Lavochkin La-5 fighters race of aviation technologies

At the end of 1941, at OKB S.A. Lavochkin carried out work to modernize the LaGG-3 fighter, which no longer met the requirements of modern air combat. Back in the summer of 1941, the design bureau received drawings of the M-82 propeller group with the installation of synchronous 20-mm ShVAK cannons, developed by N.N. Polikarpov for the I-185 fighter. Using a reliable 1700 hp serial engine. should have significantly improved the aircraft's performance. However, the “big forehead” of the M-82 radial engine did not fit into the fuselage, designed for the “thin” in-line M-105. The designers managed to quickly find a solution to the problem and install a heavy two-row radial engine without significant design changes. to avoid disruption of serial production and a reduction in the production of fighters for the front. The airframe of the LaGG-3 aircraft was taken as the basis without changing its design, geometry and dimensions, using most of the serial components and assemblies.

It should be noted that attempts to launch aircraft with the M-82 engine into series were made by the design bureaus of A.I. Mikoyan, S.V. Ilyushina, V.M. Petlyakov and A.S. Yakovleva. But only on the OKB S.A. fighter. Lavochkin this engine harmoniously fit into the design of the aircraft.

The installation of a new powerful engine made it possible to significantly improve maneuverability, increase the rate of climb and maximum speed, especially on verticals.

In the spring of 1942, comprehensive state tests of the vehicle were successfully carried out. At the end of April 1942, the State Defense Committee decided to begin mass production of a new fighter, designated La-5.

The construction of all modifications of the La-5 was all-wood and contained almost no scarce materials. The air-cooled engine had high reliability and survivability - it remained operational even if several of the 14 cylinders were shot or shrapnel damaged. The instrumentation made it possible to pilot the fighter at night and in difficult weather conditions.

During serial production, the aircraft was constantly improved: the M-82F and M-82FN engines were successively installed, the aerodynamic properties of the aircraft and pilot protection were improved, and the flight weight was reduced. Of particular note is the change in the shape of the cockpit canopy and the lowering of the canopy (similar to the Yak-9 aircraft), which improved visibility, as well as the replacement of the wooden wing spar with a metal one.

A total of 10,000 La-5s of all modifications were produced.

Front-line pilots liked the aircraft for its simplicity, reliability and unpretentiousness. They unanimously noted the high flight performance of the machine. The La-5 was one of the most easily controlled fighters, had exceptionally high maneuverability, held excellent turns in deep turns, and had good speed. This aircraft, armed with two synchronized 20-mm ShVAK cannons, allowed our pilots for the first time since the beginning of the war to fight on an equal footing with any German fighter, changing air combat tactics from defensive to active offensive.

Up to 5000 m, that is, at almost all the main altitudes of air battles, the La-5FN variant had an advantage over the main German fighter Messerschmitt Bf 109G in maneuvering on verticals, and when maneuvering horizontally it came into its tail at a distance of aimed fire on 3-4 turns . The superiority over the Focke-Wulf FW 190A in speed and in all types of maneuver was even more pronounced. The special instructions for German air units noted that the La-5 aircraft was a very dangerous enemy, and pilots were advised to be extremely careful when engaging in air combat with it.

The aircraft earned high praise not only from Soviet and German pilots, but also from British aviation specialists. They called the La-5FN the best front-line fighter of the Second World War, which had no equal on the Eastern Front.

Literature

• Ivanov S.V.
  La-5 // War in the air. - M., 2000. - No. 69.
• Smirnov G.
  Stories about weapons // M., Detlit, 1976.
• Kharuk A.I.
  Fighters of the Second World War. The most complete encyclopedia. - M.: Yauza, EKSMO, 2012. - 368 p. — 1500 copies. — ISBN 978-5-699-58917-3.
• Yakubovich N.V.
  La-5 fighter. The nightmare of the “aces of diamonds”. - M.: Collection, Yauza, EKSMO, 2008. - 112 p. — (Arsenal Collection). — 3500 copies. — ISBN 978-5-699-26645-6.
• Yakubovich N.V.
  La-5 fighter. Broke the back of the Luftwaffe. - M.: Yauza, Collection, Eksmo, 2009. - 112 p. — (War and us. Legendary military equipment). — 3000 copies. — ISBN 978-5-699-32604-4.

Outstanding La-7. Part I. The birth of the “seven”

The La-7 fighter was truly the pinnacle of development of Lavochkin aircraft during the Great Patriotic War. It was superior to its main opponent, the German FW-190A, in speed, climb rate and maneuverability, and had fairly powerful weapons. Of course, the car also had weaknesses, caused primarily by the peculiarities of production during the war years. During the initial period of operation, unreliable operation of the power plant caused problems. The mixed design of the aircraft airframe with the predominant use of wooden materials determined that the service life of the La-7 was determined to be three years, which was critically short for operation in peacetime. However, during the war the La-7 was perhaps the best Soviet fighter.

Despite the fact that “La Seventh” appeared in 1944, the story about it should begin from the pre-war years. It should be noted that Soviet fighters during the Second World War were a unique phenomenon. At that time, no country in the world, except the USSR, created its own fighter aircraft, and indeed military aircraft in general, using wood as the main structural material. In the West, they stopped building combat aircraft with wooden frames in the early thirties, and soon fabric coverings also became a thing of the past. In our country, almost all fighters created immediately before the war (at least serial ones) had either a mixed or all-wood construction.

It is known that, with equal strength, a duralumin structure is 40% lighter than a wooden one, not to mention such advantages as durability, non-flammability and weather resistance. Nevertheless, on the eve of the war in the USSR, other trends prevailed. The first place was given to the availability and low cost of raw materials, simplicity and manufacturability of the design, in short - the possibility of large-scale construction of aircraft at minimal cost and minimal need for qualified workers.

Based on this, many argue that our aviation developed according to the principle of “more in numbers, at a cheaper price,” and this could not but affect its combat capabilities and, ultimately, the level of losses.

Meanwhile, the war confirmed the correctness of the chosen concept. When during several months of the German “Blitzkrieg” the production of duralumin in the USSR fell by 80%, the focus on wooden aircraft construction came in handy. Of course, the country's leadership hardly foresaw this scenario, but history provides many examples when a more than dubious decision unexpectedly turns out to be the only correct one.

Of the pre-war “triad” of new vehicles - MiG-1, Yak-1 and LaGG-3 - the latter was the most unusual for its time. Its all-wood construction is unprecedented in the world's fighter aircraft. A comparison with the famous English “wooden miracle” (“Mosquito”) is hardly appropriate. Firstly, in Mosquito everything is subordinated to one single idea - speed. Its creators did not even think about the possibility of conducting air combat. And although the aircraft later turned into a heavy night fighter, it had to solve completely different problems than the Lavochkin on the Eastern Front. Secondly, exotic ultra-light balsa and phenol-formaldehyde resins were widely used in the Mosquito design. The creators of LaGGa dealt with heavier, but common in our forests, pine and birch.

The popular belief that the LaGG was built from delta wood is not true. This material (wood impregnated with VIAM B-3 plasticizer, which increased strength) was present only in the side members, ribs and some components in the forward part of the fuselage. And on the La-5 they abandoned it altogether, so as not to depend on foreign supplies of chemical components that were not produced in the USSR.

