This all started with an anonymous bagged kit that showed up as a gift from a friend (thanks a million, hamsterman!). It didn't even have instructions. I thought it was an eastern bloc re-pop of some flavor of Dassault Mystere originally made by either Frog or Heller but somehow I missed that the Mystere series didn't have shoulder mounted wings. It turns out this was actually a Lavochkin La-15.
Had I caught this before it was too late, I might've actually built it straight as the La-15 is a rare enough bird as-is. Oh well, on to play-by-play.
First up, I needed to fill in that huge intake so I could hang a prop on the end. A cast-off white metal Stuka wheel with an added hub did yeoman's service here. I also painted up the burner can and glued it on.
I was hoping it would stick out a little but once the fuselage halves were stuck together, it ended out being flush with the back.
Who am I to argue with the wisdom of some unknown eastern bloc kit engineer?
It actually looks better as designed. Score one for the commies I guess.
One thing that didn't go as planned was the canopy. Whoever came up with that part obviously wasn't talking to anyone else working on this kit and there was no way to make it fit, so I replaced it with part of an F-94 Starfire tip-tank.
The same was true for the landing gear doors and after some wasted effort trying to get them to work, I replaced them with clear blister pack.
I put the kit wings on upside-down and filled in the shorter grooves for the fences. The long fences became gun pods with nibs of some nameless parts grafted on for the barrels. The lower wings were 1/144 horizontal stabilizers from a 757 (I think). Here's how it all looked before paint.
Speaking of paint, the old hairy stick was trotted out yet again and loaded up with a lot of Polly Scale SC Hopper Beige acrylic in an attempt to mimic that famous early W.W. I French clear doped linen color.
The canopy was tinted on the inside with Model Masters Insignia Blue and given a top coat of Liquitex acrylic gloss medium to make it shiny. Model Masters Steel was used on the cowling. Model Masters Aluminum was used on the inner turbine you can't see and on the prop blades.
The prop spinner was painted with Polly Scale Silver and Model Masters Jet Exhaust was used on the burner can. The guns were given a custom gunmetal mix.
Decals were mostly from spares, but the Georges Guynemer Escadrille N.3 'Cigognes' markings are from a Revell SPAD VII.
It took me four days to put this together and it went smoothly given the challenges inherent in an early eastern-bloc model. I'd like to thank Bill for sending me this great little kit. I couldn't have done it without you!
Building this model gave me an opportunity to reflect on the heroism and sacrifice that built today's modern world. So many brave men gave up their youth for our future.
Douaumont Ossuary Verdun, FranceMay the exploits of those such as
Georges Guynemer never be forgotten.
Georges Guynemer Memorial Compiegne, FranceBrian da Basher