another Eduard La-7

[Honza Jezl]

Hello,

I'm back with another Russian aircraft and again - I will be grateful for some help. This time especially about colours. (perhaps I should have put it into research thread, but...I want to present pictures of my kit as well)

1) interior colour - according some sources it should be ALG-5 Primer (light green-grey)
2) main wheel wells - blue as underside (AMT-7). But inside of wheel covers? Legs? Hubs? Also blue?
3) tail wheel bays - ALG-5 primer as cockpit?
4) inside of landing flaps - underside blue?

well and some pictures of progress:

right side of cockpit


radios


exhausts


wheel wells under construction


wheel wells finished

[Renato71]

Awesome work! You should take few pics with matchbox in shot, for comparison.
What did you use for exhaust pipes?
Keep up with such work.

[John Thompson]

I feel sick - I just started trying to snap together the Hobby Boss 1/72 La-7, and already I've got problems, and now I see this! Beautiful work, Honza, as usual!

Regarding the cockpit colour, I *know* ALG-5 is the "official" right answer, but looking at the photos of the Kbely La-7 cockpit in the MBI monograph, this is dark grey, like "wood-use primer". This does not look like a restored cockpit to me, so I am guessing that it is the original paint.

However, here's a link to a series of photos of the Monino La-7 with the canopy open, which show a colour which is definitely ALG-5:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1176400523/
(But maybe *this* aircraft is restored, and the restorers decided to believe that the original colour was *wrong* and ALG-5 is right! I'm joking... )

Here's another one which might help, although the cockpit shots here are through a closed canopy:
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/photo/viewcat.php?cid=142

My question whenever the argument of "restored versus original" arises is, "Why would anyone who is restoring a historic aircraft paint the cockpit a different colour from what was already there?"...?

John

[Honza Jezl]

Hi John,

thanks for kind words, but also Eduard La-7 is not as fine and relaxing work as I expected (I'm not talking about scratchbuild but model itself) But thanks Eduard for this!!!

According colours - I know all the pictures you mentioned (except first part of the first link - thanks for those, especially the picture of the seat and armour plate behind it is what I haven't been able to find...unfortunately now it's a bit to late, but I'm close to this :-)) as well as I have MBI in my hand. The La-7 in Kbely doesn't have dark Grey cockpit, it has cockpit in colour similar to ALG-5 - this is fine. La-7 in Kbely has dark Grey wheel wells, but I do not believe this. La-7 in Monino has wheel wells overpainted, so this is no hint as well even the colour is what I expect to be there. But OK, I think I will paint it...somehow :-)

According restoration work - that is easy, not every time the work is done by enthusiasts, sometimes it's just a job you have. And when you remove all the paint during restoration or overpaint it with primer or whatever, the guys no longer remember what was there before and above all - they do not care. La-7 in Kbely is perfect example - white 77 never existed until it was painted during restoration. Perhaps - easy shape to mask and then just replicate it four times....

[marluc]

Honza:

I just can`t believe the scratchbuilding work you are making in this small scale,just amazing!!!.I like the very small details such as the radio,inner structure and wheel bay.Keep us posted please,congratulations.Greetings:

Martin

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Honza,
 great model!
I am building one of these beasts, and made some small scratchbuilding, but your work is admirable indeed.
Massimo

[Honza Jezl]

A little progress. Interior painted and freshly washed. Drybrush will follow tomorrow so the result will be slightly lighter.

Renato - the pipes are made from metal needle of diameter 0,9 mm. Their circular profile was slightly modified using a big hammer 



In the cowling, I cut through the intake openings (in between those small flaps or how to call it). As result it will be possible to see a little bit inside the cowling, so I decided to put there a spare engine. Well, after closing everything together it will be almost invisible. Cannon troughs (pipes) are made from plastic pipe stretched in the heat of flame.


right side of the fuselage on top of 2 EURO coin


radios on the same coin

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Honza,
a great work.
Only, I have some doubt on the shape of the partially opened shutter.
From your photo, it could give the idea of something similar to that of I-16.
If I remember well, the shutter was made by two series of rectangular flaps that disappeared behind the spinner by rotating on small shafts, so, if the shutter is partially open, it should appear as a crown of overposed rectangles, each pair of them should resemble a M.
Massimo

[Renato71]

One can only hope that 2 EUR is in fact a chocolate as big in reality as it is on my monitor?
I can live with your cockpit, but your radio box is killing me. And I thought that I'm "almost done" with my cockpit

I suspected about exhaust pipes Had the same idea, glad that you made it so nice. Keep it up!

Cheerz

[Honza Jezl]

Hi Honza,
a great work.
Only, I have some doubt on the shape of the partially opened shutter.
From your photo, it could give the idea of something similar to that of I-16.
If I remember well, the shutter was made by two series of rectangular flaps that disappeared behind the spinner by rotating on small shafts, so, if the shutter is partially open, it should appear as a crown of overposed rectangles, each pair of them should resemble a M.
Massimo

You are right, I know about that, but I am not sure if I will have mood to correct it...at least a little bit. Ayway, some pictures after drybrush and some corrections

[Honza Jezl]

Cockpit glued together


And cowling "flaps" reworked showed in fully open position. I am not completaly satisfied, but at least it is something different from what one can see on other models. And in addition - engine will be slightly visible, what is nice?

[Massimo Tessitori]

Great!
Massimo

[John Thompson]

Honza, this is amazing work, and wonderful to see, even though it's far beyond my skill level! One question - the spinner does not look like the part from the kit. Did you make a new one, take it from another kit, or reshape the Eduard one? Thanks!

John

[marluc]

Honza:

Just WONDERFUL!!!!You?re making a great job on this La-7,it looks like 1/48!!!The cockpit interior is superb,its a pity you got to close it.Well done with the engine shutters.Congratrulations and keep us posted please.Greetings:

Martin

[Honza Jezl]

Honza, this is amazing work, and wonderful to see, even though it's far beyond my skill level! One question - the spinner does not look like the part from the kit. Did you make a new one, take it from another kit, or reshape the Eduard one? Thanks!

reshaped. On picture is not final shape, but close to it. I don't really like it, but it's better than original Eduard.


and as I am already writing - one picture from Thursday. There will be no progress till at least Tuesday, as I am on visit of parents, grandmothers, friends...and so on?