1:72 Yakovlev Yak-25 the target drone (limited edition)

Yakovlev Yak-25RV as an aerial target 1:72 (Amodel 72212-01)

The kit from the Ukrainian maker Amodel, part number 72212-01, is a limited edition of a short-run injection-molded model in 1:72 scale. It represents the Yak-25RV, the high-altitude offshoot of the Yak-25, in its late role as an unmanned target. Watch out for a mix-up: the standard, non-limited release of the same machine comes under the number 72212 as the Yak-25RV-II, and the plain Yak-25 without the RV suffix is an entirely different aircraft with a swept wing.

The real subject

The Yak-25 was a Soviet twin-engine interceptor from the first half of the fifties. At the end of the fifties its structure gave rise to the high-altitude Yak-25RV variant, which received a completely new long unswept wing and carried photographic and signals equipment in place of armament. It worked at extreme altitudes and stayed in service until the reconnaissance version of the MiG-25 came along. From the early sixties some of the lightened airframes were converted into high-altitude targets: the RV-I served as a manned target for practice intercepts without live firing, while the RV-II was a radio-controlled unmanned target for live gunnery.

Building and painting tips

A short-run molding means heavier sprue gates, fine flash on the parting lines and the need to test fit the parts dry. The long wing is the most delicate place in the build: glue it on a flat surface and fill the seam at the fuselage. The conspicuous surfaces of target machines are better sprayed through a mask than assembled from decals.

Who the model is for

• Collectors of Soviet aircraft of the fifties and sixties
• Modelers with experience of short-run moldings
• Display cases with unusual machines: targets are rare in 1:72
• Those who also build high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.