Alfa Model La-7 Lavotchkin

Aircraft History
La-7 was the wartime summit of the development line of single-engined fighters that started in 1940 by the LaGG-1 - the first and last joint design effort of Semyon Alexeyevich Lavochkin, Vladimir Petrovich Gorbunov a Mikhail Ivanovich Gudkov. The main design feature of this family of fighters was the utilisation of birch veneer strips, the so called ”delta shpon” or ”delta drevesina”, laid-up in layers with grain at 45 deg. angle, laminated with resin into moulds. The moulds were then heated and this laminate was pressed and cured to final shape. The resulting shells were both strong and light and made up majority of airframe outer structure. These machines were consequently simple to manufacture, resistant to damage and easily repaired, with little demands for the strategic aluminium alloys such as the dural. While the LaGG-1 prototype reached 605 km/h, the maximum speed of the series-built LaGG-3s dropped to 535 km/h. This was caused by weight increases and by the inferior finish of the series-built aeroplanes. Installation of the heavier, but also much more powerful Shvetsov M-82 air-cooled radial in place of the M-105 Vee-twelve gave rise to the LaG-5, that reached a maximum speed of 554 km/h. Further, this time a more substantial redesign of the LaGG-3 airframe for the radial brought the La-5, armed with a pair of ShVAK 20mm cannon; its maximum speed reached 603 km/h, almost the same as the original LaGG-1.

Further development offered several directions to follow. The first of them was to install a more potent powerplant - the one at hand was the M-71. Unfortunately, this engine was not yet mature. This, combined with the other non-technical reasons - was the cause of the failure of N. N. Polikarpov’s I-185 fighter, which in 1942 exceeded the performance of all its Soviet contemporaries including the La-5. Another direction was lowering the weight and/or drag. A certain lightening of the La-5 airframe took place, but the ultimate yet realistic method of increasing the performance was the improvement to the aerodynamics of the aircraft. The first measurements took place in the TsAGI wind tunnel in early 1943; the proposed modifications were expected to increase the maximum speed of the series-built fighters by up to 35 kph without need for increase of the engine power. Further detailed measurements took place in November 1943 on the La-5 ”206”, which was subject to modifications proposed by the TsAGI scientists and technicians. The measured performance data were confirmed by the flight tests of the same machine, that took place between 14th December 1943 and 10th February 1944. The machine reached 630 kph. Based on the first successful flights the construction of another prototype was ordered, under designation ”La-5 etalon 1944”. In May 1944 this fighter was put to series production as the La-7.

This model kit has several noteworthy features:

• It is almost finished, you only have to apply decals, install the propulsion unit and the RC equipment. You can utilise the kit’s box as the transport and storage container for the finished model.
• The scale model is moulded from the extruded polystyrene foam (EPSF) with a tougher surface layer, making the model more resistant to surface damage. Added to that all exposed surfaces are reinforced with plastic covers. Thanks to the ratio of the all-up weight and of the strength of the material used the model is quite compact, this feature reducing substantially the danger of damage in normal operation.
• When designing this model a maximum attention was devoted to its aerodynamic layout (e.g. the semi-symmetrical wing section, the symmetrical horizontal tail section), ensuring high aerodynamic finesse, with the resulting wide band of operational speeds and docile flying characteristics typical for large models.
• The range of proven power units offered enables to build a scale model of flight performance corresponding with that of the best slow flyers, as well as with the fully aerobatic models.
• To control the model you need the RC equipment suitable for controlling the slow-flyers - it would enable you to fly majority of the aerobatic figures (with the possible exception of those that require the rudder control).

The model is not suited for complete beginners, but its control with ailerons and elevator would not bring problems to any modeller experienced enough with elevator/rudder control models, e.g. slow-flyers. The flying qualities of this model of the Lavochkin La-7 are close to that of much larger model, i.e. they are more docile, and provide fine as well as colourful experience in the air.

Spec Check

• Length: 28.75 inch
• Max. weight: 15.5 oz
• Wing area: 200 sq. inch
• Wing span: 33 inch

Motor and Radio Gear NOT included