Navalised Yak 15

[zenrat]

1947 - The air arm of the People's Democratic Republic of Victoria Navy enter the jet age by replacing their P39 Seacobras with Navalised Yakovlev Yak 15s (designated Yak 15N).
The navalisation was carried out at Victorian Aircraft Factory No.2 at Warnambool.  This consisted of hinging the wings, strengthening the undercarriage legs and fitting an arrestor hook.
The aircraft were shipped from the Soviet Union unarmed and without engines as by this time local production of upgraded Jumo 004s (from Soviet supplied plans) was up and running.  Twin 20mm VicArms Auto-Cannons were fitted.
In service the planes were nicknamed the "Flying Blowtorch" because of the effect they had on the wooden decks of the Flinders class carriers then in service with the PDRV Navy.
The aircraft depicted is Red 31 of the fighter wing of the PVS Tullamarine.  The pilot is wearing the standard issue silver flight suit that was intensely disliked by the naval flight crews due to the hydrophilic nature of its quilted asbestos fireproofing which led, on immersion, to it rapidly becoming a dead weight.





The kit is a 1/72 offering from Pioneer 2 and was pretty basic.  I added bulkheads in the cockpit and tube to close off the engine inlet and exhaust.  The wheels are Airfix Fw 190 (I lost one of the kit ones to the spiders under the bench) and the arrestor hook is from the new Airfix Stringbag.  Pilot from Sandiego89.

[perttime]

I like it 

Your wooden deck looks pretty new, still 

[NARSES2]

Now that's a nice looking aeroplane

[Dizzyfugu]

The colors look great - appears like a piece from a lost, late Tintin episode? Lovely 

[McGreig]

Excellent result from a so-so kit 
I'm working on a  navalised Hasegawa Yak-3 but I'd never have thought of using the Yak-15, and it looks really attractive in those colours. 

[JoeRugby]

Excellent!  WHIFFIE of the Year material!

[Weaver]

That's awfully pretty, and I think Dizzy hit the nail on the head: there is something cartoon-like about it (in a good way!). I think it's because the finish is so clean.

[sandiego89]

Really great! Like the scorched belley.  Stock canopy?

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.  Cartoony is good.  I like cartoony.
Maybe it's because of the colour choices?  Bold and simple with no subtle shade variations?
Yes, stock (really really thick) canopy.
And the deck .  Well that's only after 4 takeoffs.  After a few more the Shellac started to blister and flake and then each take off was accompanied by a blizzard of what looked like fireflies as the exhaust blasted burning particles into the air.

[major]

That's a lovely looking Aeroplane. Fantastic colours. Can visualise it in FAA, commonwealth markings. 

[zenrat]

Thanks major.
Maybe a Hurricane or Seafire could be modified to jet power in the same was the Yak 15 was developed from the Yak 9?
Now there's a thought...

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks folks.  Cartoony is good.  I like cartoony.
Maybe it's because of the colour choices?  Bold and simple with no subtle shade variations?
Yes, stock (really really thick) canopy.
And the deck .  Well that's only after 4 takeoffs.  After a few more the Shellac started to blister and flake and then each take off was accompanied by a blizzard of what looked like fireflies as the exhaust blasted burning particles into the air.

And the rubber tailwheel on the Yak should also last only for one taxiing turn. The real aircraft had their tailwheels quickly replaced by an all-metal piece, sending showers of sparks along the runway...

[perttime]

Maybe a Hurricane or Seafire could be modified to jet power in the same was the Yak 15 was developed from the Yak 9?
Now there's a thought...

There are at least whif drawings of Spitfires done like that. I'm not sure about plastic.

And there's my WW2 '46 development on the Napier Heston Racer...

[zenrat]

Maybe a Hurricane or Seafire could be modified to jet power in the same was the Yak 15 was developed from the Yak 9?
Now there's a thought...

There are at least whif drawings of Spitfires done like that. I'm not sure about plastic.

And there's my WW2 '46 development on the Napier Heston Racer...

Nice.  And there's room in the nose above the engine for some quite big guns...

[comrade harps]

smooth