Re: Yak 25/TA 183

This kit was originally released by Aurora as the Yak-25 and was molded in pale green plastic and had no landing gear or underwing stores. It was later released as the Mig-19 in metallic green plastic and included landing gear and underwing rockets.

I recently acquired a 1952 issue of "Air Trails" magazine that had a three-view drawing of the supposed Yak-25. The Aurora kit is almost identical to this drawing except for the radome over the nose air intake.

Duncan

The Aurora kit was first issued as a "Yak-25" and was one of Aurora's first eight kits brought out in 1953.

The model did not represent any existing Soviet aircraft. The design for the kit was taken from articles in aviation and popular science magazines and Jane's.

In 1954 Aurora changed the box art to "MiG-19". It was produced until 1970.

Above data from Thomas Graham's excellent book Aurora Model Kits, published b Kalmbach and currently out of print.

Graham's Remembering Revell Model Kits offers the information that their "Yak-25" was available from 1958-1961. It bore no resembelance to the Aurora kit in that it was a twin engine jet that did a pretty good job representing the actual Yak-25 in 1/50 scale.

These two books are superb additions to a modeling library and are actually pretty good reading as well as being great reference works.

Tom

Okay, going through my book of fighters, and took a look at the aircraft you're referring to. I confused it with the Yak-25M (Mandrake) which is a twin jet engined interceptor. As to your Aurora, check out the Yak-50, it comes a little closer to the Aurora. Its first flight was in 1949, so the time table fits as well. If you can't find a copy of the three-view, e-mail me and I'll scan it and send it to you. I never knew that Robert McNamara set up nominclature for the Soviet Aircraft.

-- John ___ __[xxx]__ (o - ) --------o00o--(_)--o00o-------

The history of things that didn't happen has never been written - Henry Kissinger