The La-5’s heritage began even before the outbreak of war, with the LaGG-1, a promising yet underpowered aircraft – turning a full circle, for example, took 20 seconds. The LaGG-3 was a modification of that design that attempted to correct this by both lightening the airframe and fitting a more powerful engine. Nevertheless, this was not enough, and the lack of power remained a significant problem.
In early 1942, two of the LaGG-1 and -3’s designers, Semyon Lavochkin and Vladimir Gorbunov, attempted to correct this deficiency by experimentally fitting a LaGG-3 with the more powerful Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engine. Since the LaGG-3 was powered by an inline engine, they accomplished this by grafting on the nose section of a Sukhoi Su-2 (which used this engine).
By now, the shortcomings of the LaGG-3 had caused Lavochkin to fall out of Joseph Stalin’s favour, and factories previously assigned to LaGG-3 construction had been turned over to building the rival Yakovlev Yak-1 and Yak-7. The design work required to adapt the LaGG-3 to the new engine and still maintain the aircraft’s balance was undertaken by Lavochkin in a small hut beside an airfield over the winter of 1941-1942, all completely unofficially.
Eduard 1/48 Lavochkin La-7
As you read it, this plastic model kit is supposed to be a weekend build hence the designation Weekend Edition. But don’t let this keep you off from this kit. If you’re not willing to pay extra for the Profi Pack version, this kit builds very nice. It has receded panel lines and overall fitting is great. In fact, the fuselage to wings fit is so good that I literally painted everything apart. The little paint marring cause by the glue after joining these parts, was corrected with my Aztek airbrush using the fine detail Tan Nozzle.
The Profi Pack version of this kit is well worth the extra. It does include masks for the canopy and a plethora of Photo Etched parts including some of them in color for the cockpit. Last but no least, I like Eduard Model kits, this is not the first one I build nor it will be the last. But I would rather have the Profi Pack instructions rather than an A-4 leaf with sometime vague steps.
