My Scissors and Planes Collection in 1/100 - Take 2

[gomidefilho]

Last night, on All Souls' Day, I started the Yakovlevs' construction, with all the small parts finished. I'll try to finish both today.

[Rata]

I could never give a reason as to why early Soviet jets are so fascinating but I just know they are!
Looking good Péricles.

[Butelczynski]

That might be because a lot of them have that Luft 46 vibe so many of us like. Strangely only few of US or other jets give that vibe as well as Soviet ones.

[Siwi]

It's an interesting period when various nations and designers were essentially working out what jets were, and how they could be laid out differently from piston-engined craft which a lot (particularly Soviet) were derived from. Similar thing now with EVs: a few years ago, the majority were existing combustion cars with the batteries shoved in wherever space could be found, which limited range. Starting with the Zoe and Leaf, designers began to build the car around the battery and not only make them bigger but push other parts around to optimise interior space. Going back to jets, it took various attempts to work out whether the engine(s) should best be under the wing, or nose intake and under the pilot, or nose intake and behind the pilot, side intakes, etc, all the while balancing military pressure to keep up with the other side in the Cold War. Oh, and there was also ongoing discoveries about aircraft behavior at transonic speeds too.

[gomidefilho]

Thanks my friends!

Originally Posted by Siwi

It's an interesting period when various nations and designers were essentially working out what jets were, and how they could be laid out differently from piston-engined craft which a lot (particularly Soviet) were derived from. Similar thing now with EVs: a few years ago, the majority were existing combustion cars with the batteries shoved in wherever space could be found, which limited range. Starting with the Zoe and Leaf, designers began to build the car around the battery and not only make them bigger but push other parts around to optimise interior space. Going back to jets, it took various attempts to work out whether the engine(s) should best be under the wing, or nose intake and under the pilot, or nose intake and behind the pilot, side intakes, etc, all the while balancing military pressure to keep up with the other side in the Cold War. Oh, and there was also ongoing discoveries about aircraft behavior at transonic speeds too.

Thank you friends!

The post-war years until the 1970s are extremely rich for military aviation, the parallel that the Siwi made about electrically powered cars is perfect. Although the beginning of the jet age had the profound influence of the wartime German aircraft industry, Cold War research quickly went in different directions between Soviet and Western nations. This is a fascinating topic.

[gomidefilho]

In the meantime over the weekend I finished the Yak-17 "Feather", an example of the Soviet approach of introducing technological elements little by little into their designs, even though the Yak-17 is based on the airframe of the Yak-3 fighter with a jet of improved German design. This is perhaps the seventh Yak-17 that I have built, it is a model that for me is relatively difficult to build due to the fuselage transitions. I had to stick it on a small base simulating a hexagonal Soviet tarmac, because I put little weight on the nose.

























This model is #1531 in Bruno's general catalogue.

[gomidefilho]

The second model completed over the weekend was Rata's Yak-23, the "Flora" was Yakovlev's final concept straight-wing fighter aircraft with turbine beneath the fuselage, although it used a reverse-engineered copy of the English Derwent engine. , appeared too late being eclipsed by the MiG-15, yet a few hundred of them were produced and were used by Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Albania, Hungary and Bulgaria in addition to the USSR, a UTI version was also produced. The Flora was one of the first Soviet aircraft to be tested in the USA, captured in Yugoslavia by a Romanian defector. Ultimately, a fascinating story that deserved to be better told at another time.































Rata's model, despite not being a pure Scissors, fits perfectly into Bruno's designs, is exactly in his style, and as an unofficial tester of the model I say that it fits very well. Although there is a free full-scale model of Kancho, it is a great and welcome addition to the 1/100 collection.

[gomidefilho]

Some size comparisons, curious that the Yak-17 and 23 are almost the same size.

[Don Boose]

Excellent work, as always!

Don

[Rata]

Nice growing herd of Yaks Péricles! Looks great mate.