Working with obviously unprofitable materials, the designers of the Lavochkin Design Bureau managed to create the LaGG-3 fighter, which is generally at the level of modern requirements. Its maximum speed, armament and combat survivability did not cause any particular complaints; But the incurable diseases of the overweight vehicle - inertia, poor maneuverability, poor rate of climb - left the pilot of our fighter with little chance of winning in a battle with the Messers. No wonder front-line pilots called the LaGG-3 an “iron.”

“Heart transplant” - replacing the water-cooled VK-105 engine with the star-shaped M-82 breathed new life into the aircraft. The new engine was 250 kg heavier than its predecessor, but due to the abandonment of liquid cooling systems (radiator, pipelines, pumps, etc.), it was possible to maintain the take-off weight of the vehicle at the same level. But the power of the power plant increased from 1050 to 1330 hp. Flight characteristics have also improved accordingly. In March 1942, the aircraft, designated LaGG-3 M-82, successfully passed factory tests at the airfield of Gorky Plant No. 21, the main enterprise for the production of LaGGs.

The data of the new machine were so promising, and the need for it was so strong that, in parallel with the treatment of its “childhood diseases” and even before state tests, preparations for mass production began. In October 1942, the fighter, named La-5, went into service with the troops.

Meanwhile, although the new fighter was superior to its predecessor in almost all respects (except for horizontal maneuverability), it was never able to achieve the performance of the Me-109G and FW-190, which appeared around the same time on the Eastern Front. In addition, the aircraft was characterized by suffocating heat in the cabin, caused by poor thermal insulation of the engine and lack of ventilation, and not very reliable operation of the engine and weapons. And although these shortcomings were gradually eliminated as serial production progressed, the La-5 did not bring our aviation qualitative superiority over the enemy. Therefore, already in the fall of 1942, the Lavochkin Design Bureau began work on further modernization of the fighter.

Engineers set about reducing the weight of the car while increasing engine power. In December, state tests were carried out and the La-5F with the M-82F engine (uprated) was put into production. The weight of the aircraft was reduced due to the abandonment of cantilever gas tanks (such aircraft were called “three-tank”, in contrast to the earlier “five-tank”) and a number of other, smaller tricks. The thickness of the armored back was reduced by 1.5 mm, the landing light was removed, etc. The fuel supply decreased by 60 liters. The flight range was reduced accordingly, but this was considered unimportant; the main thing was to catch up with the Messerschmitt. But so far it has not been possible to equalize.

On the prototype, which was tested in April 1943, in order to make it lighter, they even replaced one of the two ShVAK cannons with a UB machine gun. However, they still did not dare to “put into production” a fighter with weakened weapons.

The next step was the La-5F, lightweight, with improved visibility. The cockpit garrot was lowered and the glazing area of ​​the rear part of the canopy was increased. Instead of an armored headplate, 66 mm armored glass appeared.

Finally, in May 1943, state tests of the La-5 with the M-82FN engine took place (in the spring of 1944 it was renamed ASh-82FN - uprated with direct injection). The take-off power of the engine increased to 1850 hp, the maximum - to 1630 hp. at the first and 1500 at the second altitude boundary. In addition, the La-5FN has improved the thermal insulation of the cabin, reduced the effort on the controls and lightened the landing gear. The external distinctive feature of the new modification was the long engine suction pipe on top of the hood.

The La-5FN first appeared at the front in the summer of 1943, during the fighting on the Kursk Bulge. In Soviet times, it was indicated that this version of the La-5 achieved complete qualitative superiority over German fighters of that period. Data from comparative flight tests with captured aircraft were cited as evidence. But the figures, which are quite convincing at first glance, require serious critical analysis.

First of all, the brand new, carefully adjusted La-5FN was compared with battle-worn aircraft, or even those that survived forced landings. Our mechanics did not know the specifics of setting the parameters of German power plants. Serial La-5FN, due to a lower production standard than on experimental machines, had correspondingly lower flight performance characteristics. By the way, when the Germans tested the captured La-5, they received data that was strikingly different for the worse from the results of tests of this fighter at the Air Force Research Institute. If we compare the test results of German vehicles, obtained under comparable conditions, with the tactical and technical characteristics of the La-5FN, it turns out that in a number of parameters we again had to play the role of catching up.

The situation was further complicated by the fact that the ASh-82FN engine had exhausted its boost reserves. Attempts to further increase power were unsuccessful, and there was nowhere to get any other power plant for the La-5. There were two options left: another weight reduction and a scrupulous “licking” of the aerodynamics.

Back in April 1943, a full-scale copy of the La-5 was tested in the T-104 TsAGI wind tunnel in order to determine the factors influencing the reduction of drag. As a result, recommendations emerged for introducing a number of improvements into the series, which in total would provide a speed increase of 30-35 km/h. The greatest effect was achieved by the internal sealing of the aircraft - 24 km/h - and the complete closure of the landing gear - 6 km/h. In addition, it was noted that moving the oil cooler from under the hood to under the fuselage, where the cross-sectional area is much smaller, reduces its drag by half and increases air flow through the radiator by 35%.

Later, it was established that moving the air intake of the power plant from the hood roof to the root part of the center section had a positive effect on the aerodynamics of the car. So, literally drop by drop, additional kilometers of speed were gained.

As for losing weight, this task was also not an easy one. There was practically nothing left on the plane that could be painlessly removed. And to lighten the structure by reducing strength and endurance (as A.S. Yakovlev did) S.A. Lavochkin did not. But there was another huge reserve - replacing wooden structural elements with metal ones.

In 1943, all-metal wing spars were developed for the La-5, consisting of steel T-bars connected by duralumin walls. The weight gain was 100 kg. This alone shows how much wood is inferior in weight efficiency to “winged metal”.

At the end of 1943, La-5 No. 206 appeared with partially improved aerodynamics. And at the very beginning of 1944, construction of a new modification was completed, initially designated as “La-5 - standard of 1944.” On it, in addition to installing metal spars, all TsAGI recommendations for the aerodynamic improvement of the vehicle were taken into account. First of all, external and internal sealing of the propeller group and airframe was introduced, additional shields were installed that completely cover the landing gear. The oil cooler was moved under the fuselage, and the supercharger suction pipes were placed in the nose of the center section. The shape of the wing fairings was changed, the number of covers on the hood was reduced and the size of the movable side flaps was reduced.

In addition, to reduce the effort on the handle, the aerodynamic compensation of the elevator was increased. Instead of the previous control knob with a grip for both hands, they installed a shortened R-1 “Messerschmitt” type handle for the right hand. The engine was equipped with individual cylinder exhaust pipes and a new variable pitch propeller VISH 105V-4 was installed. The landing gear legs were lengthened by 80 mm, and an anti-cutter frame was built into the frame of the rear part of the canopy.

The weapons became significantly more powerful. Instead of a pair of SP-20 cannons (a synchronized version of the ShVAK cannon), three new Berezin UB-20 air cannons were installed. On February 2, 1944, this machine, which was destined to become the best Soviet fighter of the Second World War, took off. The results of factory tests were very encouraging. The maximum ground speed was 597 km/h, versus 546 km/h for the La-5FN and 560 km/h for the FW-190A-5.

