Lavochkin La-5

Zvezda, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

available online from Squadron

There aren’t too many kits available of this important Soviet fighter so when Zvezda announced their offering it was welcome news to VVS fans.

Inside the box resides 4 plastic sprues containing a total of 151 plastic parts. One of these trees is clear which accommodates the 9 items for the various bits of canopy, gun sight and navigation lights.

All of the parts are crisply moulded with virtually no flash at all. Much of the detail is very fine and this is a credit to the manufacturers.

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Thumbnail panels:

This kit follows on from their previously released La-5FN with appropriate changes to the fuselage, canopy, multi-part cowling, and wing roots.

The interior is where Zvezda have really pulled out all the stops. It includes the structural framework for the inside of the fuselage and this also accommodates the bulkheads and engine mounts. The inner surfaces between the two halves are moulded with even more detail which really keeps this area looking busy.

There is a slight downside to this in that the thickness of the plastic allows a couple of small sink marks to form under the cockpit. A dab of filler will easily fix this and this applies equally to those found on top of the wing root sections. Fortunately the wooden airframe means that not a lot of panel lines are present in these areas so no detail will be lost in the sanding process.

The kit assembles more harmoniously than their previous La-5FN. Careful dry-fitting is still recommended and experience suggests a deviation from the instruction sequence can be beneficial. Some may find it easier to assemble the interior and sandwich this between the fuselage halves instead of mounting it on the lower wing. The wing can then be glued together separately to ensure the correct dihedral is maintained.

A common theme in this kit is the finesse of the detail. This applies not only to the major items but to the smaller ones as well. Therefore some care will be needed when removing these parts from the sprue.

If you wish to animate your subject, items such as ailerons, elevators and rudder all come as separate parts. The canopy is nicely moulded with my example having excellent clarity with no signs of distortion.

Marking Options

Three subjects are presented and these can be found on a single decal sheet. The printing was in perfect register with the surrounding carrier film being commendably thin.

1.  La-5 "White 60", 3rd IAK, May 1943

2.  La-5 "White 23" flown by Lt. Patoka, 240th IAP, August 1942

3. La-5 "White 04", flown by V.M. Dmitriev, 4th IAP, summer 1943.

The instructions call out for Testor's Model Master brand of paints. All options are quoted as having black and green upper surfaces with blue underneath.

Zvezda has packed a high level of detail into their 1/48 scale Lavochkin series of aircraft.

As a result, one has to be vigilant during the assembly process to make sure all parts fit properly into their allocated spots. This is easily done and should result in an excellent replica of a famous breed of fighter.

Text and Images Copyright © 2009 by Rob Baumgartner
Page Created 2 November, 2009
Last updated 2 November, 2009

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