Eduard 1/72 Lavochkin La-7 Weekend Edition

[Diggers11]

Hi,

Here is a selection of photos of my latest completion. Its built using the 2014 weekend edition of Eduard's kit. The kit is one of Eduard's older tools so not up to their current standard. Unfortunately as a weekend kit it lacks the Photoetch which presumably came with previous boxings, resulting it a lack of cockpit detail and in particular the main gear door actuators. These issues were remedied with a bit of scratch building using plasticard and albion alloys micro tubing. The kit does come with a set of Eduard's Superfabric seat harnesses. These work alright but are a bit flat because the buckles are printed the same as the straps. I prefer their Photoetch belts in general or making my own.

The model is mainly airbrushed using Hataka red line paints for the camouflage scheme. It was my first time using these acrylic paints. I found they worked well with Vallejo Airbrush Thinner with Vallejo Flow Improver although there was still an occasional issue with tip dry. The star on the cowling is supplied in the kit as decals but I decided to spray it instead to better match the forward part of the cowling and spinner. I also had to touch up the white wing stripes as the decals were too short as I positioned them.

To weather the model I used a combination of Ammo by Mig Panel line washes, Tamiya weathering sets and chalk pastel dust. I used Ammo by Mig Lucky matt varnish to give it its final coat. The aerial is made from Uschi van der Rosten rigging thread, painted aluminium. The Canopy was dipped in AK Interactive's Gauzy Glass Coat to improve its clarity. I had trouble in the past with this stuff drying to quickly and not allowing it to level out. That's until I decided to put the bottle in the fridge for ten minutes before using it. It may sound weird but it seems to make it slightly less viscous so it levels out before drying.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the cockpit precariously posed before the fuselage got closed up. Everything behind the seat bulkhead is scratch built apart from the yellow bottle and so is some of the detail on the cockpit side walls. This kit was originally designed to use photoetch for detail so it lacks moulded alternatives unlike more modern Eduard kits. I think it predates Eduard's Profipack/weekend edition philosophy.

 

 

Accuracy wise the kit seems to match reasonably well to the references I could find online. Although I did reshape the wing tips and extend the tail wheel opening rearwards to better match the real aircraft. 

 

Hope you enjoy!

 

Mark.

[RMCS]

Lovley finish 

[kapam]

Superb!

Personally, I wouldn't sweat the lack of cockpit detail - not much visible through the canopy anyway.

Nonetheless, your close-up of the "office", prior to joining the halves, looks very nice indeed.

The weathering and staining is perfect too.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Wow ! Very impressive La-7 ! 

[Greg Law]

Very nice result. I particularly like the exhaust stains.

[Jovac]

Very nice model. I like it.

[Duckwizard]

One of my favorite fighters and a really beautiful build!

[Diggers11]

Thank you all for your positive comments.

 

The exhaust staining is just a thin black and brown mix airbrushed carefully at low pressure.