Vector La-5 corrected control surfaces question.

[TBC]

Maybe someone here can answer my question as I know of no way to get hold of Sergey at Vector directly. He makes a corrected control surface set for the Zvezda 1/48 La-5 kit. The horizontal tail planes and elevators are of a different style than the kit plastic parts, similar to the two types of horizontal tail planes used on the Beaufighter. His La-5F/FN/La-7 control surface set has the same elevators as in the aforementioned Zvezda La-5 kit.  Anyone here know their La-5's and what this was about? Thank you.

[John Thompson]

Sergey is a member of, and posts regularly on, the Hyperscale Plane Talking forum, so you may be able to contact him there if you're a member.

 

I checked the MBI book La-5, by Milos Vestsik - the drawings in it show the same tailplane configuration for La-5, La-5F, and La-5FN, and MBI's La-7 book drawings show the same tailplane shape as the La-5 series. In trying to understand your question better, I checked the two Zvezda kits and found that they have the identical complete sprue "A", which includes the stabilizers and elevators, so obviously these parts are the same between the two kits, and neither kit includes alternate parts. Looking at online images of the two Vector sets (links below), I see a difference in the hinge line configuration between one set and the other, but the Vector La-5 shape does not appear in the MBI drawings. The Vector La-5F/FN/La-7 set matches both Zvezda kits and all of the MBI drawings.

 

Then I looked at the book Soviet Fighters of the Great Patriotic War: MiG-3, LaGG-3, La-5  by V. Voronin and P. Kolesnikov. The La-5 drawings in this reference show no variation in tailplane shape among La-5, La-5F, and La-5FN; however, the LaGG-3 drawings in the same book include a scrap view for the LaGG-3 series 35 which matches the shape of the Vector La-5 parts. My guess (and that's all it is) is that the Vector parts are intended for a very early La-5 (sometimes referred to as LaGG-5) which was among those converted from LaGG-3 airframes.

 

It's very possible that Sergey has information about the carryover of LaGG-3 details to the La-5 that the author of the MBI books did not, so we're back to trying to contact him for an explanation. I hope I haven't confused things even more; your question is certainly a good one!

 

Vector La-5 correction set:

http://www.neomega-resin.com/la-5-corrected-surfaces-oil-cooler-bomb-rack-788-p.asp

 

Vector La-5F/La-5FN/La-7 correction set:

http://www.neomega-resin.com/la-5ffnla-7-surfaces--oil-cooler-778-p.asp

 

John

Edited March 26, 2018 by John Thompson

[TBC]

I have seen images of this alternate elevator/horizontal tail (as in Vector La-5 correction set VDS48-037) used on the La-5F and UTI. I am wondering if the section added to the elevator was in fact some sort of mass balance that was used to compensate for increased horsepower engines and center of gravity? And to be clear, the elevator hinge line wasn't actually offset. The two hinges were in-line with each other. Approximately the outer half (a little more than half actually) of each elevator had an increase in chord with a corresponding decrease in chord of the horizontal tail to allow for this. Still wondering. The truth is out there.

[Graham Boak]

You aren't completely clear, and I haven't seen the differences you mention.   However, there can only be one hinge line (think about it for a while), which is usually inset behind the leading edge of the elevator.  What you are seeing (probably) is a change in the aerodynamic balances to assist the stability of the aircraft, as on the Beaufighter and Spitfires, to name but two.  This is not an actual change in mass to compensate for cg movement due to heavier masses up front - this would be compensated for by internal ballast.  The elevator will also carry extra mass ahead of the hinge line, but this is to prevent something called flutter, an uncontrolled vibration which resonates to a destructive level causing the aircraft to break up in flight.  I don't know whether this was a feature of early Lavochkin fighters - I haven't seen it mentioned at all in a Russian context.