I typically build only 1/72
scale aircraft but had the chance to try one of Vector's new, all resin
kits of the La-5FN. I recieved my copy from Derek Brown's Buffies Best
web store. Vector recently released a series of 1/48th scale
Russian fighters and have finally brought the modeling community truly
excellent kits of these long neglected aircraft. If resin kits scare
you, fear not, this
was my first all resin kit
and I found it to be no more challenging to build than your average
plastic kit...even easier in some ways!
The parts are beautifully cast and
detail overall is very good. The main landing gear legs have a metal core
giving them more than enough rigidity to support the aircraft. The same cannot
be said of the all resin tail strut however and I would strongly
recommend that you replace the upper portion of the strut with solid plastic
rod or metal tube. I went the plastic route and it worked fine. The tail strut
attachment point also needs replacing for strength reason as well. I simply
made one from a piece of plastic block.
The kit instructions are rather
basic, making theplacement of a few parts rather vague...it's good to have
some good references close by to settle any questions in this area!
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images below to see larger images
Construction was straight
forward overall. I started in the cockpit where you will find an
excellent level of detail. I added only throttle linkage, some
levers, rudder cables and pedal straps and some minor wiring. The fit of
the kit is better than I expected. You'll find only a little filler is
needed in the wing root area and the joint between the bottom of the
fuselage and the lower wing. The wing itself comes as a one piece affair
so no filling needed there! The wing required just a little clean up and
it was ready to install. There is only one vacuform canopy supplied so
be careful not to damage it! I have to say I think Vector should
give an extra one...just in case. One other area that needs a bit of
caution is the attachment of the main gear. The attachment point is not
as sturdy or positive as your average plastic kit so be sure to check
your references to get the right attachment angle.
I finished the model with White
Ensign Models superb line of VVS paint colors. The scheme used was
AMT-7/11/12...the most common one found on the La-5FN. There are
decals are supplied for numerous a/c...I chose to model Nazimov Konstantin
Savel'evich's a/c as it looked in Poland during the fall of 1944. Weathering
was kept somewhat restrained...using pastels and Prismacolor's silver pastel
pencil for the paint chipping on the wing root fairing.
The exhaust shield is Alclad II
and the stains were airbrushed with a very diluted mix of Modelmaster
"Tar" and "Rust". Some other final touches were the
stainless steel wire for the radio antenna and CMK resin position lights for
the wings and tail. The pitot tube is not supplied and that was scratch built
from pastic rods. The decals went on beautifully after a coat of Future and
are very thin.
This was a very enjoyable and
fairly quick build...be sure to give one of these kits a try when you feel the
need for a VVS a/c build!
Joe
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images below to see larger images
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