"Jaroslaviets" Ja - 5 and Ja - 6 – the Soviet combat cutters

In the early 1930s, Yaroslavl Shipyard began construction of new boats. The project was led by senior engineer L. G. Piskunov. Diesel engines installed in cutters, called “Jaroslaviets”, with a length about 20 m and a displacement of 22 to 23 tons, have developed speeds up to 10 knots. Two versions of the cutter were designed: Ja-5 - with steel and Ja - 6 - with wooden hull. Soon Ja - 6 began to serve as a tugboat on the Volga, Kama rivers and Lake Onega, in Siberian timber transport. With the outbreak of the war, most of these ships began to be used as communication and transport ships. Armed versions of these cutters began build in 1942: minesweepers and anti-aircraft defenses, and later with rocket launchers. They excelled most in the Battle of Stalingrad.

Two cutters can be easily made from the edition: Ja - 5 and Ja - 6, but they can also be made in different versions: minesweeper or attack cutter. The model itself is not complicated, so it is recommended even for beginner modelers.