1/72 Airfix YAK9D

Gallery Article by Ron Firth on Jan 9 2010

Silly Week 2010

 

Here is the story......

“In 1943 the Russian authorities decided that it would be good for public relations, and the war effort, to send one of their new fighters on a visit to a RAF base in England.

The YaK9D was chosen since it had been developed as a long range escort fighter with a range of over 800 miles without external tanks. It also had a good top speed of over 320 mph.

The Russians were also keen on fostering their relationship with neutral Sweden so through their embassy in Stockholm they arranged for the YaK to refuel at a base in southern Sweden. The distance to RAF Manston in Kent was just possible for the second leg.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

Major Piotr Kosachenko was assigned the duty of flying the YaK to England. He had recently been awarded a Golden Star to his Hero of the Soviet Union decoration..

The flight to Manston was successfully completed and he received a warm welcome from the officers and men of 609 Squadron. He was entertained well with a visit to London, to see the sights, and included a visit to the Windmill Theatre (which it is reported that he enjoyed very much!!). He also was welcomed by top RAF Officers and members of Winston Churchill' s war cabinet.

What he didn't know was that whilst he was there enjoying himself, the Station Commander at 609 Sqn had got his men to respray the YaK in RAF colours.

Piotr was only at Manston a few days before he was mysteriously recalled to the Soviet Union.

During this short time he was lucky to have a few flights in the squadron's 'car door' type Typhoon 1B's and some of the RAF men had flights in his YaK. The Yak developed engine trouble and so hasty plans were put in place to get Piotr back to Sweden in the bomb bay of one of BOAC's civvy Mosquitos. This flight went well and he was then taken from Sweden aboard a VVS DB3F back to his base in Russia.

 

Just what became of the YaK9D was never documented.

Incidentally, in real life, visits of Russian Air Force aircraft to the UK were extremely rare in WW2 days. I recall only one and that was the visit of the Russian Foreign Minister, Molotov, in a four engined Pe-8 to Leuchars.

(The article first appeared on the Airfix Tribute Forum about two months ago.)

Ron Firth

Photos and text © by Ron Firth