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Christian WERY
19 articles

Lavochkin LA-5FN 1/48 Eduard

June 12, 2015 · in Aviation · · 39 · 7.1K

In 1941, to integrate the cumbersome Shvetsov ASh-82 (M-82) engine into the frame of the LaGG-3 to build was not a small matter and it costs the life to some Russian test pilots. The new machine required many improvements (cooling, leak fluid into the cockpit, maniability) which ended, around 1944, in LA-5FN (F for compressor, N for direct injection) which was equal to its german opponents (Bf 109 G and FW 190) while flying under 3000 meters. LA-5 possesses a long very characteristic air inlet over the hood for the supercharging pressure; it was moved down on the LA-7.

This limited edition kit comes from an previous model. Finely detailed, it is nevertheless a little bit delicate to realize, in particular at the level of the closure of both halves of the fuselage (the file is necessary, but take care on thin frame tubes). The placement of tail exhausts requires a lot of attention and the slightest gap in the position of the engine led to a bad propeller alignment. (I owed little to cheat under the front hood). I added some scratch parts to improve the inside, original engine and both artillery ChVAK.

I used grey colors recommended by Eduard, Gunze H317 and H331which seem plausible. There are many discussions about Russian greys of this period, I believe that they are vain, because seen the climate conditions to which these paintings were exposed (chemical or biological aggression), nobody is capable of saying what looked like the exact tones of these planes. But maybe you have back Russian grandfather with excellent visual memory...
The dedication inscription says "From co-op farmer Vasily Viktorovitch Konev".

I recommend the french magazine Aero Journal (HS n°20), an excellent special issue (by Herbert Leonard) about story of Lavotchkine fighters.

Reader reactions:
21  Awesome

14 additional images. Click to enlarge.


39 responses

  1. Greetings :
    Very sharp and keen work. The detailing work is of very good class, I was about to log off and this one popped out and caught my attention. Nice work.

  2. Nice work indeed! Despite that color discussions, I like yours, it just "sits" well 🙂

  3. most excellent work!

  4. said on June 12, 2015

    Absolutely marvelous. Great attention to detail. Well done!

  5. Nicely finished and photographed, sir...I like it a lot. Two thumbs up! 🙂

    • Many thanks sir Craig _
      I find that the plane seems bigger on photos, on my table it's only 19cm.
      It was a small fighter which could hold in a living room...

  6. I really like it!

  7. Christian, Very nice work. RE: Russian paint. I read an article about Russian paint and it mentioned they did not use lead in their paint, due to the fact that lead was designated for ammunition and other war material. This caused the paint to fade quickly. If it got real bad, field applied touch-ups were applied creating some even greater varying shades. I've seen pictures at wars end of lines of similar airplanes all with different degrees of shading. So I guess anything goes, but realism wise, leaning towards a more faded finish is probably closer to real. Like you've done here.

    • Oh it's very interesting, so it's a matter of lead in paint. On WW2 original photos, every LA-5 painting seems very faded.
      Many thanks Terry, it's why we are here on a this site : to get good informations from aknowledgeable person. And you are so.

  8. Good job, Christian. I built this same kit several years ago, and enjoyed the detail provided.

  9. Very nice work. One niggle: the Zvezda kit isn't "old" unless you think three years is a long time. 🙂

  10. Christian, thanks for the comment-which I will use- about the effect of mushrooms on color! I can't wait to introduce that in my next go round with the color police! Or gestapo, given the dogmatism some of them express!
    Does it depend on the TYPE of mushrooom? Bwahahahahah!

    • Thanks for laughing :your hilarity surely comes from my translation, maybe "mold spores, funguses" would come better in place of mushrooms.

      • I'm sticking with the mushrooms! Makes about as much sense as a lot of other supposed reasons for paint variance.Hmmmm, wonder if anyone makes 1/48th mushrooms? I'm picturing the look on the "experts" faces upon viewing a fungous encrusted airframe.
        I just love putting on the rubes!

        • Seriously, I am only bringing back what I read here and there, and in reality, I am not at all competent to speak about the resistance of the paintings of seventy years ago. I do my best to present models close to the reality without splitting hairs like «experts» often do.
          I also believe that mushrooms are an original and funny explanation...

  11. Very interesting story, Christian, together with an excellent build and good photographs, and then some entertaining comments from fellow iModelers, what more could we possibly want?

    • About the story, must say i was really fascinated by the complicated evolution of the Lavotchkine aircrafts during the war, including the ways used to convince Stalin to pursue the tries.
      Thanks for comment George.

  12. Profile Photo
    P.k said on June 13, 2015

    Nice build*
    LIKE!

    P.k

  13. Great work! Lavka like a living!

    p.s. - lavka- is slang, called La-5 Russian pilots.

  14. Thank you for comment and slang info.
    I am impressed by your 1/32 biplans realizations :congratulations !

  15. Very beautifully done! And superb photography of the finished subject.

  16. Awesome modelling, looks very nice with the open cowling panels

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