Author Topic: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under  (Read 7049 times)

Offline Brian da Basher

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Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« on: April 10, 2017, 05:21:18 AM »


The Yak-15 is famous as one of the first Soviet jets to proudly wear the big Red Star.



Less known is its more powerful but far less produced follow-on, the Yak-16.



After helping secure victory in W.W. II, the status of the Red Air Force reached almost mythic proportions in the eyes of the Soviet proletariat as this poster demonstrates.



While the Yak-15 enabled the Red Air Force to enter the Jet Age, the Council of People's Commissars demanded something better.



Pressed to improve on the Yak-15, the Yakevlov design bureau was limited by an aircraft already at the edge of its engineering envelope. Desperate measures were used to meet the Council of People's Commissars' unrealistic edicts.



Eventually, from the mists of blistering hang-overs that would cripple ordinary men, the idea was formed to re-work the tail and add a second engine behind the cockpit.





Officially designated the Yak-16, within the Yakevlov bureau it was known as the "Over-Under".



Whether it was called the Over-Under due to the unique layout or the pilot's chances at surviving the aircraft's horrible flight characteristics may never be known.



By mid-1948, the aircraft made it through flight testing, probably due to an increase of alcohol deliveries to the Ron Bass region that was home to the Yakevlov flight test center.



Fielded in numbers so small it was never given a NATO reporting name, western analysts called it the "up-down" not realizing this was very close to the unofficial Soviet ground crew moniker which roughly translates as "up-chuck".



Only 20 Yak-16s were built, just enough to equip one test squadron. After six months of service, only three were left, the others being lost in crashes due to manufacturing defects, pilot error and overall apathy for the unusual type.



No Yak-16s survive today and the revolutionary design is often wrongly considered a fake by so-called "experts" who think it's wholly the product of some anonymous, fevered imagination.



However, grainy black and white photos and almost illegible accompanying documentation discovered after the fall of communism dispute this and the debate continues interminably on various internet forums.



Brian da Basher

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2017, 05:36:08 AM »
Beautiful!  Now, where's an ejection seat when you really, really need one?

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2017, 05:58:01 AM »
My slide into godless communism started with the venerable 1/72 Pioneer 2 Yak-15.



Isn't the box art great? I found the painting guide on the back especially nice even though I totally disregarded it. What's inside the box is not very complicated either.



It's probably better if I take it out of the bag.



Nothing hard to figure out here at all and not much detail, but it sure looks like a Yak-15 to me and for a long time, nobody else kitted this aircraft. I read somewhere that Pioneer 2 eventually became PM which seems right as this kit has been reboxed under the PM label. Oddly enough it was apparently sold by Matchbox too at one point.



This came in a care-package along with a bagged Heller He-162 (thanks a million, hamsterman!). It didn't take long to realize that with some careful cutting the He-162 engine could be added on top of the Yak-16 fuselage.



Once the Yak-15 fin and rudder were removed, I stuck on the He-162 engine after gluing a wheel inside with the front of a rocket stuck on to add a little detail and fill that big hole.



A length of sprue was shaped and cleverly positioned to cover a gap on the bottom of the He-162 engine. Then the ends of the horiz stabs were nipped to accept new twin rudders cut from card.



I couldn't help but add orphan tip tanks from an F-80. I liked the look and was pleasantly surprised to discover the later Yak-17 sometimes had similar tip tanks.





Here's how it all looked before paint.







Speaking of paint, a lot of Model Masters Primer Gray was applied with the old hairy stick.





The canopy was tinted on the inside with a custom mix of semi-gloss black. Model Masters Steel was used on the engine intakes and Jet Exhaust used on the jet exhausts.



Those Red Stars were kit decals and worked like a charm even though they had to be at least 30 years old.



The Bort # on the nose was from the decal dungeon.



One small mod I forgot to mention was the nose guns. The kit parts were so nice I squirreled them away for future use and cut bits from the kit landing gear which were stuck on with a blob of Gator Glue.



Those long barrels sure look menacing poking out at you like that don't they?



I had a lot of fun building this Bolshie bodge which only took three days from start to finish. I'd like to thank Bill for his kindness in sending me the kits and Mr. Lemon Jello for being such a staunch GB Commissar!



