Yak Attack
So far, Exito Decals' marking sets did not raise my interest enough to take a closer look at them. The seventh entry just added to the catalogue, dealing with the subject of Soviet fighters, changed this state of affairs.
Bundle
Item called "Yak Attack" (catalogue number ED72007) is a wrapped A4 size package containing markings for three Yaks 1 with red stars. The size of the packet itself tells us that we are not dealing with ordinary aftermarket decals and Exito has a slightly different idea for this type of product.
So what makes this release different? Well, the manual. Each of the presented machines is provided with one sheet of chalk paper with colourful side profiles drawn by Janusz Światłoń.
On the back we will find further colourful drawings explaining the painting of the upper and lower surfaces of the airframe. Plus photos that have been used to reconstruct particular painting option and comments explaining certain decisions made by the authors (e.g. the colour of the spinner selected according to other machines from the same unit).
We are also not left alone with regard to the choice of paints. The manual suggests appropriate numbers from Akan and AK Interactive pallets (Real Colors series).
Clou
The marking sheet itself is obviously little less impressive in size. Printed by the respected Italian company Cartograf, makes a very positive first impression- the emblems look really good and the details are clear.
Looks like the manufacturer does not care about the German censorship...
For dubious artistic qualities of some of the paintings, the authors of original artworks are to be blamed.
The markings provided will allow us to make all three painting options from one sheet. Each version has a separate set of red stars, including those painted in a more sloppy way on the actual plane.
However, we won't find any stencils on the sheet. This is not a problem, taking into account that the Arma Hobby kit (reviewed here not so long ago), for which this set was probably created, has those provided. Unless someone would like to use these decals on the ZTS Plastic...
Choices
As mentioned above, "Yak Attack" contains markings for three planes. The camouflaged machine with the inscription "For Vanya Korniyenko".
Similarly painted Yak with a snake motif.
And for a variety sake- a fighter entirely (well, almost) covered with the AMT-7 colour, which so far has been interpreted in many different ways, usually with light grey paint on the upper surfaces of the airframe.
However, the choice of one of the above machines is not the end of the decisions we will have to make. Each of the considered Yaks has the same shortcoming- always posed for the photos with one side (or rather there are no known archival photographs showing a different situation). Thus, the appearance of the other side of the fuselage is just an assumption, to which the instruction openly admit and suggests what options were possible.
The set allows you to stick the emblems on both sides of each of the presented aircraft, if this version appeals to you the most. In case of the Morozov machine (the one with the snake) there are even two numbers "20", completely unaffected by the serpent. Non-conformists can therefore, in spite of the photographs, make a miniature without a snake. Because why not?
Summary
Decal set from Exito is undoubtedly an interesting proposition for modellers who did not like the painting options provided by the Arma Hobby kit, or just want to build a bunch of Yaks. The undeniable strength of the package lays in the documentation clearly showing on what basis it was created, and what still remains more or less speculative. The marking sheet itself also looks very nice, and taking into account the reputation of the Cartograf company- it should not cause any problems when applying on the model.
MMXX