Lavochkin La-7 Eduard 2004 tool, 2016 box

Guy Rump
Started the La-7 with the fuselage internals. 🙂

Alec K
I'll take a seat for this. I built this kit when I first returned to the hobby, so have a soft spot for it 😉

Kyle DeHart
I'm in for some Lavochkin good-ness

Andy Ball
I'd better crane my neck over this one, it's in my stash somewhere

Guy Rump
Fuselage now together (need to do a bit of sanding on this). Wings together and the PE parts added. Cockpit dials together (PE parts). 🙂

Welcome Alec, Kyle and Andy. 👍

Thanks Alexander G, Villiers, Neil, Kyle, Mirko and Steve D for the likes. 👍

Alec K
Looks like Eduard made a doozy error on the cover of their instructions 😳. On their website, the pdf instructions are now corrected, but SCM still has the one with 1:144 scale vs. 72nd.

Guy Rump
Cockpit added into fuselage. Nose and rear part of tail plane added. 🙂

Welcome Roland, take a seat. 🙂 👍

@Alec K My copy of the instructions is printed as a 1/144 kit but of course the box and the aircraft state/are 1/72. 🙂

Thank you WhiteGlint, Roland, Erik & Marc for the likes. 👍

Guy Rump
Wings added to fuselage and nose added as well. Primer is now on as well as some black and white pre-shading.

Thank you Cem and James C for the likes. 👍

Guy Rump
Underside of the aircraft painted Vallejo Model Air AMT-7 (Greyish Blue) 🙂

Thank you for the likes Daniel and Mirko. 👍

Guy Rump
Top of aircraft painted the first of 2 camouflage colours, Vallejo Model Air AMT-12 (dark grey) 🙂

Andy Ball
How's it coming together? Many holes/gaps?...

Guy Rump
It's going together quite well Andy. The fit of the wings to the fuselage is extremely tight but apart from that, so far so good. 👍

Thanks for the like Den. 👍

Guy Rump
A bit more work done. AMT-11 added (blue grey), red for the nose and model color natural steel for the two panels at the front of the aircraft. 🙂

Guy Rump
Sprayed with Vallejo Gloss Varnish and applied decals. 🙂

Thank you Lukasz, Andrew B and Jan for your likes. 👍

Alec K
Indeed. Almost done!

Djordje Nikolic
I have the same kit, what did you think of the build? Can't wait to see it done!

Guy Rump
Undercarriage and propellor fitted. The undercarriage PE parts were quite difficult to fit. Satin varnish applied and panel line wash. 🙂

Thanks for your comments Roland and Alec. 👍

Djordje, thanks for your comment: the kit is very well done and apart from the wing fit (underneath to the fuselage) all has gone together well. The PE parts are, in the main good, but some of these I have had difficulty fitting and the odd one I haven't fitted at all. All in all, I think it's a kit worth building, I think any issues encountered have been my fault rather than the kit. 👍

Thanks Giannis, Djordje and Juskifo for the likes. 👍

Guy Rump
I now declare the LA-7 completed. Many thanks for your comments and likes throughout this project. 🙂

Thanks bughunter for the like. 👍

A. Alelyukhin was in the service of the Red Army from 1938. He graduated from the Chkalov Military Aviation school (1939), the Frunze Military Academy (1948) and the Voroshilov Highest Military Academy in 1953; nowadays the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

A participant in the Great Patriotic War from 1941, he rose through the ranks from an aircraftman to the Deputy Commander of a fighter aviation regiment. He participated in the defence of Odessa, Kharkov, in offensives near Rostov, Taganrog, Melitopol and inside Germany.

In total, over the period of the War, A. Alelyukhin carried out 601 assault flights, participated in 258 dog fights, shot down 40 enemy aircraft personally and 17 within a group.

After the War, he continued to serve in the Air Force in command and staff positions.

Alexei V. Alelyukhin was awarded with the Orders of Lenin (1942, 1943), the Orders of the Red Banner (1941, 1943, 1945), the Order of Alexander Nevsky (1943), the Order of Patriotic War, 1st class (1985), the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1968), and the Orders of the Red Star (1942, 1954).

Alex Rodionov
Very nice "Lavochka". I like colors and paintjob. 👍

Guy Rump
Thanks for your kind comment Alex. 👍

Thanks for the likes Alex and Cuajete, greatly appreciated. 👍

Andy Ball
Well, I hope one day mine turns out just as good! Congratulations Guy!

Alec K
Very nicely done Guy. Thanks for the historic info, very interesting. The La-7 was a pinnacle of Soviet fighter design at the end of WW II, Kozhedub shot down a Me 262 in it during closing months, if memory serves (not to suggest that the two aircraft were in any way compatible 😉 ).

Guy Rump
Andy, many thanks for your comment, I greatly appreciate it, especially from a modeller of your calibre. 👍

Many thanks for your kind comment Alex and the extra info on the LA-7. 👍

Thanks Andy, OON_1, Curatorm and Franck for your likes, I appreciate them greatly. 👍

Kyle DeHart
Nicely done! Good looking bird

Neuling
Clean, careful, beautiful!

Guy Rump
Thanks for the kind comments Kyle and Neuling, greatly appreciated. 👍

Thanks for the like Rui, appreciated. 👍