On February 16, the car was handed over for state tests, which were not without troubles. On February 20, due to an engine failure in flight (connecting rod breakage), test pilot Kubyshkin had difficulty landing the plane. Tests continued on March 8. And on March 22, when most of the program had already been worked out, one of the fuselage frames collapsed due to a gross defect in the assembly at the taxiing station. And this time the pilot’s skill helped avoid a serious accident.

But, despite all the difficulties, the test cycle was successfully completed on March 27. By this time, the design bureau received an order from the State Defense Committee to increase the maximum speed of the La-5FN to 685 km/h. The new fighter was supposed to be Lavochkin’s designers’ response to this task.

In the test report, Major Kubyshkin indicated that the “standard” had significantly increased speed characteristics compared to the standard La-5FN. At an altitude of 6000 m, the fighter accelerated to 680 km/h - the best result of all Soviet fighters of that period.

But aerodynamic perfection came at a high price. When the engine was running at high speeds, the temperature in the cabin reached 40 degrees (in February) and there was a strong smell of exhaust gases and burnt rubber. Thus, the “birth defect” of the early La-5s reasserted itself - poor thermal insulation.

The situation was aggravated by the fact that with the installation of an oil cooler under the fuselage, pipelines with hot oil began to pass right under the pilot’s feet, and the external sealing of the hood forced exhaust gases to leak into the cabin through the slightest cracks. It is clear that in such conditions a normal flight, not to mention an air battle, turns into torture. In addition, the tester noted that moisture condensation accumulates in the cabin (another result of the lack of ventilation), the load on the pedals is excessively high, and there is no provision for quick emergency escape from the vehicle.

But, despite this, the conclusion of the report read: “The aircraft, according to its flight characteristics, is one of the best fighters. It is necessary to speed up serial construction while simultaneously eliminating the above defects.” Specific recommendations followed: improve thermal insulation and ventilation of the cabin, facilitate emergency escape from the aircraft, reduce the effort on the pedals, improve the cooling of the cylinder heads and facilitate control of the propeller-engine group, for which purpose a combined control of the propeller pitch and gas should be made, an automatic supercharger speed switch and an automatic shutter control should be installed. hood

Such automation was installed on the Focke Wulf 190 fighter, thanks to which a complex change in the operating parameters of the power plant was carried out with one movement of the throttle. The Lavochkin pilots had to make up to eight consecutive movements to do this, which is practically impossible in the fast-paced conditions of air combat.

Unfortunately, when the new fighter was launched into series, only one of these recommendations was fully implemented: a mechanism for automatically changing the propeller pitch was installed (it is not clear why this was not done earlier, because “VISH-automatic machines” were known back in the thirties). Attempts to normalize the temperature inside the cabin by hanging heat-insulating covers on the oil tank and oil lines yielded almost nothing, and the severe heat, reaching 55 degrees in the summer months, continued to complicate the already difficult work of the pilots.

Only later did a ventilation cap appear above the windshield armored glass on some production vehicles. Then the ventilation air intakes were placed in the leading edge of the center section. The outboard air pressurization prevented hot gases from the engine from entering the cabin, and the microclimate improved noticeably. As for the automatic adjustment of engine modes, devices of this kind for the ASh-82FN appeared after the war.

Meanwhile, with all its shortcomings, the aircraft at altitudes up to 6000 m surpassed in flight characteristics almost all types of both domestic and German piston fighters.

In the first days of May, the “standard of 1944” under the new name La-7 was put into mass production. It is noteworthy that in July the last LaGG-3 rolled off the assembly line of Tbilisi plant No. 31. Production of the La-5FN (already with metal spars) continued, gradually decreasing until November 1944.

Sources: Moroz S. Vershina. La-7 fighter // Aviation and time. 2012. No. 4. pp. 4-25. Kotelnikov V., Orlov M., Yakubovich N. La-7 fighter // Aviacollection. 2009. No. 11. pp. 2-10, 14-15, 23-29. Ivanov S. La-7 // War in the air. No. 70. pp. 2-9, 19-22, 40-41. Alekseenko V., Kondratyev V. La-5 fighter // Wings of the Motherland. 1995. No. 4. P.1-3, 5-8. Yakubovich N. Unknown Lavochkina. M.: Yauza, Eksmo, 2012. pp. 90-101.

What was the plane covered with?

Most variants of the La-5 model combat aircraft had an all-wood construction, which was constantly being improved.
Despite the fact that the wood was fire resistant, the strength of this material was not enough. In the La-5FN model, the developers paid special attention to protecting the pilot and engine. Wood was replaced with duralumin and iron, which ensured uninterrupted and reliable operation of the engine even in the event of fragmentation hits

The fuel tanks were not armored, which made them very vulnerable in the event of an attack. The wooden wing spar was replaced with a metal one. For the safety of the pilot and fuel tanks, armored glass began to be used in the production of the fighter, the thickness of which for the frontal part of the cockpit was 57 mm. The armored headrest (68 mm) was made from this material. The armored back was made of steel 0.7 cm thick.

Construction of prototypes

It was decided to launch the construction of the first five prototypes at plant No. 381.

This enterprise produced serial
La-7 aircraft.
It is worth noting that it was also identified for the construction of a small series of the experimental Mikoyan
I-250
with a combined power plant.

For reference. I-250 fighter

.
Single-seat all-metal fighter of the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau
with a combined power plant, which consisted of a
VK-107A
with a power of 1650 hp.
With. and the VRDK
, created at
CIAM K.V.
Kholshchevnikov .
B-20
cannons (100 rounds of ammunition). It was built in a small series, due to the lack of prospects and the beginning of the full use of turbojet engines.

Despite the fact that all technical documentation for the new La-150

was prepared in the shortest possible time, it was not possible to quickly produce aircraft.
There are many reasons for this. Of the most significant, it can be noted that the plant had to be re-equipped for the production of all-metal aircraft. This means we had to change equipment, retrain workers, and so on. As a result, the deadlines set for the construction of the first prototype by November 1 could not be met. This state of affairs, naturally, could not suit either the customer or the designers. Lavochkin
began to look for a new production base.
On October 2, the NKAP
transferred

plant No. 301
, located in Khimki near Moscow, Lavochkin’s
subordination

La-150 during transportation:

plant No. 81 were also transferred there

While the construction of the first
La-150 samples was underway,
the designers began to conduct research on the further development of the project.
Even at the stage of purging and design, some shortcomings of the basic version became obvious (one-piece wing, cramped cabin, dimensions of the fuselage, into which it was impossible to install a more powerful engine). As a result, vehicles of projects “152”, “154”, “156”
.
Details about them will come later. In the meantime, let's return to the development of “ Project 150” .
The first model for static testing was completed only in April 1946.
By this time, the main competitors, represented by Mikoyan
and
Yakovlev,
were already preparing their aircraft for the start of testing.
It is worth noting that Plant No. 381
nevertheless completed the first three samples, the remaining two “in detail” were transferred to
Plant No. 301
for final assembly.

La-5FN fighter. Device

• The design of this aircraft is characterized by direct injection of fuel into the cylinders.
• Instead of exhaust manifolds, the aircraft used individual pipes, of which there were seven on each side.

