HOBBY BOSS 1:72 LAVOCHKIN LA-7
'INBOX Review'

 

Reviewer: Johan De Wolf  (rec.models.scale)   

Kit Details

History

Test flying the La-5 prototype against captured German aircraft had shown that the La-5 was superior. However during frontline conditions it became clear that the La-5 was still inferior to the latest German designs. Lavochkin had to find a way to improve the performance of the La-5. The initial idea was to install a higher powered engine. The M-71 that powered the Polikarpov I-185 to spectacular performance seemed a logical choice. But the tests with the I-185 showed this temperamental engine to be highly unreliable. Another idea was to lighten the La-5’s structure as was done with the Yak-3. This idea was rejected too when early Yak-3’s started to disintegrate in mid air. Although a metal wing spar would be 100kg lighter without compromising structural integrity it was not taken up for production as all available steel was desperately needed for T-34 an Il-2 production. The only other option for enhancing performance was aerodynamic refinement. A La-5 was taken from the production lines in Gorki and sent to the Tsagi wind tunnel complex for testing. After lengthy trial and error tests with many different changes a much refined aircraft emerged. Known as the La-5 1944 standard, the machine differed from the earlier La-5 in many aspects. The cooling radiator was moved from the cowling to the rear fuselage thus reducing drag and raising efficiency. The super charger intakes were moved from the top of the cowling to the inner leading edge of the wing. The internal structure of the engine compartment was changed to facilitate an easier flow of air through it. This and numerous smaller changes promised good results. During flight tests it was shown that performance had indeed increased significantly. The top speed had risen to an impressive 684 km/h! This performance boost came at a price though. As the radiator was now located under the rear fuselage the pipes to it had to pass through the cockpit. As ventilation in the cockpit was insufficient the temperature could rise to a very uncomfortable 55 degrees Celsius! Another problem that had not shown itself during testing on snow covered fields was the ingestion of dust into the superchargers. This caused frequent engine seizures and this problem was never fully solved. Another problem that would dog the La-7 was the jamming of the Berezin N-20 cannons. Despite these problems the La-5 1944 standard, or La-120 as it was know at the factory, was ordered into production as the La-7. Although the La-7 could hardly be called reliable, the pilots loved it because they finally had an aircraft that was superior to anything the Germans had to offer. The Luftwaffe soon feared the La-7 more than any other enemy plane. La-7 units quickly decimated the German opposition with very few losses on their own side. Before the end of the war almost 4000 machines were produced, and when production ended the total had risen to over 6000! 

The kit

Packed very neatly in typical Hobby Boss fashion, you will find one light grey sprue one clear sprue and the fuselage and wing each in their own compartment in a tray. There is no flash to be found and the minimal mold seams can be cleaned up with a quick swipe with sandpaper. This kit feels a bit cruder than others I reviewed. The parts also fit slightly less well together than I’ve seen from other Hobby Boss kits. The decal sheet is of high quality, and offers markings for two machines. The instructions consist of a part location diagram and three easy to follow construction diagrams. Camouflage is depicted in two full colour 4-view drawings. The kit can be build as an early 2 gun version as well as the later 3 gun version.

Accuracy

Both span and length are 2mm too large, which makes this kit about 1/71 scale. As mentioned earlier, this kit is somewhat cruder than other Hobby Boss kits. This is most visible with rib detail on the rudders which is much too pronounced. The spinner is too conical and should be rounded off a bit with sand paper. The shape of the front of the cowling is wrong too, and the blanking louvers behind the prop don’t look very convincing. The diameter of the cowling panels is too small giving the cowling as a whole an odd look. Another problem area is the wheel well and its cover, which shape hasn’t been captured well. A distinguishing feature of the La-7 has been completely missed: there are no intakes for the superchargers in the wing roots.  

Construction 

As with other kits in this series, construction is simplicity itself. 

Step 1: Add cockpit floor and seat to bottom wing, attach wings to the fuselage, add cowling front and gun cover.

Step 2: attach radiator tub and landing gear.

Step 3: add prop assembly and canopy.

Done!

As the cockpit has a separate floor and seat, this area will be a bit easier to detail than the molded in cockpits of other kits in this range. As the canopy is very clear any added detail will be visible. Once again the opportunity to provide a decal for the molded in instrument panel has been missed. 

Painting and Decals

There are no detailed painting instructions given. The instructions list the colours in Gunze numbers only. The decal sheet offers markings for two machines both in two tone grey over light blue. The first is I.N. Kozhedub’s white 27 when he was attached to 176. GIAP (GFAR). He ended the war with 62 victories. His machine had a red nose and a white tail. The other option is for P.Y. Golovachevs white 23 while he was flying with the 9th GFAR, 303rd FAD. With this machine he scored 4 kills on a single day! His machine had a white lightning bold on the fuselage, a personal emblem on the nose, and a yellow spinner. Note that the instructions have both machines mixed up. The drawings also show both machines as 3 gun versions where as both should be the earlier 2 gun type.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick and uncomplicated build go for this kit. However if you care about accuracy and would like a more refined model, the Eduard kit will be the better option. I was a bit disappointed with this kit after building the excellent Mig-3. This kit certainly isn’t the best in the Hobby Boss range.

References

 

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