Building a NOVO Lavochkin LA-7/S-97 - interpreting the paint colours?

[Manipled Mutineer]

I am currently in the process of building an old Novo La-7/S-97 kit which I picked up for £2 at the Old Toy Museum at Bletchley Park a few weeks ago. Leaving aside that it has a few bits missing, being a lazy modeller I am slightly foxed by the paint colours given on the header card. For the version I am building, an S-97 of the Czech Mixed Air Division Czech Air Force,Slokavia 1945, it gives Matt White, Matt Black, Matt Dark Blue, Matt Red, Matt Dark Grey, Matt Light Blue, Matt Brownish-Green and "Stained Natural Metal". Is there any ready-reckoner I could use in order to relate these to my favoured Humbrol paints, or could some kind person suggest some acceptable matches/mixes? (It is particularly the last six I am after advice on.)

Many thanks in advance.

More on the kit here: http://www.novokits.ru/index.php/kits/11-novo-novoexport-kits/75-novo-1-72-lavochkin-la-7.html

Edited March 6, 2013 by Manipled Mutineer

[Troy Smith]

I'd not trust the Novo painting instructions, or the decals either! [They certainly disintegrated back in the 70's!]

They date back to the original Frog issue, which was done in the mid 70's....

The instructions show the Green/Brown scheme for bort 27. There is no such VVS scheme. As a new member I presume you have not seen the extensive postings on VVS colours [VVS = Soviet Air Force]

The Czech ones intitally stayed in VVS colours, [as they were a Czech Air Division serving with the VVS], which are AMT-11 grey and AMT-12 dark grey uppers over AMT-7 blue underside.

if they got the post war one colour upper green, This would be AMT-4 green AFAIK. The reason i say IF is that the LA-7 was mainly wood, and the planes were not built to last.

I have a PDF of the Czech MBI book on the La-5/7, IIRC the Czechs had LA-5FN, not sure about La-7's, and most were gone by 1947.

For the wartime fighters http://mig3.sovietwarplanes.com/colors/1943-45-fighters/1943-45.html

for info on colours

http://mig3.sovietwarplanes.com/colors/colors.html

There is a list of humbrol matches for AMT-4 green and AMT-7 blue at the bottom of the page on the 2nd link.

The blue and red are to match the Czech roundels, and burnt metal is, well, the side exhaust with discolouration. look up painting burnt metal...

I'm assuming you want an accurate scheme, otherwise, just visually match them to the instruction drawing....

HTH

T

[Manipled Mutineer]

Many thanks!