• The upper part of the hood contained a special air intake.
• The fuselage canopy was lowered, and the shape of the canopy was also changed (they were designed based on Yakovlev's A.S. Yak-9 aircraft).
• The use of the instrument panel made it possible to carry out flights at night and in poor weather conditions.
• A number of improvements were made that affected the internal sealing and thermal insulation of the La-5FN cabin. The fighter received improvements in overall aerodynamics.
• To improve visibility, the aircraft was equipped with a new canopy, which was supplemented with an easily removable sliding part especially for an emergency.
• The design was equipped with a tail wheel. It could be retracted during flight, and self-oriented during taxiing.
• The double-spar wings had plywood skin and contained automatic duralumin slats, which, with the help of landing flaps, could be deflected by 60 degrees if necessary.
• Birch veneer was used in the production of the fuselage and keel. It was made of several layers, which were covered with canvas.
• A welded motor mount made of steel pipes was intended for mounting the ASh-82FN double-row radial engine. The engine itself was located in a container, which was constructed from easily removable duralumin panels. This provided free access to the motor during repair or maintenance.

The final stage of factory testing

After the epic preparations for the parade ended, some of the built aircraft were returned to plant No. 301

for improvements based on comments received. In addition, it was necessary to resume factory tests, which had been suspended for some time. These tests began to be carried out in winter, which imposed its own specific specifics. And besides, again, due to certain circumstances (mainly weather conditions), the schedule had to be shifted. Three aircraft were allocated for the flights. There were also mainly three test pilots.

Layout of the La-150 fighter:

This is I. E. Fedorov, M. L. Gallai

and
G. M. Shiyanov.
The first sample was used to determine some basic flight parameters, in particular maximum speed and rate of climb.
The biggest difficulties arose with him. It took a long time to get the required values. The capricious engine failed. I had to change 4 samples, due to the fact that they did not produce the proper traction. The drop in engine speed of the RD-10
was due to poor performance of the control system, as well as due to the difference in oil temperature values ​​depending on the flight altitude in winter conditions.
The second aircraft was used to determine flight range and fuel consumption, and the third aircraft was used to test handling
and
stability
.

For reference. Let us be given an airplane that is balanced on a certain flight segment. Under Sustainability

understand the ability of the aircraft to independently, without pilot intervention, return to the original mode after an accidental disturbance.
The track and lateral stability of the aircraft are distinguished separately. It is also necessary to distinguish between stability when the control is clamped, when the pilot holds the controls motionless, and when it is thrown, when the pilot does not interfere with this movement. Controllability
is understood as the ability of an aircraft to switch to another flight mode with the active action of the pilot . It is characterized by the amount of force that must be applied to the controls and the speed of transition from one mode to another.

The latest tests revealed the main disadvantages of the machine - excessive lateral stability and excessive ease of longitudinal control. In March 1947, at the State Research Institute of the Air Force

conducted additional tests to determine the degree of air pollution in the cabin.
A similar problem (smoke was formed as a result of pyrolysis of kerosene and oil) arose during long flights on the Yak-15 .
No such phenomenon was noted on the La-150 Which was a definite plus.

La-150 fighter model:

The more successful layout (the pilot's cabin was separated by a sealed bulkhead) and the thoughtfulness of technological solutions for removing the resulting smoke from the engine compartment had an impact. Factory tests of the fighter were completed by April 27, 1947. The program included 48 flights.

Application

The first La-5s began to arrive in combat air units in the second half of 1942. The pilots quickly rated the new aircraft as very good, and the technicians were pleased with the absence of a water cooling system, which caused a lot of inconvenience in the field. Retraining of flight personnel took place both in reserve fighter aviation regiments and in front-line conditions. The retraining and recruitment of regiments was carried out by:

• 1st reserve fighter aviation regiment (from July 1942 to 1945);
• 2nd reserve fighter aviation regiment (from July 1942 to 1945);
• 4th Reserve Fighter Aviation Regiment (1943);
• 14th reserve fighter aviation regiment (1942 - 1943).

The La-5 received its baptism of fire on August 14, 1942, as part of the 49th IAP of the 234th IAD of the 1st Air Army in the Ulyanovo - Sukhinichi - Kozelsk area. From August 14 to August 24, 1942, the regiment's pilots flew 19 aircraft (then under the LaG-5 brand) 180 combat missions, flying 130 hours. In 27 air battles, the regiment's pilots shot down 16 enemy aircraft. During this time, 5 LaG-5s were shot down in the regiment, 2 did not return from a combat mission, 4 crashed after being shot down in air battles, 1 crashed due to an engine defect and 1 of the pilots died.

On August 20, 1942, as part of the 240th IAP, it appeared near Stalingrad. The regiment began fighting on August 20, 1942, and until August 29, 1942, made 109 sorties, conducted 58 air battles, shot down 10 aircraft, but was itself defeated - only a few pilots remained in service, and lost 7 aircraft. The remnants of the regiment were relocated to the rear airfield, and then completely transferred to reserve. Despite the fact that due to the lack of a sufficient number of experienced pilots there were large losses, the La-5 immediately established itself well. For German pilots, the appearance of a new aircraft was a very unpleasant surprise. After the Battle of Stalingrad, the La-5 ceased to be a surprise to the Germans; aircraft of this type began to appear on all sectors of the Soviet-German front.

In the summer of 1943, the brand new La-5 made an emergency landing at a German airfield, which gave the Germans the opportunity to conduct comprehensive flight tests of the vehicle. Test pilot Hans-Werner Lerche wrote a detailed report.

La-5 took part in battles from the end of 1942 to the summer of 1943, after which they were replaced by more advanced variants La-5F, La-5FN and subsequently La-7. Although some La-5s fought in 1944.

The La-5 was most widely used during the Battle of Kursk. It was here (at the airfield in Urazovo), on La-5, that the famous Soviet ace Ivan Kozhedub opened his combat account. During his fortieth combat mission on July 6, 1943, Kozhedub shot down his first German aircraft, a Junkers Ju-87 bomber. By the end of the Battle of Kursk, Kozhedub won nine aerial victories and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Battle. The famous Soviet pilot Alexey Maresyev, who lost his legs and despite this managed to return to combat aviation using prosthetics, also flew on the La-5 plane.

La-5 on a postage stamp, 2011

In addition, the La-5FN began to be used en masse at the Kursk Bulge, which was opposed by a German fighter. Strictly speaking, the La-5 and FW-190A had already met in battle more than once, but near Kursk the bet was placed on them - fighters with air-cooled engines had to gain air supremacy. The battles showed that, despite all its many advantages, the Fokker is inferior to the Lavochkin as an air combat fighter. Soviet pilots are always more difficult to fight than with the FW-190. The Germans themselves realized this. On the Eastern Front, until May 9, 1945, the Messerschmitt Bf.109 remained the main fighter.

Combat use

The new aircraft received its christening on August 14th. Over a period of 10 days, about 180 flights were made, which lasted a total of approximately 130 hours. 16 enemy aircraft were shot down, while 10 La-5s were either shot down or crashed due to engine defects.

He also showed himself in all his glory in the airspace of Stalingrad. He took part in 58 battles, sent 10 enemy aircraft to the ground, but he himself suffered significant losses.

Expert opinion

Konstantin Pavlovich Vetrov

Assistant and Advisor to the Minister of State Control of the USSR, Hero of Socialist Labor, historian, Doctor of Historical Sciences. Author of many scientific works on the history of the Soviet Union.

