The I-26 was the Yak 1 prototype.
Along with its companion prototypes the I-301 (LaGG 3) and I-200 (MiG 3) these
aircraft were to begin to slowly turn the tide over the Eastern front -the Yaks
in particular representing 40% or thereabouts of all soviet fighters
manufactured during the Great Patriotic War. The I-26-1 and 2 were the first of
this pedigree, ending the reciprocating engined warbirds with the pretty beefy Yak
3s and 9s of the mid to late 40's.
Click on
images below to see larger images
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The Amodel Yak 1 was
the basis for this conversion, my first model in years. Apart from the lousy
spar detail on the fuselage with this kit, the planform is accurate for a Yak 1.
To enable the I-26, all that was required was to hack/saw things off the
business end, modify the tail and rudder almost imperceptibly to its correct
shape, drill for wing
fuel gauges and other minor details.
There is some controversy over the coloration of the early I-26s. Scarlet,
maroon...take your pick. The colour here is a half-way house, kind of
scarlet-maroon, just to spite! The sliding canopy is missing, but hey ho
--soviet test pilots sometimes flew without, as in the Mig 3 and so forth.
Weathering was kept to a minimum, save light scuffing here and there, and it's
true I went a little overboard with the Klear/Future, but I'm happy with my
first model. The rudder and prop stripes drove me bonkers, as it goes, and as
for regular markings...well there weren't any, as on the I-301, Sukhoi Su-1 etc
etc.
Ioaea
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