1/48 Eduard YAK-3 WIP

You picked a very nice Eduard kit.  Keep us posted as you progress.

Regards,  Rick

I'll be watching this one with interest.

Nate

You picked a great kit and are off to a great start. Keep the WIP pics coming.

The test fit looks like things will go fairly well.  Keep us posted on your progress.

Darwin, O.F. 

Happy Friday everyone,

Another update from the hanger.. and we are lovin' Eduard!  Progress continues on the good ol' Yak; the front office has been painted and is ready for assembly.  

A few details added to the radio deck.  I've elected to use the PE sparingly and will pick out more of the molded-in details with paint.

Next up is the cockpit interior - airbrushed with Tamiya XF-22 per the instructions (and I thought RLM colors were a subject of debate.  Info on the exact colors of this particular vintage is quite scarce.):

And with the details painted:

The instrument panel and completed radio deck:

Lounge chair and matching ottoman:

Control column and side panels:

And finally, a few of the finished components dry fitted:

As stated above, I used Tamiya XF-22 straight up and with various tints and tones to pick out the highlights and reliefs.  Vallejo acrylics were used for all hand brushing and dry brushing.  

Thanks for checking us out!  

Wow! That's some really impressive stuff! Nice weathering techniques, too. Really makes the detail pop! I'm going to have to keep my eyes on this one. 

I really like your method of bringing out the details in the office.  Shading, highlighting, etc look VERY good indeed!

That XF-22 looks so green!

That's the difference between your builds and mine: This one looks so fantastic on the inside! The shading looks super sharp!

I like your builds, you do some good work, FastEagle!

Excellent progress,  I like the enhanced detail.

Darwin, O.F. 

Gentlemen,

I am grateful for the kind words.  Credit must go to this kit, which is so well engineered and molded.  There really is very little clean-up involved and this lets me focus on assembly and painting.  

Nachtflieger -  Great avatar.  Eddie looks good in a cockpit for sure.

RadMax8 - I agree with you regarding just how green the XF-22 looks.  This is more a function of my lousy lighting than it is the paint.  When I compare the photo's to the pieces sitting on my desk, they look more gray than green.  I'm a complete greenhorn when it comes to photography and am still learning the trade.  

Next up, I'll fashion the harness out of masking tape and button-up the fuselage.  More to follow.

Many thanks again for the feedback.

Good day everyone,

Another update from the yard...the weeds are back.  Meanwhile on the bench, progress continues apace on the Yak:

Things are starting to come together in the front office.  The seat harness was fashioned from 3M blue masking tape and painted with Vallejo acrylics.

A view of the finished instrument panel from the pilot's left side:

The instrument panel once again:

Finally, a view of the aft deck.  The raised details on the radio are made with Evergreen rod and strip and painted with Vallejo acrylics.

We'll button-up the fuselage and attach the wings over the next week or so.  

That's it for today.  Thanks once again for stopping by.  

Cheers!

Great, clean, crisp cockpit.  Shading looks great.  You're right.  Eduard does have it going on.  But the craftsman still brings it out.  Rick.

Thank you Rick,

I appreciate the comment!

We ushered in the first weekend of Spring with a dusting of snow here in North Texas, so rather than pull weeds in the freezing, windy outdoors, I dedicated my time to a more important cause - the modeling desk.  On the agenda this weekend is the landing gear and related structures:

Here is the group of parts to be painted (As I pointed out earlier, Eduard has done a great job keeping mold lines to an absolute minimum).

A close-up of the right-side main landing gear with added details.  The brake line is thin copper wire and the retaining straps are made using the foil from a bottle of wine, cut int thin strips and wrapped around the strut. 

Close up of the right-side main gear doors and retraction leg prior to painting. 

And here are the finished products:

Finally, the last few cockpit details ready for installation:

Stay warm and thanks for stopping by.

I'm very impressed with your weathering techniques, as well as your attention to detail. They really compliment each other nicely. You got me anxious for more progress pics. Keep us posted.

FastEagle I really like your painting style, really does make the detail pop, it's a little bit "Spanish style" which I like .

Cant wait for more.

Cheers.... 

This is coming along beautifully!!!!   I'm diggin it!!

fermis

This is coming along beautifully!!!!   I'm diggin it!!

