2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16
Soviet aircraft LA-7 was created in OKB-21 (the city of Gorky, today - Nizhny Novgorod). The development was led by S. A. Lavochkin, one of the best Soviet designers. This aircraft was considered one of the most effective means of combat aviation during World War II. It combined the most important functions for gaining air superiority - maneuverability and armament.
General information
LA-7 is an aircraft that can be classified as a monoplane (an apparatus with one pair of wings). It has one engine located in the bow, and a single seat - for the pilot. Its predecessor is the LA-5 fighter, also developed by the 21st Design Bureau. The first prototype aircraft (under the code LA-120) took off in November 1943.
In early 1944, he successfully passed flight tests and entered combat service. By the end of the war, more than 5,700 LA-7 fighters had rolled off the assembly line. According to many Soviet pilots, this aircraft was the best: its maneuverability, speed, reliability and firepower were highly appreciated. At the helm of such a high-class fighter, one gained confidence in victory over any aceThird Reich.
History of Appearance
LA-7 was the result of a technological evolution of a series of several aircraft. The very first fighters appeared LaGG-2 (developed in 1939) and LaGG-3 (1940). Designers M. Gudkov and V. Gorbunov also participated in their creation. The second fighter was capable of flying at speeds of 600 km/h, much faster than the German aircraft of its class. But it was heavy: 600 kg more than the Yak-1. LaGG-3 maneuverability and rate of climb left much to be desired.
In 1942, the LA-5 appeared with a lighter engine, which proved to be excellent in the Battle of Stalingrad. The new aircraft was superior to the Messerschmitt, it had as many as two 20-mm cannons, and they were more effective than the "German" with one gun, supplemented by two machine guns.
In 1943, by the time of the battle near Kursk, the country's aviation received a new generation of fighters - LA-5FN with a boosted engine, lighter weight and easier control. Even the latest German Focke-Wulf-190 could not compete with this Soviet aircraft. And, finally, at the end of 1943, a new model, the LA-7, took off. On it, in comparison with the previous fighter, a third gun appeared, and the aircraft could reach speeds of 680 km / h.
Design genius
The man who led the creation of LA-7 is Semyon Alekseevich Lavochkin. He is a gold medalist, in 1918-1920 he served in the ranks of the Red Army and the border troops. Then he studied at the Moscow Higher Technical School (today it is the Moscow State Technical University named after Bauman), where he received a professionaeromechanical engineer. The topic of his thesis was related to the development of a bomber.
Semyon Alekseevich began working in the aircraft design industry in the late 1920s, first designing aircraft for the Soviet fleet, and then moving on to work on fighters. In the second half of the 30s, when the world was already restless, the Soviet government decided to pay special attention to the development of the Red Army Air Force. First, Lavochkin, together with S. N. Lyushin created the aircraft LL-1, armed with dynamo-rejective cannons. Later, the I-301 prototype appeared, containing outstanding design drawings. LA-7 owes its appearance to the design initiatives of Semyon Alekseevich of those years.
Features
The speed and rate of climb of the LA-7, in principle, remained comparable to those of the LA-5FN. The maximum speed of the fighter was 680 km / h (when flying at an altitude of 6 thousand meters), the maximum speed near the ground was 597 km / h. The flight range of the LA-7 was 635 km, the altitude ceiling was 10 km 750 m.
The rate of climb of the fighter is 1098 meters per minute. Machine length - 8, 60 m, height - 2, 54 m. Empty weight - 2605 kg, curb - 3265 kg. Fighter wing area - 17.5 square meters. m. Maximum takeoff weight - 3400 kg. The wingspan of the aircraft is 9.80 m. The LA-7 engine is one of three types: ASh-82FN, ASh-83 or 71. The fighter has a thrust of 1850 horsepower (which is equivalent to 1380 kilowatts). One of the fundamental differences between the LA-7 and previous aircraft is its lightweight design (thanks tometal spars).
