Alenia Aermacchi M-346

[B777LR]

I'm tempted by the single seat version but can't decide whether to go for a "Hawk-200" look or keep the existing contours and simply plate over the rear canopy.

I vote for the Su-39 version!

[Roberto139]

And, Comrade, surely it is better to be son of Yak, which produced a major series of war winning fighters than son of Macchi which, errmm, didn't - - -

....Produced a major series of war winning fighters......like....which one?

[ChernayaAkula]

Yak-1, -3, -7 and -9.  Most numerous and in the later incarnations probably the best Soviet fighter of WWII.

[GTX]

This image from the A.S.Yakovlev design bureau's website may provide some whiffing fodder as well:



Regards,

Greg

[Supertom]

This image from the A.S.Yakovlev design bureau's website may provide some whiffing fodder as well:

Most whiffalicious!!!  Too bad the Amodel kit's so hard to build.

[GTX]

The images of a loaded Yak-130 combat trainer show it to have a quite fearsome punch though I would like to see it actually flying with such a load:





regards,

Greg

[GTX]

Another interesting "shot":



Regards,

Greg

[GTX]

Some info on the reasoning behind the Yak-130/M-346 from the A.S.Yakovlev design bureau's website:

Starting from a certain stage of the programme, Yakovlev and Aermacchi had strived to develop a common aircraft. However, the requirements of the Russian Air Force and Aermacchi were different in principle, with RusAF rejecting an aircraft comprising foreign-made components and Italians rejecting components made in CIS member countries. Hence, a decision to develop common documentation, the so-called baseline model of the aircraft, which would be used by each party to build a national version of the Yak/AEM-130. That suited Yakovlev though some rights for the aircraft had to be relinquished to Aermacchi. However, this earned Yakovlev some money. The programme would have had to be terminated but for the money. This also allowed the Russian government to pay its debt to Italy. The government encouraged Yakovlev developing ihe Yak-130's Russian version and paid off the debt in rubles without transferring money abroad. This is how the problem of funding the Russian variant of the Yak-130 was resolved.In late 1999, the Russian and Italian programmes went their own ways finally. Based on the design documentation provided by Yakovlev, Italians began to develop and build their own trainer, M346, with Yakovlev carrying on with developing the Yak-130 combat trainer and its further derivatives for the Russian Air Force. The former partners under the Yak/AEM-130 programme did not terminate their cooperation. The parties agreed to divide markets and cooperate on promoting the Russian and Italian successors to the Yak/AEM-130 on the global market.

Regards,

Greg

[GTX]

Nice 3-view here too:



Regards,

Greg

[ChernayaAkula]

Cool critter. May have to get the A-Model kit....

[lancer]

As I said I'm currently building the Amodel kit. It is a bit of a bugger - read typical limited run type kit - but it's realy the only game in town and it is a nice looking and capable aircraft.  The kit comes with 2 duplicatyed weapons sprues that need cleaning up but provide a very nice array of weapons for the plane.  I am tempted to get another couple to play with.

[B777LR]

The A-model kit, is it not in fact the Alenia-Yak coop design, still with winglets?

[thedarkmaster]

The A-model kit, is it not in fact the Alenia-Yak coop design, still with winglets?

A-model have produced two varients of the yak 130 one with winglets the other the production varient,
I have used both for two related aircraft in my empires twighlight thread and i can confirm they are not the easiest kits to build with real "fit" issues, but they are nice when they are done   

[Aircav]

I can confirm they are not the easiest kits to build with real "fit" issues, but they are nice when they are done   

Thats an understatment, it looks like they made the moulds from soap  , but it is a nice looking aeroplane 

[McGreig]

The A-model kit, is it not in fact the Alenia-Yak coop design, still with winglets?

A-Model kit 72157 is the original Yak/Macchi version with winglets and the demonstrator colour scheme. Kit 72093 is the Yak-130D prototype RA-43130 (as shown in Greg's first photo in post 20 above) which has no winglets but has small fins at the leading edge of the wing/fuselage join.  Listed, but not yet issued, is 72033 "Yak-130 Advance Trainer" which may turn out to be the production aircraft.