Orlik Jak-3

[ccoyle]

Orlik Jakowlew Jak-3 (transliterated as Yak-3 in English-speaking countries)

Type: WWII single-seat fighter
Scale: 1/33
Designer: Lukasz Fuczek
Difficulty: difficult (high parts count, tiny parts)
Format: A4 booklet

Continuing on with beloved aircraft from my youth...

I built the old Heller 1/72 scale Yakovlev Yak-3 (or Jak-3) in Normandie-Niemen markings. What a great warbird! Small, nimble, capable of operating from rough forward airfields, and supposedly (if memory serves me) such a formidable adversary that Luftwaffe pilots were ordered not to engage it at low altitude. Several new examples were built in the 1990's for the warbird market, using the original plans and dies -- pretty cool!



The kit is Orlik issue 9/2007. When I saw these photos of a finished example, I knew I had to have one.

The kit comes as an A4 booklet. The overall presentation comes across as a step below, say, a Halinski package, but it is impressive nonetheless. There are five pages of parts and formers. The color and printing, depicting the aircraft of S. W. Nosowa in 1944, are very well done. Little details like weathering and rivets are convincing. There are enough detail parts to satisfy (or madden!) just about any modeler.



Unlike a Halinski kit, there are only two pages of diagrams -- but those two pages include 27 separate diagrams, some of which are exploded for clarity, so there should be enough to get the job done. There is also a page of 3-view drawings, and another page with photos of the assembled prototype. A set of laser-cut frames is available from Draf. English instructions are available from Orlik.



All in all, this appears to be a well-executed model of a very aesthetically pleasing aircraft. 5 stars!

A NOTE ON DIFFICULTY RATINGS! The Orlik website rates the difficulty of this model as 'moderate'. My personal feeling is that model manufacturers/publishers tend to underestimate the difficulty levels of their products. The reason for this is simple: sales! Intermediate-level models sell better. However, because of the high number of tiny detail parts on a model such as this, I would judge it to be more along the lines of 'difficult', i.e. you will more likely have success with this model if you already have previous experience with paper models of modest difficulty.

[Tim Crowe]

Looks like a nice model of a pretty aircraft. When are you planning to build it?

Tim

[ccoyle]

Originally Posted by Tim Crowe

When are you planning to build it?

Eventually.

[Don Boose]

Thanks for the excellent review and background material. I look forward to the "eventual" build, Chris. The Yak-3 is one of my favorites. I'd love to build one in North Korean markings some day. And Marek has several, including one in the famous Normandie-Nieman markings.

Lukasz Fuczek build one of these Jak-3 ORLIK MK

And CMDRTED (still around, Ted?) did a superb build of a Yak-3 from a Russian company. Papermodeling.nets Yak-3

I'd love to see you apply your skills to this particular airplane.

Don