I hope you enjoyed the Yak-16 and reading a little more hidden aircraft history.



Brian da Basher
« Last Edit: April 10, 2017, 06:30:53 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2017, 06:19:15 AM »
Awesome job as usual, Brian! The Pioneer/PM Yak-15 is a good little kit; the only problem is the very, very thick canopy... but you solved that one! The original Yak-15 didn't have an ejection seat (the Yak-17 did) so no wonder the Yak-16 was unpopular...

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2017, 06:21:49 AM »
Beautiful!  Now, where's an ejection seat when you really, really need one?

I like to think that if it had been given a NATO reporting name, it would've been called the Death Trap.

Glad you like it! It all came together smoothly once I got my fingers unglued.

Brian da Basher

Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2017, 07:19:22 AM »
It's safe to assume all Yak-16 pilots were "volunteers" after they were escorted to the aircraft with a honor guard carrying the PPS-43 submachine-gun.

Excellent build BdB!!!
Work in progress ::

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Offline Dr. YoKai

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2017, 10:02:19 AM »
 For all it's dreadful history, it certainly looks like a winner. Beautiful job, Brian - though I shudder to think what the exhaust from this tail-dragger did to ther tarmac... ;)

Offline Tophe

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2017, 11:16:33 AM »
Wonderful model! :-*
And thanks for the explanation about the donor kits (I understand there is no commercial kit for the Yak-16, so much secret...) ;)

Offline Claymore

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2017, 02:26:12 PM »
Sweet!  8)

As always, a unique design concept, beautifully put together and with a witty backstory that helps brings it all to life. Bravo Sir, bravo!  :)
« Last Edit: April 11, 2017, 05:52:53 AM by Claymore »
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Online finsrin

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2017, 04:57:09 PM »
I too "understand there is no commercial kit for the Yak-16".  So good of you to modify kit to Yak-16 configuration for rest of us to see.  You are a "model" citizen comrade.

Offline AXOR

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #10 on: April 10, 2017, 05:28:43 PM »
That's fantastic !
Alex

Offline LemonJello

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2017, 07:46:56 PM »
I return from the mandated tour of the polystyrene mines and decal printing collectives to find you all have been hard at work, bolstering the defenses of nasha Rodina! (Наша родина)

Sasha, the Third Deputy Assistant Marshall for the Positive Recognition Sub-committee of The Committee of State Sanctioned Modelling, Alternative History and Tractor Carburettor Production, agrees:



Comrade da Basherski! Thank you for the history lesson on this fine example of Soviet ingenuity!

Offline AXOR

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2017, 08:11:37 PM »
Another great model from you Brian,lovely!!!
Alex

Offline Camthalion

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2017, 05:47:29 AM »
Awesome work

Offline KiwiZac

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2017, 10:32:58 AM »
COMRADES!

The men and women of the Anadyr Trainer Jet Aircraft and Vodka Bottle Cap Construction Factory No.38bis proudly and heartily congratulate Comrade Brian Spatovich for this glorious rendering of glorious fighter Yak-16! Although the history of glorious fighter Yak-15 is well-known and rightly famous, the story of glorious fighter Yak-16 has been hidden for far too long.
« Last Edit: April 11, 2017, 10:39:35 AM by KiwiZac »
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Offline ysi_maniac

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #15 on: May 20, 2017, 10:13:14 PM »
Love this concept. :) :) :) :) :)

Offline pigflyer

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #16 on: May 22, 2017, 11:07:40 PM »
Wow, as good looking as it was a danger to its pilots.  Basherski at his phenomenal best.

As NATO code names for our glorious fighters began with the letter F, (Western humour????)  could it be the rumoured, mythical Yak FATAL?
:-)

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Offline andonio64

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #17 on: June 12, 2017, 03:22:33 PM »
This is my favourite, Brian!
 :-*

Offline ericr

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Re: Brian da Basher's Bolshie Build #1 - The Yak-16 Over-Under
« Reply #18 on: June 12, 2017, 07:46:14 PM »

lovely !

very nice experiment on the twin-jet structure