By Massimo Tessitori |
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This is a very early configuration of the instruments panel. |
This configuration of the instrument panel is the more common, and it is identical to that of La-5. |
Here are some images of the cockpit of LaGG-3 from Il-2 flight simulator.
It looks a good reproduction from Voronin and Kolesnikov drawings. Some
lines are more angular because of software characteristics.
The colors interpretation is interesting, and could be in accord with
those sustaining that the base color used on the Lavockin program was ALG-5
interior green, but it looks in contrast with the available images, that
show light colors both for the instrument panel and for sides.
Click the image for a larger view.
From Lavochkin Piston-engined fighters of Yefim Gordon |
This is the better image available of the instrument panel of an early
LaGG-3.
The dominant color of the instrument panel is relatively light, with black instruments. The gunsight is visible. The dominant color of wooden parts on the sidewalls could be silver paint. The dark rectangle on the side could be a leather revetment to avoid wood damaging during the pilot access. Click the image for a larger view. |
This is an image of Finnish origin. Again, we see a light unidentified
color on the instrument panel, and sides look as silver-painted wood.
See http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/reference/russian.htm for the use of silver on LaGG-3 structures. |
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The left wall of the cockpit. |
The right cockpit wall. |
Another image coming from Finland. |
Here are some images of a La-5 wreck under restoration at the Fighter
Factory, which is a Restoration Facility in Suffolk, Virginia about 130
miles out of Richmond.
(photos by Robert N. Abbott, from http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/ ) This type is very similar to LaGG-3, was built in 1942/1943 in Zavod 21 at Gorki aside LaGG-3s and even the shape of the wooden fuselage is the same of LaGG-3s with obliquely cutten forward part; for what is known, only the side attachments for the metal plates behind the exhausts allow to understand that this is not a LaGG-3. The light shade of exterior green is a mistery, probably it's not original. The interiors seem to show a confusion of many colors. While the seat is A-14 grey, the rear interior surfaces seem to be painted with some dark grey, possibly faded black (this should be coherent with other sources) and/or blue grey wooden aerolak (possibly, the vane between seat backrest and the end of the rear window). The most noticeable thing is that the sides of the cockpit and the part under the windshield look painted with an irregular layer of silver by hand brush. This could be a late repainting, but it could be original too, and it looks coherent with old wartime available photos. Some faded emerald green structures and details are visible too, they don't look repainted and could be original too, as the dark grey of gun supports and projectiles guides looks. Click the image for a larger view. |
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