016, after years of experience gained as Attack Squadron producing resin aftermarket parts. The kits are designed digitally with the help of scans of surviving airframes, and the injection moulds are made in Poland. What sets the products apart is the very subtle surface texture with rivets and panel lines, thin trailing edges and carefully rendered canopies. The catalogue covers 1:72 and 1:48 scales and concentrates on Polish aviation such as the PZL P.7a, PZL P.11c and TS-11 Iskra, together with Allied machines of 1939–1945. Decals are printed by respected specialists and usually include a full stencil set. Kits from this brand have collected awards in industry polls, including a Model of the Year title at the Nuremberg trade fair. In recent years the manufacturer has regularly supplemented its releases with 3D-printed parts and with files made available for home printing.