I gotta agree with Fermis. This build helped me decide the next kit in my build pile: Eduard's Weekend Edition La-5. I'll probably use the same XF-22. My instructions are given in Humbrol, though.Don't have access to that paint

Gents,

Many thanks for the kind words.  This kit really has been a joy to build and I recommend it without hesitation.  

RadMax - I'm not sure if XF-22 is 100% historically accurate but who am I to say.  It looks good and, if nothing else, allows for some practice with the tones and tints prior to tackling your next Luftwaffe subject.  If the La-5 is engineered and molded like the YAK, you'll have a blast.

Ruddratt - I value your opinion and thank you for the kind words.

Fermis - Let me take this opportunity to give your P-61 a shout-out and some love.  Very well deserved, indeed.

Spike - Keen observation on your part.  I have been a student of Daniel Zamarbide since I first saw his technique on a Spanish modeling site.  He is simply brilliant in my humble opinion.

Cheers.

Yes that's the chap I had in mind, have you seen his step by step stuff on his blog? I'm trying to head in his direction myself for interior painting especially, I'm after some of the Vallejo paints myself for that very purpose. your doing a very fine job FastEagle, keep it up

Cheers...

Cheers Spike!

A friend sent me a link to his blog several months ago and I must admit it was like setting my eyes on a room full of stunning women.  I discovered another modeler by the name of Juan Manuel Villabla (check him out on the Accurate Miniatures website) who uses the same techniques with brilliant results.

Have you seen his 1/48 Buccaneer?  Simply gorgeous.  Please keep us posted on your results and thank you for the kind words.

Looks very nice FE1.  Very sexy looking legs has. 

Blast! Now I want an Avenger like Mr Villabla . I've seen the Buccaneer although I cant think where as I cant find it on his blog now, awsome stuff, he's got an F100 on the go now and it looks gorgeous. 

Cheers...

Good evening everyone,

Between the weeds and fire ants I've had little time to dedicate to the bench. But such is the joy of Spring and I am thankful to be here to see it all.

On with the update:  The fuselage and wings have been joined and a small amount of Mr Surfacer 500 finished the job (observe the "high tech" device used to display the model - it's all about repurposing, baby!).

A close-up of the port side shows the minor additions to the kit: in this case, brass tubing and .01" sheet stock.

The other side:

And finally, another plan view (sans high-tech display device)

Thanks for checking us out and happy modeling!

Nice progress FastEagle, I see you've got a taste for the Eduard kits now

Cheers...

Good day gents,

I appreciate the kind feedback.  I've finished painting the interior of the ventral air intake/ radiator structure and will attach it to the model this weekend along with the windscreen and canopy.

Now onto the paint and finish - My goal is to modulate the paint in such a fashion that the fabric and metal surfaces are marginally distinguished from one another.  I'm considering base coats of gray's/ black for the major portions of the fuselage and wings with red-brown as a base coat for the red portion of the nose.  I'll give this some more thought over a beer and will pass along an update.

Once again I appreciate you all following the build and offering your kind feedback.  Spike - so impressed with Eduard have I been that I purchased the 1/32 Bf-109E-1 this past weekend (my economic stimulus in the local sense) and have not been able to put it down.  I will give it my best shot on the Battle of Britain GB on another post.  

To all of you who observe Easter or Passover, I wish you peace and blessings.

Cheers! 

FastEagle, looks great...the interior detail is fantastic I have the Eduard La 7 in the stash so i'll be following this build...Thanks for sharing......

Good day everyone,

I know it has been too long in-between posts when I have to search 10 pages into the Aircraft threads to find my original post...bloody he$$!!  My slacking off has come to an end and I respectfully submit the following progress report:

Re-employing the "high tech" display device, here is our lovely Yak modeling the latest in Tamyia masking tape:

And from another angle:

I call this next one The Evolution of Russian Aircraft Size.  For the comparison I have posed the KKR-1 recon pod from a Su-17R4 project I'm concurrently working next to our diminutive fighter.  Stand brave o' Yak; it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog....

Did someone say dog??

And finally, the prop and hub after a little clean-up and paint.  I modulated the hub with a base coat of Tamiya XF-9 Hull Red followed with a light coat of XF-7 flat red.  I'll finish weathering it once I get the rest of the model painted:

Thanks once again for stopping by.  A pint to your good health!

Cheers!