Yak-9DD JAS Royal Air Force

These are 1/72 scale decals for Yakovlev Yak-9DD, JAS, assigned to No. 234 Squadron, Royal Air Force — one of the most unusual and seldom-modeled subjects in British aviation history, a Soviet-built fighter operating in RAF markings during one of the most daring Allied supply missions of World War II.

The Yak-9DD was the ultimate long-range variant of the Yakovlev Yak-9 family, fitted with even greater fuel capacity than the Yak-9D to achieve a range of over 2,200 kilometers — extraordinary for a single-engine fighter of the era. It was this exceptional range that made the Yak-9DD the chosen mount for Operation Frantic, the Allied shuttle bombing program in which USAAF bombers flew from bases in Britain or Italy, struck targets in German-occupied Europe, and landed at Soviet bases in Ukraine rather than returning to their starting point. The Yak-9DD provided fighter escort for portions of these missions deep into Eastern European airspace.

No. 234 Squadron RAF was involved in liaison and ferry operations connected to the Allied-Soviet cooperation effort, and the appearance of RAF roundels and serial codes on a Soviet Yak-9DD represents one of the war's more remarkable instances of Allied interoperability — British aircrew flying Soviet aircraft in support of joint operations that spanned the entire breadth of the European theater. It is a subject that speaks to the complexity and reach of the Allied coalition at the height of the war.

An extraordinarily rare and conversation-starting subject — a Soviet fighter in British markings that embodies the unlikely partnerships forged in the crucible of World War II. Please allow some time for decal printing and shipping.