Sovietwarplanes

By South front:
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/news/article_storyid_555.html

Nice! I just received a message from the director of South Front, Andrey Drobyazko, and he says the next release will be a Yak-1, due in late summer. Looks like 2007 will be a good year for 1/48 VVS kits!

John Thompson

Thank You gentlemen !
I just spotted one for sale on evilbay just a few hours ago and was wondering if I should buy one.
after seeing the photos of the sprues at the link provided I think I will
a close look at the decal sheet shows you can do a lot more than the 5 machines shown on the back of the box.
[/color]

I just got the SF LaGG-3, despite the fact that it's in the wrong scale, and it's quite good. Looks like it will need a bit of dry-fitting here and there, but overall it's well detailed and nicely molded, and also designed in such a way as to be relatively easy to assemble. I'll be looking out for the La-5 at the local hobby shop, for sure. Good luck to South Front!

John Thompson

Hi, :)
even if the LaGG-3 model could be not dimensionally perfect, it is a good thing that it will be coherent with La-5 model of the same firm.
To put, side by side, a LaGG-3 and a La-5 models made by different firms, with different shape errors, could turn into highlighting the inconsistencies.
The Yak-1... maybe it could be better and cheaper than Eduard's one, that has a bit too wide canopy.
Massimo

Sorry - I didn't mean that the South Front LaGG-3 was inaccurate, I meant that it was in 1/48 scale, not 1/72! It's a great looking kit, in the box. Maybe I'll get time to test-fit a few of the main parts and to compare them to drawings, but as far as I know, it's quite accurate. It's just not in my favourite scale, which is 1/72. Despite that, I'm *really* looking forward to the La-5, with its three Valeriy Chkalov decal options! If South Front keeps producing these great VVS 1/48 kits, I might have to "change my religion"...  ;)

John

Hi, :)
I see. I have read that it's  too long of some millimeters , but this looks not so bad if the shape is accurate.
Massimo

NO! actually it is in the Right scale !? ? :)? :)
[/color]

actually it's not bad, although it is certainly not a Tamiya or Hasegawa.[/color]



actually I think it is smartly assembled.
it is simple, yet effective, a quality that I would like to see in more models.
it does seem to me that South Front is 'on a roll' but it would be a simple matter to include 5-gun and 2-gun cowlings in the kit so you can model a much wider variety of early production LaGG's[/color]

that's what I keep trying to tell you !!!
(just some more good hearted fooling around**humor**laugh**)

I am almost done with my kit and a review will be soon
(yes I know I have been promising that for a while....)
back in December I took some test shots , I'll look on my HD and if you ask nicely (kidding!) I could make them available to you.
(wish I could post them here....)
[/color]

back in December I took some test shots , I'll look on my HD and if you ask nicely (kidding!) I could make them available to you.
[/color]


Yes, please do! I'd like to see those. Thanks!

John

John, check your email in-box.
the images should be there.
[/color]

Nope, no new messages, either here on the forum in my personal messages, or on my personal e-mail - please try again!

John

DGM - got your LaGG-3 images - looks good, so far! I didn't realize you had my at-work e-mail address. Thanks again!

John

For those that haven't seen this stuff yet, the following Modelimex page has detail thumbnails of the sprues and decal instructions for the South Front 1/48 La-5 kit:
http://www.modelimex.com/inshop/scripts/...emid=20985

A couple of things might be worth pointing out:
(1) I hadn't noticed this before, but the decal placement instructions (and the colour artwork from the underside of the box) show all the aircraft as having the cowling exhaust flaps in the same natural metal finish as the exhaust shields on the sides of the fuselage behind the cowling. I've never seen this in photos or profiles, and I think it's incorrect...
(2) A couple of the options are described as "La-5F", and the F-version engine identification marking on the cowling is provided. This is interesting - I had always just assumed the La-5F had the cut-down rear fuselage and all-around vision ("bubble") canopy as a standard part of its specification, but it does make good sense that the -F engine could have been introduced in late La-5 (full-depth, or "razorback") fuselages. Live and learn! ;-)

John

I believe you are correct on that,it is probably an error in artwork.
it seems to me that the movable flap was painted and the fixed backing plate was not painted.
as for your second point....HMMM
I know there is some confusion as to whether the FN engine might have been put into the aircraft before the long single-piece intake scoop was added.
the same thing might have happened with the F and the razorback and bubble-top.

p.s. here's my 100th post for this forum
[/color]

Thanks, DGM; however, Massimo has pointed out in the thread on Matt and Erik's VVS forum that there were some La-5s that *did* have unpainted exhaust flaps, so I was wrong there, or at least not 100% right! My position now is that this feature was so uncommon, it seems unlikely that *every one* of the South Front decal options should have unpainted flaps, as the instructions show. So, it's either find photos of the specific aircraft you want to model to confirm this detail, or go with a profile from someone you trust!

Congrats on reaching post No.100, BTW, and happy Independence Day!

John

Hi guys,

Yesterday the mailman brought the SF La-5 kit.

Here's a short review:

First of all let's say that the the quality had improved since the Lagg-3.
Parts are crisper, the plastic is a bit less soft and lot less flash.

The interior is quite bare. Work will have to be done inside the pit.

There are some unused parts on sprue F:
- 2 instruments panels
- parts for another oil or radiator intake
- and another rudder with external mass balances!!

At first I thought that the unused parts will be for La-5F/FN but seeing the unused rudder I'm not so sure :-(
Maybe late version Lagg-3?? We'll see

There are 19 different aircrafts that can be done with the decals provided!!! 17 La-5 and 2 La-5F(razorback)
All have the stel plates left unpainted.
BTW the Radial engined Lavochkins of WW2 have almost all these metal plates unpainted.


I'm looking forward to build that one.

All the best.

Jean

Please see my reply on Matt and Erik's Hobbyvista forum! Thanks for the review, Jean!

John