Trainer Fighter : 1/48th ICM Yak-7B

The ICM Yak-7 series was first released around 1998, starting with the "A" version. My 1/48th ICM Yak-7B kit is a later release in the "Aces" series boxing, which followed their -7B on skis option. This kit also contained a sprue set with ground support crew and equipment to get you on your way to a nice diorama display, if you chose to do that.

Notable Kit Features:

• The aircraft comes with an engine that can be included, although its not really designed to be shown (without doing some cutaways and scratch building)

• Exhaust stubs are separate parts

• Cockpit detail is nicely done with tubular frames represented by separate parts

• Kit panel lines, fasteners and fabric covered surface detail is nicely represented

• Ailerons are separate pieces as is rudder (but there are no hinge points)

• Underside Radiator and gear wells are fairly basic

• Glass is a single piece, on the heavy side and not overly clear

• Wingtip navigation lights are provided in the clear sprue

• Rocket armament is included

• Additional Field Ground Crew and equipment is an nice inclusion with work benches, oil drums, fuel containers and various crew members to select from

Build Inspiration:

Originally developed as a trainer (Yak-7UTI) this type was later modified for production as a fighter as well (hence the space in behind the pilot). I don't recall exactly where I picked this kit up from, however it was fairly inexpensive. Typically you can pick up these early ICM products at very reasonable prices. If you don't mind some extra work putting things together and maybe improving on some details, you can get a very nice build for comparatively little cost. (Understandably not everyone's hobby goal.) I ended up purchasing a few of these ICM kit types as my collection didn't include many VVS aircraft and ICM was producing these aircraft that no other manufacturer had bothered with at that point.

Heads-Up Report:

• These early ICM kits typically required washing with soap to degrease them

• Plastic is on the soft side and many parts require some clean-up before gluing

• No locater pins make parts alignment a bit more challenging

• Additional parts for other variants are included in the box

• Thick decals that don't conform well to the surfaces (and tend to be brittle)

• Reported accuracy issues pretty much all over, however it still looks the part

Kit Additions / Modifications:

My model was built OoB (Out of the Box)

Finishing:

For the paint scheme on this aircraft you are given the colour scheme on the back of the box (with Humbrol paint numbers) and not much more guidance than that. Admittedly resources on VVS paint colours were scarce back in the flegling days of the internet (for the average person), not to mention finding any reference photos on these Russian types in general. The situation has improved since then however there is still a lot less information on VVS aircraft during WWII when compared to US or European aircraft types.

The After-Build Report:

This 1/48th ICM Yak-7B kit is best suited for intermediate modeler + due to the lack locator pins and detail provided that may require cleanup. Also you may want to option for a replacement canopy. If you want to model VVS aircraft, ICM is still a good place to go for inexpensive kits that you can turn out some nice results with (given some extra effort). Apparently this ICM Yak-7 series suffers from a number of accuracy problems. The profile of the fuselage, oil cooler housing, as well as the propeller blades and the spinner are a bit off. For me the ICM kits allowed me to build up a few examples of aircraft that I otherwise wouldn't have in the collection... all at a reasonable cost.

Completed build #91 - February 2006 using the 1/48th scale Maker #48035 kit.

Feel free to comment or ask any questions - Keep on building, gain experience, challenge yourself if you like, but try not to stress yourself out over the build - it is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby after all - Cheers