1/48 Zvezda Lavochkin La5FN

Gallery Article by Greg Kerry on June 2 2014

 

This is not a new kit and will probably be known by most people out there. It's one of Zvezda's excellent value-for-money models with lots of internal detail - though too much of this is hidden once the fuselage is all together. I should also say that some obvious detail is missing: if you use the engine and open service hatches there is a serious void between the rear of the motor and the MG magazine boxes. I just filled this with odd scraps and tubes.

 

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My purpose in making this kit was really to use the accompanying figures which I'd bought years ago. They're pretty good and I seem to remember, were made by ICM. The table and oil drums came with them. I just added the old engine in the corner of the dio and some smaller details. The base is wooden scrap. the groundwork glue impregnated tissue covered with genuine dirt, painted with acrylic washes.

And this brings me to the second main reason for doing this model. For some time I've been trying to replicate sprayed finishes without going to the trouble and expense of buying an airbrush. On this model I painted the upper surface grey with Tamiya Acrylic by brush. Then I used artists tube acrylic for the blue-grey - brushed on with a short-bristelled brush in an almost drybrushing manner. Using a circular scrubbing motion this paint went on giving a low-contrast, somewhat faded look with something close to feathered edges. I won't say it's perfect but I think it looks pretty good. Given a good drying time, it can be varnished over as normal. What you can't do, is paint tube acrylic directly onto bare plastic.

Greg Kerry

      

Photos and text © by Greg Kerry