1:48 LaGG-3

A wooden airframe that kept changing

Production of the LaGG-3 ran in several plants at once and every further batch differed from the preceding one: the oil coolers in their original form disappeared, armament was reduced, the shape of the spine behind the pilot changed and so did the mounting of the canopy. Anyone building a particular machine must first determine the batch, because the cockpit frame does not have the same number of bars on all machines and the mask is cut to one shape. The drawing in the kit instructions tends to be the guide, where the frame is drawn from the side and from above.

When it is necessary to go one step back

The most frequent reason for masking a model a second time is a spoiled covering coat. The procedure is the reverse of building: the surface is sanded with very fine paper wet, left to dry overnight and degreased again, and only then does new film come. The old edge tends to be perceptible in the varnish as a faint step, which needs to be leveled, otherwise paint will settle under it next time.

What is on the sheet

Part of it is an outer glazing mask, an inner mask and a single insignia set for the red stars. The film is self-adhesive and cut; the package contains neither varnishes nor plastic parts.

The last steps

After the film is lifted, the frames are gone over with a thin brush only where it is necessary, and a gloss interlayer for the decals follows. Weathering and the seams are done over that, so that the crisp edge of the insignia does not get dirtied. Right at the very end a matte varnish is advisable, which unifies the sheen of the sprayed areas with their surroundings.