Armaments
The combat equipment of LA-7 aircraft included, as a rule, two 20-mm guns of the ShVAK type or three guns of the same caliber of the B-20 type. They were able to prevent the projectiles from falling into the propeller blades, thanks to the hydromechanical synchronizer installed on them. The ammunition for the ShVAK cannon was usually 200 rounds per gun. Also, the ammunition was supplemented with shells of armor-piercing incendiary type (capable of penetrating armor up to 22 mm from a distance of 100 m), as well as shells of fragmentation-incendiary type. Under the wings of the aircraft bombs could be installed (up to 100 kg on each wing). Most often these were shells of the FAB-50 and 100, ZAB-50, 100 types (the index indicates the weight of the bomb - 50 or 100 kg).
Flaws
Military experts noted that the aircraft LA-7 from time to time failed hydraulics. The fighter engine was not quite stable either. Due to the fact that the air intakes of the motor were in the plane of the wings, they had the property of being clogged with dust during takeoff and landing. Therefore, the engine could fail. This property was overlooked by specialists in state tests: the acceptance took place in winter, when there was no dust.
It is recognized that the engine on the LA-5FN failed much less frequently than on the LA-7. The aircraft's oil cooler was located under the fuselage, and because of this it was very hot in the cockpit (about 40 degrees in winter and 55 in summer). The pilots had a hard time, given that exhaust gases from the engine got into the cockpit, and on the glasscondensation often occurred.
Comparison with analogues: theory and practice
The LA-7 aircraft, the photo of which is in most Soviet aviation textbooks, is often perceived as a fighter far superior to its German counterparts - the FW-190 and Messerschmitt-109. At the same time, the pilots themselves said that it was very difficult to fight German aircraft. For example, according to some Soviet aces, the “Germans” could dive much better than this machine. Therefore, as a rule, only the most experienced pilots of the Soviet Air Force could win the duel if the enemy performed such an aerobatic maneuver.
But, most importantly, in such cases, the LA-7 gave an advantage, thanks to a sharp increase in speed. Having managed to quickly get close to the German, it was possible to attack the enemy. At the same time, the indicators of the turn radius (horizontal maneuverability) of the LA-7 made it possible to speak of superiority over German aircraft. This was due to the lower load of the Soviet fighter on the wing: about 190 kg / sq.m. (when the “German” has more than 200 kg / sq.m.). Therefore, the LA-7 made a turn 3-4 seconds faster than, for example, the Focke-Wulf.
Combat experience
LA-7 is the plane on which I. N. Kozhedub is a legendary pilot, a hero of the Soviet Union three times. He began his combat path at the helm of an LA-5, on which he shot down several dozen aircraft. Transferring to the LA-7, Kozhedub destroyed 17 German fighters, triumphantly completing his sorties during the battles near Berlin.
Active combat use of the aircraft began in June 1944. This fighter was held in high esteem by the Guards regiments of the Soviet Air Force. A. I. spoke positively about the legendary LA-7. Pokryshkin - ace, hero of the Soviet Union three times. Performing combat missions on this aircraft, he shot down 17 German fighters, including a Messerschmitt-262 jet. The great Soviet pilot considered the LA-7 an example of excellent maneuverability, speed, and armament: all this was ideally combined with the ace's favorite "formula": "speed, maneuver and fire."
Hero Aircraft
LA-7 by historians of the Great Patriotic War is traditionally associated with the name of Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub, who won 64 victories (not a single ace of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition had any more). The pilot opened the account of battles in March 1943 on an LA-5 combat aircraft. Subsequently, Kozhedub made 146 sorties on a fighter of this type and shot down 20 "Germans". In May 1944, the pilot moved to the LA-5FN, which was assembled with money, interestingly, from one collective farmer from the Stalingrad region. On this aircraft, he destroyed 7 units of enemy aircraft. In August, the Kozhedub regiment was transferred to the new LA-7 fighters for the Soviet Air Force. On this type of aircraft, Ivan Nikitich fought until the end of the Great Patriotic War.
During one of the combat missions, Kozhedub's LA-7 was hit, his engine stalled. Deciding not to surrender to the enemy, the Soviet ace sent the plane to one of the objects on the ground. But when the fighter began to dive down, the engine suddenly started working, and Kozhedub, having brought the LA-7 out of the dive, returnedto the airfield. Throughout the war, Ivan Nikitich flew on a combat mission 330 times, participated in 120 air battles, in which he destroyed 64 enemy aircraft. Awarded with three Gold Star medals.
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