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Yak-1 Correction / Conversion Alpha Flight
Reviewed by Brett Green
Accurate Miniatures' 1/48 scale Yak-1 model is a great kit, but some questions have been raised about the accuracy of the shape of the upper fuselage deck and the canopy in particular. The canopy seems too wide (especially at the front) and too squared-off compared to drawings and photographs. The shape of the canopy will be tricky to fix, as it will require reworking the kit upper fuselage insert. New accessory manufacturer Alpha Flight have made this correction much simpler with the release of their Yak-1 Correction / Conversion set.
The new canopy offers the option of the early version with clear rear section, or the later version with the small rear windows. The vacform parts are crystal clear, but the canopy frame detail is a little soft. The smaller resin parts inlcude new horizontal tail surfaces. These parts feature separate elevators and bevelled edges on the stabilizers, enabling the simple repositioning of the control surfaces. The elevators are a slightly different style to the AM kit parts, with a more rounded appearance on the trailing inside edge and a few other detail changes. The different styles of elevator appear to be correct for alternate versions of the Yak-1, so check your references carefully (all my drawings are captioned in Russian - I can't tell you which style applies to what version!). Early-style gear doors and a new rudder round out this handy little set.
I have dry-fitted the new upper deck to the kit fuselage. The fit seems to be very good. It may be necessary to slightly trim the inside surface at the front of the resin deck to get a perfect fit at the nose, and there may be a very fine gap to fill at the rear of the deck.
Care will also be required to make sure the width of the flexible deck is matched perfectly to the lower fuselage. I recommend using super glue to "tack" the front and rear of the deck to the kit parts, and applying two-part epoxy to the lower edges of the deck to permit time to obtain correct alignment.
This is a very simple conversion that will certainly improve Accurate Miniatures' kit. The bonus of alternate control surfaces and gear covers will give even more potential to customise your Yak-1. An excellent effort from Alpha Flight's maiden journey! Highly Recommended Thanks to Steve at Alpha Flight for the review sample. Alpha Flight Conversions are available direct from Alpha Flight's Website Review Copyright © 2000 by Brett
Green
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The
set comprises eight parts in pale grey resin and one small clear vacform sheet
with the canopy pieces. The biggest part is the new upper fuselage decking,
which simply replaces the kit part. The resin parts have been cast by MDC. They
are of typically high quality with no casting flaws on my sample parts. The
light grey resin has a slightly satin texture. I will probably polish my upper
deck with a sanding stick prior to assembly. 