Hi all,
A while ago I was browsing Wikipedia as I do many days at work, and started looking at the Yak-15. Essentially a Yak-3 with a jet whacked on the front, it began to intrigue me to the point I started looking at cheap Yak-3 kits online to bash with one of the hand-me-down built Me262s I received a while back. THEN I saw a Pioneer2 1/72 Yak-15 kit on TradeMe (NZ's eBay) for less than the cost of the cheapest Yak-3 so I figured why not?!
Well...how to paint it? This bothered me for a while until I rediscovered an A-Model Yak-18 sheet and AHA!
So now I have a nice little Korean People's Army Air Force Yak-15 from early in the Korean War. The type seems like a no-brainer for North Korea given they had Yak-9 piston-engined fighters. I have no backstory, just the kit - some fit issues around the wing you'll see but I just wanted a "slammer" - decalled with the aforementioned Yak-18 roundels and the nose number from the original kit.
Taildragging jets are just such a bad idea but I love how this type looks. I have to confess that, for the first time in a long time, I found myself "flying" it around the bench! I've downloaded versions for Microsoft Flight Simulator and Strike Fighters 2, so I look forward to seeing how it performs.
The only addition from the spares box was a small strut to replace the left gun barrel, which was gone when I got the kit. Nice and relaxing.
I hope you like it!