In general, the main problem then was the lack of experienced and trained pilots, which is why the number of La-5s shot down was quite high. But despite this, the score was always, in general, in favor of the Soviet fighter, which says a lot about its quality.

But the plane's finest hour came at the Battle of Kursk. Then La-5 completely outplayed its opponents, gaining air supremacy.

La-5FN fighter

In 1944, the fighter began to be replaced with modernized versions, and the La-7 appeared. By the 45th La-5 was practically not used in Soviet aviation.

LaGG-5 experienced

Carrying out the first tests

In the spring, testing of a static sample began. They showed an insufficient structural safety margin. The landing gear suspension units were destroyed. We had to make improvements, eliminate defects and re-conduct research. The wing was also strengthened and the area of ​​the vertical tail was increased. All this work took place at plant No. 301

until July 1946.

The first flight prototype of the La-150, April-May 1946.

After solving the problem that arose with replacing the engine, the plane was transferred to FLI

to begin flight testing.
Taxiing began on August 30th. They revealed that at a speed of 110 km/h the plane descended on its tail and touched the ground. It was necessary to install additional weight in the forward part of the fuselage to shift the center of gravity. The first flight took place only on September 11th. The car was lifted into the air by test pilot A. A. Popov
. A series of factory flight tests began.

Causes of stalls

Any aircraft has its own characteristics and disadvantages during flight. One of the latter is stalling. The La-5FN fighter is not without this drawback. The stall characteristics were analyzed by specialists and taken into account when creating the next, more advanced generations of aircraft. Reasons for stalling:

• Reduced speed. When the landing gear and flaps are retracted, the slats extend at a speed of 200-210 km/h. As speed decreases, the effectiveness of the ailerons decreases. Sliding or braking a fighter at 180 km/h leads to it falling onto the wing, since at such a speed it is difficult for the pilot to dampen the roll. A stall can also occur with the landing gear and flaps extended if the pilot continues to pull the lever toward himself as the fighter reaches its maximum achievable angles.
• Performing sharp turns. When the La-5FN quickly deploys, the air flow on the wing is disrupted. As speed increases, the reduction in aileron effectiveness becomes more noticeable. When the fighter accelerates to 320 km/h and reaches an altitude of 2400 meters, at which a full turn is performed for 30 seconds, the structure of the vehicle receives an overload of 2.6G. If there is a need to make sudden movements with the ailerons, then it is natural for the handle in the cockpit to move in the direction of rotation.

To prevent the aircraft from stalling, there are instructions about how long it takes to make a full turn at a certain altitude. So, for 2400 meters 28 seconds are provided, and at a kilometer altitude the turn should be completed in 25 seconds.

Preparing for the parade

On September 12, 1946, a resolution of the Council of Ministers

about preparations for the air parade, which was to take place on November 7th.
According to this decree, it was necessary to quickly build and prepare for demonstration small series of the latest jet fighters. In fact, it was an exclusively political decision, which is difficult to give an objective assessment. On the one hand, the country's leadership wanted to demonstrate to their potential opponents that we had already developed jet machines, and on the other hand, they simply “showed off” because their demonstration did not reflect the real state of affairs. Yak-15
and
MiG-9
aircraft in the list of ceremonial equipment , which by that time had been flying for almost six months, is understandable.
But the addition of the La-150
, which literally just made its first flight yesterday, looked somewhat strange.
However, orders are not discussed. Other aviation enterprises were also involved in the construction of a small series, in particular, production of the La-150
was additionally launched in the city of Gorky at
plant No. 21
.
Plants No. 301 and No. 21
urgently need to prepare 8 flight samples. The work went on around the clock, and the task was completed.

La-150 from the experimental series built at plant No. 21:

In connection with preparations for the parade, flight tests were forced to be postponed for now; moreover, already built samples were also included in the number transferred to the military. By November 1st, all vehicles were delivered to the Air Force Research Institute

and
personal information
information for training.
In fact, these were just flight demonstrators that had many defects and imposed restrictions (speed no more than 600 km/h and overload no more than 3 units). They were not equipped with weapons, oxygen equipment, heating systems and had no armor. Nevertheless, it was necessary to look for the positive in everything. During the training, the pilots managed to conduct 67 training flights and form a definite opinion about the created aircraft. During the parade, La-150
were to march in two formations, with two more vehicles remaining in reserve. But due to bad weather, the parade never took place.

Arrangement of the cockpit

The upper hemisphere of the cabin provided good visibility and all-round visibility. Forward visibility was limited. This is due to the low seating position of the pilot. The operation of the engine left a large plume of exhaust gases behind the aircraft. The pilot was using a high altitude oxygen system, which was a diaphragm uniflow economizer (the idea was taken from a German economizer system).

If earlier the pitch of the propeller, radiators, blinds, trimmers, etc. were controlled by various manual rods - levers, which was a disadvantage, since during the battle the pilot was distracted when moving the rods to accelerate, then in the La-5FN everything was automated. The pilot could easily control all units of the propeller-engine group, fire, and control the operation of the guns without interrupting the combat. Only the power plant was controlled by levers; everything else was done automatically.

Options

Serial modifications

La-5F

The new model owes its appearance to the new forced Shvetsov ASh-82F engine, which is reflected in the aircraft’s markings. The new engine managed to overcome the main drawback of the old engine - overheating of the cylinder head, and at the same time increase engine power. In addition to the engine, the most important difference between the La-5F and the La-5 was a completely new cockpit canopy with significantly improved visibility into the rear hemisphere. The first La-5s with ASh-82F engines began rolling off the factory assembly line in December 1942. The La-5F was tested at the LII evacuated to Sverdlovsk in April. The aircraft showed a speed of 557 km/h at sea level and 590 km/h at an altitude of 6200 m - 10 km/h more than the La-5. The rate of climb increased much more noticeably: the La-5F climbed to 5000 in 5.5 minutes, while the La-5 took 6 minutes to reach this altitude.

La-5FN

The letters FN in the aircraft markings indicate Forced Direct Fuel Injection. The new aircraft began to be produced and entered service with the troops in March 1943. The La-5FN can rather be considered an aircraft produced in parallel with the La-5F, rather than a successor to the latter. The ASh-82FN engine could develop a power of 1850 hp. With. and maintain the forced mode for 10 minutes (during the tests it turned out that the ASh-82FN could withstand the forced mode much longer, but then the small fuel supply affected it). In April 1943, a series of air battles took place in Lyubertsy between the pre-production La-5FN and the captured Me Bf.109G-2. The training battles revealed the overwhelming superiority of the Soviet fighter in speed at low and medium altitudes - the main altitudes of the air war on the Eastern Front. The La-5FN was also superior to the Me Bf.109G-2 in vertical maneuverability. Analysis of the results of these battles led to significant changes in the tactics of Soviet fighter aircraft. The armament of the La-5FN is similar to that of the La-5F - two ShVAK cannons with 200 rounds of ammunition per gun.

