The size of the photos is a little deceptive, the distance from the front to rear bulkhead is barely 1.25"
Pre-Flight Check
Constructive critique of your finished or in-progress photos.
Constructive critique of your finished or in-progress photos.
Hosted by Jim Starkweather
Academy 1/48 La-7
stm
Joined: March 07, 2004
KitMaker: 98 posts
AeroScale: 96 posts
Posted: Sunday, May 06, 2007 - 03:01 AM UTC
This kit and the HobbyCrap one are essentially the same kit, only the HobbyCrap one is even worse than the Academy one for inaccurate, soft and shallow detail. I ground the cockpit sidewalls slick and started from scratch. It has taken me about 14 hours to get to this point but the time spent has made a tremendous improvement. The La-7 like most Soviet aircraft, was pretty simple and crude and the La-7 was no exception so it was not as complicated a job as it could have been had it been an alliec aircraft like the T-Bolt. The only thing that remains of the kit cockpit is the floor, stick and front and rear bulkheads, everything else goes and will be scratch built, including the seat.
The size of the photos is a little deceptive, the distance from the front to rear bulkhead is barely 1.25"
The size of the photos is a little deceptive, the distance from the front to rear bulkhead is barely 1.25"
Percheron
Joined: September 23, 2006
KitMaker: 432 posts
AeroScale: 360 posts
Posted: Sunday, May 06, 2007 - 04:51 AM UTC
Scott,
I'm going to watch your build with interest. I built the same one a few months ago. It went together pretty well, but with my rookie skills I did not tackle any scratch build stuff. I really like the La-7 and have the Eduard cockpit zoom for the Gavia kit and will at some point get a kit to put it in. Your cockpit looks good so far and it will be fun to see what you so with the rest of it.
Also, if you can, don't bother with the decals. I could not get them to lay down at all. No amount of micro-sol would get them to behave. I even had lots of future down prior. I'm not sure it the kit is worth getting after market decals, but hand sprayed markings would look good!
-Derek
I'm going to watch your build with interest. I built the same one a few months ago. It went together pretty well, but with my rookie skills I did not tackle any scratch build stuff. I really like the La-7 and have the Eduard cockpit zoom for the Gavia kit and will at some point get a kit to put it in. Your cockpit looks good so far and it will be fun to see what you so with the rest of it.
Also, if you can, don't bother with the decals. I could not get them to lay down at all. No amount of micro-sol would get them to behave. I even had lots of future down prior. I'm not sure it the kit is worth getting after market decals, but hand sprayed markings would look good!
-Derek
Emeritus
Joined: March 30, 2004
KitMaker: 2,845 posts
AeroScale: 1,564 posts
Posted: Sunday, May 06, 2007 - 05:00 PM UTC
Looks superb, I presume you're going pose the canopy open to better show the cockpit? 
I second Percheron, I wouldn't take any chances with Academy's decals. I have never got them to settle down right. Despite a gloss surface and microsol they have still always silvered. Not that big a deal to touch up on an olive drab M113, but a Bf-109 with Luftwaffe mottle scheme is trickier... I recommend at least trying out some unneeded decals before putting them on your model. Aftermarket decals or spraying the markings with stencils isn't a bad choice at all.
In fact, I have made a semi-official promise to myself not to use Academy decals anymore, unless absolutely necessary, and when I can cut out the excess carrier film. They look so deceitfully good on the sheet, glossy and thin. But when I applied them, I have always been disappointed.
This goes for their own decals only. I have the impression that some of their latest models have had cartograph decals with them. If it is so, I'm glad they've come to their senses.
I second Percheron, I wouldn't take any chances with Academy's decals. I have never got them to settle down right. Despite a gloss surface and microsol they have still always silvered. Not that big a deal to touch up on an olive drab M113, but a Bf-109 with Luftwaffe mottle scheme is trickier... I recommend at least trying out some unneeded decals before putting them on your model. Aftermarket decals or spraying the markings with stencils isn't a bad choice at all.
In fact, I have made a semi-official promise to myself not to use Academy decals anymore, unless absolutely necessary, and when I can cut out the excess carrier film. They look so deceitfully good on the sheet, glossy and thin. But when I applied them, I have always been disappointed.
This goes for their own decals only. I have the impression that some of their latest models have had cartograph decals with them. If it is so, I'm glad they've come to their senses.
stm
Joined: March 07, 2004
KitMaker: 98 posts
AeroScale: 96 posts
Posted: Sunday, May 06, 2007 - 05:32 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Looks superb, I presume you're going pose the canopy open to better show the cockpit?
