New updates for: P-40N and Lavochkin La-5 / La-5FN (new project) - December 3rd, 2022
Hello everyone. It's me Antony, back with another blog in 2022.
December arrived and the year is close to the end, same goes for my job contract at the public health center - scheduled to end on December 31, 2022. Yet, December 31 is a Saturday, so I will work until December 30 since the weekends and holidays weren't included in my timesheet. Still, I guess I'll have to go after another civil service exam while I wait for the call for the selection process for attendant.
For this month, my university semester has been concluded - allowing me to rest while my addition to my service at the public health center is still in course. And again, Warframe introduced the new Nightwave intermission chapter (Oh God, not again). Fortunately, my work schedule was modified in mid-November due to the vacation of one of the attendants and the transfer of another to the warehouse sector after the employee in that area had been approved in a civil service exam. I don't know if they will keep me with the new work schedule or if after the attendant returns from his vacation they will go back to the old schedule. Let us wait for the next days.
Alright. With nothing else to add, let's go for the Blog. For today, I'm going to bring new images of the Curtiss P-40N Warhawk.
At long last, I finally made the texture for the P-40 Warhawk. There are few things I need to adjust before concluding this project. Like for example, the interior section of the 'nose' air intake - which I'll paint it with a dark color; the landing gear carriage on the wings must receive a proper painting if there's some gaps; the underside of the wings - I need to add the gun smoke coming from the shells outlets; and the Browning muzzles and the flaps - a small correction on the texture.
Apart from that, the P-40 Warhawk is looking good. I have plans to make the RAF version of the Warhawk - same thing for the P-51 Mustang (but this story will be for another time).
Now for the new project I started recently. Yeah, I had plans of not starting a new project while I have lots of projects to work, but I decided to start it anyway. For this one, I picked up the Soviet Lavochkin La-5. At first, I started the La-5FN model, but one of the images I used for reference was the La-5 model. I'll explain the thing of the models later.
For the brief story, the Lavochkin La-5 is a single-radial-engine air fighter designed by Semyon Lavochkin in the Soviet Union during WW2. The La-5 was an evolution from the LaGG-1 and LaGG-3. The La stands for Lavochkin (Semyon Alekseyevich Lavochkin), the middle G stands for Gorbunov (Vladimir P. Gorbunov) and the last G stands for Gudkov (Mikhail I. Gudkov) - the three designers of the LaGG-1 and LaGG-3; with the numbers 1 and 3 being the series models built at NPO Lavochkin. During WW2, the LaGG-1 was a light but underpowered plane that could compete with other Soviet planes and stand up to German planes equally and the LaGG-3 had a powerful Klimov M-105 V-12 in-line engine, but problems related to the engine and weapons configuration made Lavochkin to fall in disgrace - forced to build Yakovlev Yak-1 and Yak-7. During the winter in 1941-1942, being funded only by Gorbunov, Semyon Lavochkin designed a new model in a small hut beside a makeshift airfield. The new model had the Klimov in-line engine replaced by a Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engine and the nose from a Sukhoi Su-2 bomber was installed on the prototype. These new changes resulted in the LaG-5 (Gudkov was no longer part of the programme). By July, it was called La-5 (Gorbunov's initials were often missed, despite he was involved in the plane's development). The new fighter proved to be superior to the Yakovlev Yak-1 and Yak-7 during flight tests - receiving full production, including the conversion of incomplete LaGG-3 airframes into La-5 planes. Production based on the prototype began almost immediately in factories in Moscow and the Yaroslav region. Changes to the main production model included slats to improve all-round performance. The La-5 was armed with two 20 mm ShVAK heavy cannons but later variants like the La-5FN had two 20 mm Berezin B-20 cannons installed in the cowling in place of the heavier two 20 mm ShVAK. In combat, it was inferior to the best German fighters at higher altitudes, but equal at lower altitudes; it was suitable for air combat over the Eastern Front which typically took place at altitudes under 5,000 m (16,404 ft). Despite these characteristics and being one of the best Soviet air fighters, the Lavochkin La-5 had the issue of having several levers for the engine controls (throttle, mixture, propeller pitch, cowl flaps, and supercharger gearbox). Unlike most planes - taking the Focke-Wulf FW 190 for example: in order to change the BMW 801's performance, the pilot could only adjust it by pulling a lever, then the engine computer would adjust it automatically. The La-5 pilot would have had to adjust the engine's performance by pulling several levers - forcing the pilot to lose critical response time during dogfight. The most serious La-5 defects were the engine's thermal isolation, lack of cockpit ventilation, and a canopy that was impossible to open at speeds over 350 km/h. Furthermore, poor engine compartment insulation allowed exhaust gas to enter the cockpit; in response, pilots frequently ignored orders by flying with open canopies. Different models of the La-5 resulted in the La-5F - improving the pilot's exterior visibility with a cut down rear fuselage; and the definitive La-5FN with a fuel-injected engine, a different engine air intake, and was further lightened. About 9,920 units were built throughout the war. The last model (the La-5FN) was the basis for the Lavochkin La-7 - equal to almost all German fighters, with few pilots capable of downing the advanced Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.
For the images, I'll share the Lavochkin La-5FN and the La-5 models. I plan to make the two models in parallel. It's going to be the same thing to the Supermarine Spitfire (with the Mk IX being the first model made, then the Mk I).
Lavochkin La-5FN:
The first images of the La-5FN. I have the main fuselage and propeller spinner made. I included the air intake and the holes for the ShVAK cannons - located on the upperside of the plane's nose. This Soviet plane reminds me the Japanese air fighters like the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, Nakajima Ki-43, Ki-44, Ki-84 and others.
While I looked at the images, I decided to change a little the air intake after adding the La-5 model to the project.
For the new images, I made the wings and the elevator. The tail rudder suffered a minor change in order to make the rudder. Other changes included the rear section of the canopy and the air intake at the bottom of the nose. The wings were a bit tricky to make since I used one image that consisted the upper, the lower, the left and the right view from the plane. In order to make the forward section, I had to use an image I downloaded from the Wikipedia. Also, I made it after I made the landing gear fairing like I did for the P-47D Thunderbolt.
The Lavochkin La-5 - found on Pinterest, but the build-up kit is from Eduard.
The Lavochkin La-5FN.
Pretty different the blueprints. Normally I'd use the Wikipedia's image, despite some are not totally reliable in perspective matter. Some images that consist the upper, the lower, the left and the right view are helpful in case I'd make the landing gear detailed.
Another thing to consider in case I'd talk about the models, the La-5 has a fuselage projection that covers the rear side of the pilot while the La-5FN's projection was removed to increase the pilot's visibility for any attackers from behind.
Taking an example of this image, the Lavochkin La-5 had different layouts for its radiator air intake, antenna and canopy design. The La-5UTI was a two-seat version of the La-5 for training purpose. The La-7 was the final evolution from the La-5FN. Compared to the previous models, its radiator was moved to the fuselage's belly while most of the external changes were minimal.
And now the Lavochkin La-5 model:
Different from the La-5FN, the La-5 has the original fuselage projection for the canopy and a different air intake setup on the nose.
The next components are the canopy framing, the landing gear, the propeller blades, the ShVAK cannons, the pilot's instruments, the antenna and aerial attachment, the Soviet decals, a nice texture and rigging it.
Well, that's it for now my friends. I hope you enjoy this Blog. In case I have some spare time to enjoy, I'll be working on other things aside from Blender projects and my personal things. Until the time comes, you will be surprised to see them. See you next time.
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