La-5 M-71

At the beginning of 1943, OKB-21 under the leadership of S.A. Lavochkin in Gorky began work on the La-5 with an alternative power plant M-71F. The engine was an air-cooled double star and had a power of 2200 hp. - by as much as 350 liters. With. more than ASh-82FN. Installing a promising engine could dramatically improve the performance of the La-5. The aircraft with the new engine made its first flight on April 28, 1943. The tests were not entirely successful; the aircraft was unable to achieve its design characteristics. After careful research and wind tunnel testing, it became clear that if the aerodynamics were improved, the top speed could increase to a record 720 km/h. However, due to the chronic unreliability of the M-71F engine, it was never put into mass production, and therefore all work on the new aircraft was stopped.

La-5 206

In 1943, a series of blowing tests of the La-5 was carried out in the TsAGI T-104 full-scale wind tunnel. Purge tests have shown that even minor improvements in aerodynamics can significantly improve aircraft performance. Based on the results of these tests, the production aircraft with the number 39210206 was redesigned, and it became known as the La-5 “206”. This aircraft underwent flight tests at the end of 1943 - beginning of 1944 and showed good results. However, no changes were made to the design of the production La-5, but the results obtained were fully used in the development of the La-7.

The design of an aircraft with auxiliary jet engines RD-1 and RD-3 was prepared in December 1944 by the design team of S.P. Korolev. Implemented at the end of 1944 in the version known as La-7R

.

The initial stage of development of the “150” project

The OKB-301 team began the full development of a new jet fighter with some delay. Firstly, the recent move to Moscow had an impact. Secondly, two aircraft were initially developed - a heavy fighter with two Project 160 engines.

project 150
with one engine .
The heavy fighter was abandoned for various reasons (although this topic was later continued by S. M. Alekseev
) and all efforts were concentrated on the
“Project 150”.
In April 1946, its preliminary development was completed.

Layout of the La-150 fighter

A lot of time was spent searching for the most optimal layout, taking into account all the preliminary research on previous projects and the new recommendations received from TsAGI

.
The fighter was an all-metal high-wing aircraft of a modified design with the installation of a localized copy of the German Jumo-004 . On May 15th the actual design began. At plant No. 81
, the construction of a mock-up (which was completed in July) and models for blowing in wind tunnels (they took place at the end of the summer) took place. It is worth noting that neither the layout nor the preliminary design were submitted for consideration to the appropriate authorities. The creation of the first jet fighters was a top priority, so development time was reduced in every possible way.

Application in the design of a new engine

Shvetsov's uprated ASh-82F engine began to be used in fighters such as the La-5F (which was reflected in the aircraft's abbreviation) and La-5FN. The abbreviation of the latter means that it belongs to forced models with direct fuel injection.

According to legend, equipping this Soviet fighter with a powerful engine was caused by Stalin’s dissatisfaction with the technical capabilities of the ASh-82 in afterburner mode. They were enough for a few minutes. On Stalin's instructions, one such engine was started in this mode and worked until it failed. The recorded time demonstrated a long service life - it exceeded 50 hours.

These are good indicators for combat fighters. In the design of the La-5FN aircraft, this engine produced power of 1750-1850 hp. and maintained the afterburner mode for at least ten minutes. With a large supply of fuel, the period of this regime could be extended.

Some intermediate results

It is known that a detailed report was prepared based on the pre-parade preparations. Air Force and MAP leadership

Based on it, I made certain conclusions.
Due to the greater degree of readiness, the MiG-9
and
Yak-15 looked much more promising.
They began to prepare them for serial production.
, the MiG-9
is used as a full-fledged combat aircraft, and
the Yak-15
is used as a training machine for retraining flight personnel from piston aircraft to jet aircraft.

La-150 fighter model:

By La-150

Many shortcomings were noted that still needed to be eliminated and only after that the aircraft could be transferred for state testing. It was necessary to refine previously uninstalled systems (in particular, this concerned weapons, heating and ventilation of the pilot’s cabin), improve directional stability, increase fuel reserves, solve the problem of a cramped cabin, and also consider transportation issues due to the one-piece wing. In fact, they decided to use the car as an experimental one for now, setting the further vector of its development. In principle, this was correct; there was still a lot of work to be done. But more on this in the next publications...

Notes

1. Arlazorov M.S. The front goes through the design bureau. M.: “Knowledge”, 1969
2. . m.airpages.ru. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
3. Vetrov G.S.
   S.P. Korolev in aviation: Ideas. Projects. Constructions. - M.: Nauka, 1988. 160 p..
4. History of the Second World War 1939-1945 (in 12 volumes) / editorial coll., ch. ed. A. A. Grechko. volume 9. M., Military Publishing House, 1978. p. 159—160
5. ↑ Anokhin V.A., Bykov M.Yu.
   All fighter regiments of Stalin. The first complete encyclopedia. — Popular science publication. - M.: Yauza-press, 2014. - P. 360, 283. - 944 p. — 1500 copies. — ISBN 978-5-9955-0707-9.
6. Kotlobovskiy, A. (Kotlobovskiy, A.);
   Blaschuk, V. (Blaschuk, V.). La-5FB from the viewpoint of Luftwaffe (unspecified) // AeroHobby. — No. 1—1993.

Run-in

Test flights were carried out, as they say, on the knee. There were no runways and, naturally, no one was going to provide them to the designers. Instead, they used a flooded road. There was no lantern lighting either, so the light was provided by car headlights if the tests took place at night.

La-7

And they lasted around the clock. Everyone, from the engineers who corrected shortcomings on the fly, to the pilots who risked their lives flying on a “crude” product, worked their butts off. A total of 26 test flights were carried out, as a result of which no one was killed, and the new model was considered generally successful. The only problem that could not be fixed was overheating of the motor. The USSR authorities gave only 10 days to resolve it. And then exceptional luck manifested itself, which accompanies the developers of the aircraft over and over again. At the factory where the La-5 was produced, a new unpacked M-107 engine was found with the necessary parts for cooling. As a result, in May 1942, the aircraft was cleared for mass production.

History of creation

The predecessor of the La-5, LaGG-3, very quickly lost its position to its German competitors in the battle for air. Many complaints were made about the weak fire armament and insufficient maneuverability.

Which plane do you think is better?

German "Focke-Wulf Fw 190" Soviet "La-5"

The problem with weapons could be solved quite simply - by attaching a couple more machine guns to the plane, but then the speed parameters dropped significantly. Like the waters in the desert, they were waiting for a new engine - the M-107, which had a power of 1400 hp. versus 1050 hp used M-105. But the catch was that it was already actively used in the production of the Yak-1 and Yak-7 series aircraft. The production of these machines was already an established business, and only the LaGG-5, which was in development, no one really wanted to allocate an engine that was in short supply during the war. The production of the new aircraft was in jeopardy.

Controversial LaGG-3

But the designer of the fighter, Lavochkin, found a way out in the form of the ASh-82 engine, which used not a water cooling system, but an air one. This solved one very serious problem of Soviet aircraft production. The fact is that almost all aircraft in service with the USSR at the beginning of the war used water-cooled engines, while almost half of the aircraft engine factories produced them with air cooling. And it turned out that at the time of the construction of the La-5, in warehouses, in military scarce conditions, when there was a shortage of everything and everyone, there were large reserves of precisely the second type of engine! This made it possible to significantly speed up the production of the new fighter.

Expert opinion

Isaac Yakovich Zelder

Soviet astrophysicist, physical chemist, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, designer, engineer. Hero of Socialist Labor of the USSR.

