A Finnish Lagg-5

[NARSES2]

I was originally going to build this in Finnish WWII colours as part of the Captured GB, but if I'm honest could never get myself comfortable with the backstory I was planning to use, so perhaps it's fortuitous that I ran out of time ?

Anyway it will still be Finnish, but post war and as supplied by the Soviets, rather than as captured from them. Thanks to Zenrat for that little bit of inspiration 

So here's the Box and sprues etc.

Box and instructions


Sprues


Bits and bobs


Very impressed with the La-5, level of detail is excellent, you can even make out the maker's name on the tyres. Fit so far on the interior is good, so hopefully that will be true for the rest of the airframe.

The kit has an extremely detailed and intricate cockpit interior. When I got this kit I obviously clicked on the "advanced" rather than "starter" kit option. Clear Prop offer most of their kits in both versions. The starter kits are excellent and the advanced consist of the starter plus masks and an awful lot of etch. The instructions are tailored to the kit however so they are not your normal style of "this part or the optional etch" etc. Means if you lose the etch you have to work out which bit of plastic it replaced which is not always obvious, especially when it comes to some of the internal parts. Does mean your spares box has a good day though   

[NARSES2]

Have made some progress with the build. All the internals fit together very well indeed and the construction method is very well thought out. Proof of the pudding however will be will they fit in the fuselage and will the fuselage close around them ?

I think an average modeller could build this without having to go through any PSR at all, it's that well made. I however may need a little Mr Surfacer 500 and I can blame that on my severe stigmatism.

I've a couple more Clear Prop kits in the stash. They are moving up the "to build" pile   

Here's where I am with the interior

Cockpit detail



Interior 1



Interior 2

[chrisonord]

Looks a  nice  kit on the sprue  Chris, hopefully it will go together  as such too.
Chris

[NARSES2]

Proof of the pudding however will be will they fit in the fuselage and will the fuselage close around them ?

They do, and it does 

[zenrat]

Looking good Chris.  I'm watching this 'cause i've got one in the stash.

[NARSES2]

I'm watching this 'cause i've got one in the stash.

Well I now have a complete airframe and one thing to watch out for is that the kit is almost too good. Any sprue attachment points not properly cleaned up or the slightest misalignment of parts can/will have an impact latter on in the build. Guess how I found out ?  Also fit is so good any paint on mating surfaces will effect that fit.

Nothing serious, but I had to work a bit on the wing/fuselage joint, which I wouldn't have done if I'd been a little bit more careful earlier on in the process. The other thing to note is that the instructions could be less cluttered in places (it may just be the advanced kit with etch that suffers from this) and you do need to sit down and work your build sequence out in places to ensure the parts will fit with ease. It really is a case of dry fit and dry fit again before committing to glue. 

[NARSES2]

Had a bit of an  morning.

Was fitting the quarterlights when one of them dropped into the rear fuselage. Not only could I not see it, I couldn't even hear it rattling around inside  After a fruitless 15 minutes shaking the thing about, which dislodged the seat  , I bit the bullet and dug a sheet of thing clear plastic sheet out. Using the Peewit mask as a template I attempted to cut a new window out. I finally got there on the 3rd attempt, having managed to misplace/lose the first two. As I was trying to manoeuvre it into place I heard a rattle, turned the model upside down and the missing window dropped into the palm of my hand.  It then decided to almost drop into place and await a thin outline of glue  The other side went in without any hassle at all. I'm sure plastic kits have spirits ? 

Still it's done now and painting will probably start this weekend.

[chrisonord]

Does the model now have several  swear words imprinted on  it from shouting them so loudly at point blank range
Chris

[NARSES2]

Does the model now have several  swear words imprinted on  it from shouting them so loudly at point blank range
Chris

Nah, it's very hard plastic Chris so it resisted them 

[chrisonord]

Does the model now have several  swear words imprinted on  it from shouting them so loudly at point blank range
Chris

Nah, it's very hard plastic Chris so it resisted them 

 

[NARSES2]

This kit's teasing me  Swallowed another part yesterday, one of the undercarriage retraction legs, however this time after a bit of poking and shaking the part dropped out and disappeared. Spent a fruitless 5 minutes or so searching the bench and floor but to no avail, although I did find one of the replacement quarter lights I'd "lost" a couple of days ago, so decided I'd have to make a couple of replacements, had to do two so they'd be the same. Just cut the necessary bits of rod when I noticed the "missing" part was stuck to the inside of my thumb  Anyway I put the rod away and attached the actual parts, but I swear this kit is doing it deliberately 

[NARSES2]

Started to get some paint on it today so we are getting there. However I do owe the kit an apology as I really am not doing it justice. It is a superb model, as are all the Clear Prop kits I've got, but doesn't suffer fools. As said earlier the fit is that good that get one part slightly out of true and it will have implications farther down the build. Unfortunately the part I got slightly out of true, the cockpit inners, has had an impact on most of the major, and some of the minor, construction stages that follow and it will notice when it comes to getting paint on.  Still I have learnt a salutary lesson which hopefully will pay dividends in the future.

[The Rat]

Just cut the necessary bits of rod when I noticed the "missing" part was stuck to the inside of my thumb 

Thank the modeling gods for sweaty hands! 

Those LaGGs were brutes. I see them as the Russian counterpart to the Typhoon/Tempest, with the early MiGs being the Sptifires, daintier and sleeker.

[NARSES2]

Those LaGGs were brutes. I see them as the Russian counterpart to the Typhoon/Tempest, with the early MiGs being the Sptifires, daintier and sleeker.

I think they are quite elegant designs, look a little like Fw 190 A/F's to my eye and must have caused some confusion at times when the two types were operating over the same battlefield. I know what you mean with the Mig comparison 

[NARSES2]

Got it's first coat of AII Green on the uppers today. Colorcoats - lovely paints