I second Percheron, I wouldn't take any chances with Academy's decals. I have never got them to settle down right. Despite a gloss surface and microsol they have still always silvered. Not that big a deal to touch up on an olive drab M113, but a Bf-109 with Luftwaffe mottle scheme is trickier... I recommend at least trying out some unneeded decals before putting them on your model. Aftermarket decals or spraying the markings with stencils isn't a bad choice at all.
In fact, I have made a semi-official promise to myself not to use Academy decals anymore, unless absolutely necessary, and when I can cut out the excess carrier film. They look so deceitfully good on the sheet, glossy and thin. But when I applied them, I have always been disappointed.
This goes for their own decals only. I have the impression that some of their latest models have had cartograph decals with them. If it is so, I'm glad they've come to their senses.
Thanks for the heads up, I had already made some decals for this model on the ALPs!
m_buchler
Joined: March 20, 2007
KitMaker: 137 posts
AeroScale: 103 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 02:47 AM UTC
Quoted Text
This kit and the HobbyCrap one are essentially the same kit, only the HobbyCrap one is even worse than the Academy one
This is indeed disturbing news, as I have an unopened HobbyCraft La-7 in my stash!
That's some insane scratching you've done to that cockpit. Should be another beauty when you're done with it.
stm
Joined: March 07, 2004
KitMaker: 98 posts
AeroScale: 96 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 06:45 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted TextThis kit and the HobbyCrap one are essentially the same kit, only the HobbyCrap one is even worse than the Academy one
This is indeed disturbing news, as I have an unopened HobbyCraft La-7 in my stash!
That's some insane scratching you've done to that cockpit. Should be another beauty when you're done with it.
The detail on the HobbyCraft kit is very soft and simplified on many pieces compared to the Academy kit. Plus the HobbyCraft kit does not give you the option of an open canopy unless you cut the one piece canopy into three pieces. Neither kit supplies the armored glass for the windscreen or the area behind the pilot's seat so you will have to scratch build that too. If you are planning to position the canopy in the closed position, then the simple cockpit may not be that objectionable.
alpha_tango
Joined: September 07, 2005
KitMaker: 5,609 posts
AeroScale: 5,231 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 07:18 PM UTC
Hi Scott
I'd like to ask why you chose the Hobbcraft kit and not the Gavia/Eduard . O.k. there is the spine issue, but in general the kit is really nice ...
Another question: What happened to "Scott's Scale Model Aircraft Gallery" (http://www.scottsaircraft.com/) ? Hope I do not mistake you for another person. I want to get my link list up to date....
best wishes
Steffen
I'd like to ask why you chose the Hobbcraft kit and not the Gavia/Eduard . O.k. there is the spine issue, but in general the kit is really nice ...
Another question: What happened to "Scott's Scale Model Aircraft Gallery" (http://www.scottsaircraft.com/) ? Hope I do not mistake you for another person. I want to get my link list up to date....
best wishes
Steffen
stm
Joined: March 07, 2004
KitMaker: 98 posts
AeroScale: 96 posts
Posted: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 12:34 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Hi Scott
I'd like to ask why you chose the Hobbcraft kit and not the Gavia/Eduard . O.k. there is the spine issue, but in general the kit is really nice ...
Another question: What happened to "Scott's Scale Model Aircraft Gallery" (http://www.scottsaircraft.com/) ? Hope I do not mistake you for another person. I want to get my link list up to date....
best wishes
When I got this kit, the Academy one, the Eduard kit was not available. Besides, I like a challenge!
My webside is down right now, eventually I will put it back up again. Perhaps as a subweb of this one, http://www.wright-wing.com/
Steffen
stm
Joined: March 07, 2004
KitMaker: 98 posts
AeroScale: 96 posts
Posted: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 12:46 AM UTC
The instrument panel is now done as well. Like the rest of the kit cockpit, it was crude and inaccurate. They kit also left off the two auxillary panels to the left and right of it. The panel is comprised of a sandwich of three pieces of stryrene (including the center panel). The 0.063" and 0.048" holes punched in it are for Waldron instruments. The switches are 0.004" copper wire and the knobs 0.010" rod and 0.023" discs.
The photo does not really give a good sense of scale, the panel is barely a half inch in length, it fits on a quarter with plenty of room to spare
The photo does not really give a good sense of scale, the panel is barely a half inch in length, it fits on a quarter with plenty of room to spare
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