But despite this, the situation still remained critical. The new engine still had to be somehow fit into the aircraft, which was not very suitable for the new dimensions. In an incredibly short time, calculations were completed and the necessary corrections were made, which ultimately made it possible to create the first prototype model. And so, in March, the first tests began.

Skins

• Standard paint scheme (early).
• La-5FN produced from the end of Summer 1943 onwards, painted standard camouflage according to NKAP-43.
• La-5FN (board number 57) of the 1st squadron of 32 GIAP, one of the very first 12-aircraft series of La-5FN, during the front-line Summer 1943 test at the northern part of the Kursk Bulge.
• On this La-5FN (number 25) 2 GIAP Guards Captain Mayorov fought on the 1st Baltic front during Autumn and Winter 1943-44. On September 25, 1943, 12 new La-5FN fighters were sent to 2 GIAP that were built using the money donated by Mongolian workers. The inscription 'Mongolian Arat' and the front part of the engine hood is red-orange color.
• La-5FN (number 76), the personal aircraft of Ivan Vishnyakov in 171 IAP during Summer 1944. The number of white stars corresponds to the personal combat score of the pilot from June 6 to July 19, 1944. Aircraft camo is standard NKAP- 43. The inscription 'For Oleg Koshevoy' was, according to memoirs, applied to all planes of the Vishnyakov's squadron.
• La-5FN (number 15), the personal plane of Anatoly Ruzin during Summer 1944 on the Leningrad front. The inscription 'For Vasjok and Zhora' is put on board in memory of two combat friends of Anatoly – the commander of the 2nd Squadron 159 IAP Lieutenant Vasily 'Vasjok' Grechka and Lieutenant Andrey 'Zhora' Vasilyev, who both were killed on June 28 , 1944, in the fight against Fw190As of II./JG54 over Vyborg/Viipuri (Karelian isthmus).
• La-5FN (number 71) of 254 IAP, the personal plane of Constantine Nazimov during Autumn 1944 on the 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts. The number of stars (21) reflects the overall combat score. There is a picture of an eagle that carries a bloodied Hitler.
• Yuri Lyubenyuk La-5FN (board number 07) in 813 IAP during Spring 1945 on the 2nd Belorussian Front.
• La-5FN (board number 13), the personal aircraft of Lieutenant Pavel Kocfelda during the Slovak National Uprising in September-October 1944 on the Tri Duby airfield. The aircraft was written off after an emergency landing on October 11, 1944. Two victories were scored aboard this very aircraft: 1/2 Ju-87 ppor. P. Kocfelda on 10/07/1944, 1/2 FW-189 by ppor. L. Srom on 08.10.1944.
• La-5FN (board number 93), the personal aircraft of Vladimir Orekhov during Autumn 1943 on the Bryansk front.
• La-5FN (board No. 101) of 5 GIAP, the personal plane of Vitaly Popkov on the 1st Ukrainian Front during Summer and Autumn 1944. The number of stars of air victories (33) corresponds to the personal combat account of the pilot since August 13, 1944, until February 9, 1945.
• La-5FN (number 30) of 41 GIAP, the personal aircraft of Alexander Lobanov during Summer 1944 on the 1st Ukrainian Front. The picture 'Eagle on top of Elbrus' reminds of the fighting in the Caucasus in 1942. The red heart on the hood of the engine is the designation of the regimental commander.
• La-5FN (board number 14) of 178 GIAP, the second such aircraft in the regiment, was built with funds donated by worker V. Konev. During Summer 1944, it was the personal plane of Ivan Kozhedub, the most scoring Allied ace. When Kozhedub was transferred to 176 GIAP, the aircraft was assigned to his friend Kirill Evstigneev. Besides these two famous aces, Lieutenant PA Bryzgalov also flew a number of combat sorties on it.
• La-5FN (number 69) of 3 GIAP VVS KBF, the personal plane of Ivan Kravtsov during Summer 1944. The number of victory stars with a white stroke (23) corresponds to the personal combat score of the pilot in the middle of August 1944 .
• La-5FN (No.25) of 34th IAP air defense flown by Captain Urvachev during Winter 1944-45. It is interesting to note that the number of asterisks denoting personal victories (6) does not coincide with the official score of personal victories (4). Probably, several victories, marked in the pilot's flight book as personal, were indicated in the regimental documents as group ones.
• Lieutenant Beketov La-5FN built with donations from Kazakh millers during Autumn 1944. At the end of the year, once the battle of Visla ended, 721 IAP handed over this and the rest of their La-5FN aircraft to 165 IAP and went to the rear to receive the new La-7.
• Captain Trefilov flew this La-5FN (number 44) during Autumn 1944 on the 3rd Belorussian Front. The arrow on the side of the fuselage is a rapid identification element of the fighter aircraft in 303 IAD.

Modifications of La-5

La-5. The LaGG-3 aircraft's all-wooden airframe is equipped with an M-82 engine (1,700 hp). To interface the hood with the fuselage, a second skin of duralumin panels was added. The vehicles of the first series had a round cockpit canopy and convex tail wheel flaps, like the LaGG-3. The aircraft were equipped with an air intake located in the front hood ring, a small fairing on the hood and flaps with stampings for exhaust manifolds. Take-off weight - up to 3360 kg. Speed ​​at an altitude of 6300 m is 556 km/h. Mass-produced since April 1942.

La-5F. In the fall of 1942, a new version of the fighter with a souped-up M-82F engine was developed. The forward part of the fuselage was modified in accordance with the dimensions of the new engine. La-5F began to be equipped with a new visor with a flat windshield and an improved sliding part of the canopy. The tail wheel was retracted deeper into the fuselage. The wheel flaps had a new shape and continued the line of the fuselage. Speed ​​at an altitude of 6300 m is 600 km/h. The La-5F aircraft was mass-produced from the beginning of 1943.

One La-5F was built with light armament: one 20-mm ShVAK cannon and one 12.7-mm UBS machine gun.

La-5F “lightweight”. At the beginning of 1943, a new cockpit canopy with improved visibility was developed, which had front and rear armored glass, a convex sliding part and a glazed rear part, smoothly turning into a lowered gargrot. The aircraft had a reduced fuel supply, as two of the five fuel tanks had been removed. Built serially.

La-5 with M-71 engine. The prototype aircraft was equipped with an M-71 engine with a power of 2000 hp. Take-off weight - 3526 kg, speed at an altitude of 5500 m - 685 km/h. Due to the lack of development of the motor, the tests were not completed.

La-5FN. This modification of the aircraft was equipped with an M-82FN engine, with direct fuel injection into the cylinders. The take-off power of the engine has increased by more than 100 hp. The exhaust manifolds were replaced with individual pipes (7 on each side). A tunnel air intake was placed on the top of the hood. The fuselage had a lower gargrot. The overall aerodynamics of the aircraft, internal sealing of the fuselage, and thermal insulation of the cabin on the engine side were improved. The first flight took place in March 1943. Since 1944, the sides of the fuselage near the cockpit were additionally sheathed with thin duralumin sheets. The wooden wing spar was replaced with a metal one, which made the landing gear lighter. Take-off weight is reduced to 3290 kg. The maximum speed has increased by an average of 30 km/h. Built in large series since the summer of 1943.

