Lavochkin La-5
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Kit Review
This is an all-new tooling from KP's new owners, Legato/AZ Model, and it is also offered separately in La-5F or La-5FN versions all of which use the same basic moulds with additions or omissions. This version uses the high-back fuselage with the inset windows behind the canopy, which is also included in the La-5F kit, but not used as that version has the later low-back fuselage parts from the La-5FN kit included (confusing hey!) The main sprue is dark grey coloured and contains 25 parts, whilst the clear sprue offers five parts. Surface detail is restricted to raised panels, joints and things like the landing flaps and control surfaces, as the small scale does not lend itself to moulding panel lines that will look at best like trenches!
Assembly is shown in 14 stages in the instructions and this starts with the interior, which has a floor/rear bulkhead unit with separate control column, seat and instrument panel. The wing is solid and one-piece, onto which goes the assembled cockpit unit. The fuselage halves are then made up and placed over the top of the wing centre section to make up the bulk of the airframe. The tailplanes are separate and have locating tabs to help installation. The undercarriage comes as separate oleo legs, doors and main wheels, all of which are nicely moulded with no sign of flash. The propeller however does have flash along the edge of each blade, so this will have to be cleaned up before assembly. The final addition will be the canopy, which comes as a closed one-piece unit, or a two-piece unit depicting the hood in the open position. The small side windows behind the canopy are separate parts, so take care with their installation as they don't look to have any locating tabs or ridges to help them stay in place.
The kit offers three decal options. The first is 'Red 42', 193rd IAP, February 1943, this machine was donated by workers of the Gorkovskiy district and carried a slogan to this effect on the sides. It is depicted in a winter scheme of white upper surfaces and AMT 7 blue undersides. Next comes 'White 84', 88th GIAP, 1943, this machine was donated by workers and farmers of the Gorkikly district and has suitable slogans on the fuselage sides. It is in an AMT 4 green and black over AMT 7 blue scheme. The third option is 'Red 58', 11th GIAP, winter 1944/45. This is another machine that was donated by workers of the Gorkovskiy district and carries a slogan to this effect on the fuselage sides. It is in the AMT 4 green and black over AMT 7 blue scheme but with mottled patches of white on the upper surfaces. Colour references in the instructions are given for Humbrol or Agama paint ranges. The accompanying decal sheet is well printed, with perfect register and colour and the carrier film is thin and very shiny.
Conclusion
A very neat kit, that has surprising levels of detail for the small scale. It can certainly be highly recommended to all modellers concentrating on 1/144th scale or to all VVS fans.
Our thanks to Kovozavody Prostejov for the review sample. For details of this and all KP products visit their website at www.kovozavody.cz.
This is an all-new tooling from KP's new owners, Legato/AZ Model, and it is also offered separately in La-5F or La-5FN versions all of which use the same basic moulds with additions or omissions. This version uses the high-back fuselage with the inset windows behind the canopy, which is also included in the La-5F kit, but not used as that version has the later low-back fuselage parts from the La-5FN kit included (confusing hey!) The main sprue is dark grey coloured and contains 25 parts, whilst the clear sprue offers five parts. Surface detail is restricted to raised panels, joints and things like the landing flaps and control surfaces, as the small scale does not lend itself to moulding panel lines that will look at best like trenches!
Assembly is shown in 14 stages in the instructions and this starts with the interior, which has a floor/rear bulkhead unit with separate control column, seat and instrument panel. The wing is solid and one-piece, onto which goes the assembled cockpit unit. The fuselage halves are then made up and placed over the top of the wing centre section to make up the bulk of the airframe. The tailplanes are separate and have locating tabs to help installation. The undercarriage comes as separate oleo legs, doors and main wheels, all of which are nicely moulded with no sign of flash. The propeller however does have flash along the edge of each blade, so this will have to be cleaned up before assembly. The final addition will be the canopy, which comes as a closed one-piece unit, or a two-piece unit depicting the hood in the open position. The small side windows behind the canopy are separate parts, so take care with their installation as they don't look to have any locating tabs or ridges to help them stay in place.
The kit offers three decal options. The first is 'Red 42', 193rd IAP, February 1943, this machine was donated by workers of the Gorkovskiy district and carried a slogan to this effect on the sides. It is depicted in a winter scheme of white upper surfaces and AMT 7 blue undersides. Next comes 'White 84', 88th GIAP, 1943, this machine was donated by workers and farmers of the Gorkikly district and has suitable slogans on the fuselage sides. It is in an AMT 4 green and black over AMT 7 blue scheme. The third option is 'Red 58', 11th GIAP, winter 1944/45. This is another machine that was donated by workers of the Gorkovskiy district and carries a slogan to this effect on the fuselage sides. It is in the AMT 4 green and black over AMT 7 blue scheme but with mottled patches of white on the upper surfaces. Colour references in the instructions are given for Humbrol or Agama paint ranges. The accompanying decal sheet is well printed, with perfect register and colour and the carrier film is thin and very shiny.
Conclusion
A very neat kit, that has surprising levels of detail for the small scale. It can certainly be highly recommended to all modellers concentrating on 1/144th scale or to all VVS fans.
Our thanks to Kovozavody Prostejov for the review sample. For details of this and all KP products visit their website at www.kovozavody.cz.
