Glossary USSR Lavochkin LaGG-3 La-5 La-5F La-5FN La-5UTI La-7 La-9 La-11 Photos & Drawings

La-7

Fighter

Lavochkin

The La-7 from 9-th Guards Fighters Wing 303-rd Division on which major V.D.Lavrenkov flied at winter, 1944-45.

The tests of the new fighter La-7 was started in the beginning of 1944 . The airplane differed the facilitated design (at last and on airplanes of La metal spars have appeared), reinforced armament and the best aerodynamic properties. On high-speed qualities the airplane has essentially surpassed La-5FN.

On the production machines it was not possible to take into account only one recommendation reflected in the conclusion about passage by a fighter - on an airplane there was no automatic control unit of operation control of an engine-screw combination. That on FW-190 was operated by moving of one lever, on La-7 demanded manipulations of eight controls. To simplify operation control of an engine-screw combination it was possible only on La-7 from factory number 38101356 which tests passed from March, 20 till April, 8, 1945.

It was the most perfect fighter of Semyon Lavochkin and one of the best warplanes of the WW II.

In total, the fighters La-7 were built in quantity 5905 during 1944-1945.

		Yak-9	Yak-9U	Yak-3	La-5	La-5FN	La-7
WW 2 Soviet Fighters
Year of issue		1942	1944	1944	1942	1943	1944
Dimensions
Length, m		8.48	8.5	8.5	8.67	8.67	8.67
Wing span, m		9.74	9.74	9.2	9.8	9.8	9.8
Wing area, m²		17.15	17.15	14.85	17.5	17.5	17.56
Weight, kg:
Maximum takeoff weight		2870	3204	2697	3360	3290	3310
Powerplant
Engine		M-105PF	VK-107A	VK-105PF2	M-82	M-82FN	ASh-82FN
Power, hp		1210	1650	1290	1700	1850	1850
Performance
Maximum speed, km/h	at sea level	520	575	567	509/535^*	551/583^*	579/613^*
	at altitude	599	672	646	580	634	661
	m	4300	5000	4100	6250	6250	6000
Time to 5000 m, min		5.1	4.4-5.0	4.5	6.0/5.7^*	5.3/4.7^*	5.25/4.6^*
Time of turn, sec		17-18	19	17	22	19-20	19
Service ceilling, m		11100	10650	10400	9500	10000	10450
Service range ^**, km		660	675	550	660	590	570
Armament
Cannon		1	1	1	2	2	3
Machine guns		1	2	2	-	-	-

^* Forcing of the engine during 10 minutes.

^** On speed making 90 % from maximal.

Photo	Description
	La-7. Prototype 1944
	The first production copy of La-7 plant number 381
	La-7 with synchronous cannons NS-23
	La-7 number 38105758 plant number 381
	La 7 of 176 IAP
	Training La-7 # 45211521. Photo of Vahlamov archives
	Training La-7 # 46210514. A general view of the cockpit instructor.
	Training La-7 # 46210514. A general view of the cockpit of the cadet.
	Training La-7 in the assembly shop of the Gorky aircraft plant

References

"The history of designs of planes in USSR 1938-1950" /Vadim Shavrov/
"Planes of Stalin falcons" /Konstantin Kosminkov and Dmitriy Grinyuk/
"The Soviet planes" /Alexander Yakovlev/