La-5FN with TK - a variant of the La-5FN with turbochargers. As an experiment, several production La-5FNs were re-equipped with superchargers designed by Treskin. The plane was considered unpromising.

La-5UTI is a two-seat trainer version with an M-82F engine, equipped with a second cabin, with dual controls. Tested in September 1943. According to the main characteristics, it is close to the production La-5F. The general layout remains unchanged. But unlike the La-5F, the right ShVAK cannon, armored glass canopy, armored seat backrest, oxygen and radio equipment were not installed. Serial production began at the end of 1943. Since 1944, the La-5UTI with the M-82FN engine was also produced.

Brief technical description of the La-5 fighter

La-5 is a wooden low-wing aircraft. The main material for production was pine. Delta wood was used for the wing box spars and some frames. The wooden parts of the airframe were glued together with VIAM-B-3 resin or KM-1 urea glue. The wing is a two-spar wing, consisting of a center section and two detachable parts (consoles), assembled from biconvex asymmetrical profiles NACA-230I6 and NACA-23010 with a relative thickness of 16 and 10%, respectively, and technologically divided into a center section and consoles. Between the center section spars there were two caissons laminated from plywood for fuel tanks. The power set of the La-5 center section includes ten ribs, mostly wooden, with the exception of the end ones, made of metal. These ribs had a pipe that connected both spars and passed through the front spar. The pipe was intended to attach the main landing gear. In the nose of the center section there were recesses—domes—designed to retract the landing gear wheels. The wing skin between the spars is plywood, the toe is laminated from veneer.

The load-bearing frame of each console, in addition to the spars, includes 15 truss-type ribs, an end frame and a set of stringers. The covering of the wing consoles between the spars is plywood, of variable thickness, and the toe is glued from plywood. In the spaces between the first and seventh ribs of the consoles, a caisson under the fuel tanks was glued between the side members. The wing consoles had a transverse angle of V = 5° along the lower edge of the rear spar. On La-5FN type “41” fighters from the N9 21 plant, starting in 1944, in the center section Metal spars were installed on the wing consoles. Automatic slats, Schrenk-type flaps and Frize-type ailerons with 100 percent weight and axial aerodynamic compensation were attached to the consoles with plywood sheathing. The ailerons have a duralumin frame covered with percale. There was a trimmer on the left aileron.

The flaps are located between the fuselage and the ailerons. The wing connector has a connector for the shields. The suspension is loop. The main profile, ribs and panel trim are made of duralumin. The flaps are controlled hydraulically. In the retracted position, the flaps are locked with a lift ball lock. The end slats are riveted from duralumin. The automatic slat opening mechanism is of the rocker type and consists of two rockers with a limiter. For comparison, a square meter of the wooden wing of a La-5FN aircraft produced in 1943 weighed 23.8 kg, while the all-metal Bf 109G-2 weighed 22 kg. The fuselage consisted of a metal front truss and a wooden monocoque, made integral with the keel. Its frame consisted of four spars and 15 frames. The fuselage is tightly connected to the wing center section by four steel units.

The pilot's cabin was covered with a canopy, which consisted of a visor and a sliding part that locked in the open and closed positions. An armor plate 8.5 mm thick is installed on the frame behind the pilot’s cabin. The horizontal tail is cantilever, the stabilizer is two-spar, solid wood with plywood working skin. The stabilizer consisted of two halves, attached to the power elements of the rear fuselage. The elevator with trimmer had a duralumin frame, covered with canvas, and also consisted of two halves. The landing gear was a retractable tricycle with a tail wheel. The main supports had oil-pneumatic shock absorbers. The main wheels measuring 650x200 mm had air-chamber brakes. The tail freely oriented support, fixed to the 12th frame of the fuselage, is equipped with a wheel measuring 300x125 mm and is retracted into the fuselage niche. The landing gear and tail wheel are retracted and released using a hydraulic drive.

The chassis is secured in the retracted position using locks, which are opened and closed hydraulically. In case of emergency release of the chassis, the locks are opened manually using cable rods. The chassis and crutch in the released position are automatically locked with liquid filling the lifts and additionally: the main supports are mechanical ball locks, and the crutch is mechanical pin locks. The shock absorbers of the chassis and crutch are oil-pneumatic. The wheel brakes are air-chamber, the wheel braking differential is connected to the foot control pedals. The aircraft control is mixed: ailerons using rigid rods, elevators and yaws - cable. The flaps were extended and retracted using a hydraulic drive. The power plant consisted of an M-82A star-shaped air-cooled engine with a rated power of 1,540 hp at an altitude of 2050 m. at 2400 rpm (on La-5 - M-82F, on La-5FN - ASh-82FN) and a three-bladed variable pitch propeller VISH-105V with a diameter of 3.1 m with a centrifugal speed controller R-7. The installation angles of the propeller blades are from 22° (small pitch) to 51° (large pitch).

aircraft LA-5

The exhaust pipes were connected into two jet-type manifolds. To regulate the temperature of the engine, there were frontal blinds located in the front ring of the hood and two flaps on the sides of the hood behind the engine. Honeycomb oil cooler - under the engine, in the tunnel of the lower hood flap. At the exit, the tunnel had an adjustable damper. The motor was started with compressed air. An oil tank with a capacity of 59 liters was located in the fuselage at the junction of the wooden part and the metal truss. Fuel with a volume of 539 liters (390 kg) was located in three center-section and two console tanks (the center-section tanks were subsequently removed to make the aircraft lighter, reducing the total volume of the center section to 480 liters).

The armament consisted of two synchronized ShVAK (SP-20) cannons of 20 mm caliber with a total ammunition load of 340 rounds (sometimes aircraft were equipped with a 20 mm cannon and a 12.7 mm machine gun) with pneumatic and mechanical reloading and a PBP-la collimator sight. The guns are placed on a metal fuselage truss and are accessible through the hinged top covers of the engine cowling. The cartridges are supplied from two boxes, also attached to the metal fuselage truss. Weapon control is pneumatic. For firing cannons, there is a trigger on the control stick of the aircraft. On La-5FN aircraft, wing bomb racks were installed, designed to hang two bombs of 50 kg or 100 kg caliber. In addition to the standard set of flight, navigation and control instruments, a first aid kit, the equipment included a short-wave radio station RSI-4 (radio transmitter RSI-ZM1 and receiver RSI-4A), an oxygen device and a landing light. On La-5FN aircraft, a neutral gas system was installed that protected fuel tanks from fire, as well as KPA-Zbis or KP-12 oxygen devices. The oxygen supply was enough to fly for an hour and a half at an altitude of 8000 m.

Table 1. Basic data of Gu-82 and La-5 fighters produced by plant No. 21

La-5

The La-5 was highly praised for its maneuverability and flexibility in operation, but also had a number of significant disadvantages.
With a speed of less than 210 km/h, the plane often went into a tailspin. It was on the La-5 that the best pilot Ivan Kozhedub destroyed 62 enemy aircraft. On July 6, 1943, during the Battle of Kursk, he shot down a German Ju-87 bomber.

While the first La-5 fighters were technically inferior to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the later modernized La-5 was superior to its German counterparts, especially in terms of climb speed. However, German aircraft designers did not sit idly by. Their fighters became more advanced, and the Soviet Union soon realized that they needed something more powerful than the La-5. Thus the legendary La-7 was born.