Heraldcoupe Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 (edited) Both have been sat in various lofts for the past 25 years, about time I did something with them. There's a Lagg-3 and a Lag-5, both 1/72 from the same unknown source. Nice simple kits, no idea on their accuracy but a good re-introduction to vac modelling. The Lagg-3 will need a new canopy as the original has gone awol, but the other one should provide a pattern. So off to scour Google for some cockpit images, Cheers, Bill. Edited October 13, 2009 by Heraldcoupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tornado64 Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 i'm no expert but wouldn't the cannopy be the same dimentions as it is moulded onto the fuselage or is that just me ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Ooooh... you can't beat a 100% vacform kit! My MB-5 was like that... even the struts & props were vacced. Lots of lovely fun to be had there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted May 2, 2009 Author Share Posted May 2, 2009 i'm no expert but wouldn't the cannopy be the same dimentions as it is moulded onto the fuselage or is that just me ?? Yes it will be. However the simple answer is to fill the other kit's canopy with resin, then use the resulting plug to form a new canopy from PETG. Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted May 2, 2009 Author Share Posted May 2, 2009 First under the knofe is the LaGG-3. I quickly marked around the major parts with a fine marker pen, like so: I've not marked out all the parts as many of the smaller items will probably be sourced from the spares box. Anyway, after a couple of hours of cutting and sanding, I'm left with this random assortment of ill fitting parts: Doesn't look too bad until you make comparisons between the upper wing halves: That gives an interesting join where it meets the fuselage, the short one seems to be the odd one out as the rest aligns pretty well. Still, I didn't pick this for an easy life, and I've already learnt a lot about the LaGGs by trawling the internet, Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Zoiks! That's a bit of a faux pas on their behalf. I'm sure a lot of companies never attempt a test build of their own stuff I don't blame you for not wanting to use things like vacform wheels etc. They're horrible! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spazman Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Hey Bill, Maybe the wings were like that on the real plane to counter-act propeller torque?..... Just kidding! There was a whole series of those vacs. I have most of them somewhere in my stash. Have fun!! Ted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbag Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Hey Bill,Maybe the wings were like that on the real plane to counter-act propeller torque?..... Just kidding! Not as strange as it may seem Ted. The Macchi 202 and 205 employed that particular aerodynamic feature to counteract prop torque. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 Not as strange as it may seem Ted.The Macchi 202 and 205 employed that particular aerodynamic feature to counteract prop torque. Indeed, I was reading something to that effect quite recently, can't remember which aircraft it was though. Anyway, I'm glad I kept an eye on the dimensions as if I'd sanded the fuselage down level with the edge of the sheet, it would have been hopelessly narrow. I avoided that pitfall, though I've still had to place spacers in the underside to get enough width. It now looks like the shorter wing is closer to the truth, but I'll resit cutting until the fuselage is together. I'll get some cockpit detail built and post some more images later, Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spazman Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Good catch on the fuselage sanding Bill. That's one of those pesky things about vacs. I was working on an Air Transport Short Maia a number of years back and had to stop sanding the one fuselage half way before the excess would peel off for the exact same reason as your Lagg. A fellow that I know from one of my modelling clubs over here used to always cut out his canopy first and sand the fuselage halves to fit it (which was fine as long as the canopy wasn't too wonky!). Looking forward to your progress! Ted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted May 5, 2009 Author Share Posted May 5, 2009 Will this is turning out as a really old-school build - vacform quality just like the old days! I have the fuselage taped together, and it all fits up to the wings nicely, except it all sits at an odd angle. Some inspection quickly revealed the problem(s) - check out the relative heights on the wing roots here: The lefthand wing root is a good 0.5mm higher than the right, probably closer to 0.75mm if I used something more accurate than my old vernier calipers. Nice twist to the tail too, though that won't be so tricky to straighten. Once I's sorted out the roots so I'm happy it will all align, I can start my favourite part, the cockpit. There are some crude vac-formed internal bits, but I'll start from scratch now I've found some decent images. Meanwhile back at the ranch, wings are getting closer. Wheel wells have been boxed, photos of the real thing show there are few features to be detailed. Incidentally, I had to reposition the wells as they were closer to the La-7 layout than what's right for a LaGG-3. I've been trying to work out which variant of the LaGG-3 the kit is supposed to represent too. Seems to be something of a hybrid, though the flat cowling makes one of the later series' more plausible. No idea on those underwing bulges though, I can't see them on any images of original aircraft. Annoying that I didn't realise before the wings went together as removing them would be much easier if they'd been backed with plasticard. Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spazman Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Hi Bill, Yikes! I think my Lagg vac may just stay on its sheet! I'll be interested in seeing how you fix the wing root. Ted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 I decided that the lefthand wing root was too high, rather than the right being too low. This was based on ocmparison with photographs and a KP La-5FN, a descendant of the LaGG-3. I backed the lefthand root with some scraps of 10 thou plasticard and cyano, like so: I then attacked the outside face with some coarse wet & dry rolled into a tube. Once I was happy that the shape was roughly there, I did the same with some 800 grade: It looks like there's a dip at the centre of the wingroot in the photograph, not sure why as it looks much better in the flesh! I decided that given all the shape oddities, it would be best to assemble the fuselage, then add interior detail from below. So I carefull aligned what would align, then fixed it all with Ambroid Pro-weld where the plastic was thick enough, and cyano where it wasn't: The underside was particularly thin behind the wing, which is one of the areas which needed widening. I backed this area with 10 thou plastic card and filled the gap with cyano & sodium bicarbonate. The same filler was used elsewhere on the fuselage, not a technique I had tried until now, but I can see it being popular in future! So I'm reasonably happy with the way it aligns now. Hopefully I should get some detail in the cockpit this evening, then work ou how to deal with the missing canopy. I reckon the chances of the LaG-5 canopy fitting are pretty slim, so probbaly a scratch job on that one. Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 I've been a bit quiet over the past couple of weeks, this is my busiest time of the year so I have to fit modelling in around work. I've not been completely idle, with bits and pieces being knocked up when I've had a few minutes to spare. Last night I managed to put in a few hours work, this is how far I've got I made detailing the cockpit difficult for myself by putting the fuselage together first. This was a necessary evil, there were so many discrepancies from side to side that I had no chance of getting things symetrical until it was all together! Worst offenders were the windows behind the cockpit, their positions dictated where the fuselage formers were to be located. Anyway, the tricky bit's done, with a scratched up seat and instrument panel. I also made a control columne from bits of plastic and copper wire, but I forgot it was in the helping hands and managed to demolish it.... :shithappens: I'll try and get the rest of the cockpit scratched up tonight, then work out how best to paint it. Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Totally alien to ME this sortt of models...but you are making a really good job of it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Cor Bill... it's fighting you all the way! You're battling manfully though - keep up the good work. Modelling like it used to be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 Modelling like it used to be! Perversely, I'm rather enjoying the challenge. Having squealed like a big girls blouse about the woeful MPM Wellington, this is rather good fun. I guess my expectations were low, and I've not been disappointed...... Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted June 26, 2009 Author Share Posted June 26, 2009 After making a pretty good start, I got bogged down with this one. All of the cockpit was done, when my airbrush started really playing up. So several weeks later, I'm no closer to having a working airbrush, but I go fed up with this sat idle on the bench - out come the brushes! With my carppy little camera, and equally crappy photographic skills, it's not as if you can see much of my crappy painting in any case...... Still, I can get the wings on permanently now. Coventry & Warwick show on Sunday, let's see if I can come home with a new airbrush? Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spad57 Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Bill, Great build.I like how the manufacture handled the wing roots at the fuselage,nice touch.I wish ID Model had done the same on the Macchi 202.Certainly would things a little easier. Regards, Gregory Jouette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted September 26, 2009 Author Share Posted September 26, 2009 It'sbeen ages since I've done anything with this. However, having armed myself with a new airbrush (H&S Infinity 2in1) and compressor, I needed something to practice on. I had decided that I would complete this as LG-3, a well documented LaGG captured and flown in anger by the Finnish Air Force. That meant new paints, so as everything else was new, I thought I'd give the Vallejo Model Air paints a go. So here we are. Results aren't perfect, but I am delighted with all of my new purchases. Most interesting is to see how finely I can lay the paint with decent equipment. So much so that I can see far more imperfections in my underlying work...... A bit of tidying up and some Finnish decals, then I'll add the last few details and call it a day. Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spazman Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Looks good Bill! Can't wait to see the little beast with its decals in place! You also have inspired me to get back to work on my group build project!! Ted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted October 12, 2009 Author Share Posted October 12, 2009 I've pressed on with this one, just a few fiddly bits left to do. A KP La-5FN yielded most of the undercarriage, trimmed and otherwise adjusted to fit. Decals are from Techmod sheet 72130. Most went on OK, but a couple of the national marking came apart as they were applied, no idea what happened there. Putting them straight over the yellow/blue demarcation on the underside was a mistake too. The white seemed solid enough applied over the green & black, but the yellow bleeds through noticeably on the underside. Oh well, they're on now, and staying that way..... I can really pick holes in my work on this one, but it's actually been quite a pleasant build for any self respecting masochist! The Klear is grainy, though I hope that will be put right with a final flat coat. The exhaust staining isn't as neat and tight as I'd like, I'm still learning with the new airbrush. The shapes are overall an approximation, but I think it ultimately looks passable as a LaGG-3. So I have to sort out a propellor and some glazing, hopefully she'll be complet by the weekend. I think one vacform of this nature is enough for the moment, so I'll start on something better for my next entry in this group build, rather than press on with the LaG-5. Decisions, decisions.... Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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