La 7

In December 1943, the first prototype La-7 (La-5FN improved) was built. But he was able to fly into the air only at the end of January of the following year, on February 16 he entered state tests, and on March 15 he was already taken into service. In the spring of 1944, a new fighter under the name La-7 appeared at the front (initially in the guard regiments, for example, in the 176th ) and by November completely displaced the La-5FN from the assembly line.

La-7 is one of the best serial front-line fighters of the end of World War II , which has high flight technical characteristics: high maneuverability and strong weapons. It is believed that he had superiority in its combat qualities over the last piston fighters of Germany , England and the USA at low and medium altitudes. Increased machine survivability. Simplicity and accessibility in management. In total, 5753 La-7 aircraft were produced before the end of World War II.

In size and contours, it was quite slightly different from La-5 , but in La-7 there was a significant structural difference - wing spars were made of metal (as in the latest La-5FN series). Ribs and plating remained unchanged. The cross-sectional dimensions of the side members were significantly reduced, freeing up additional volumes for tanks. The weight of the spars decreased by about 100 kg. The aerodynamics of the aircraft was also significantly improved by transferring and improving the aerodynamic forms of the radiator (on this basis, La-7 and La-5FN can be visually distinguished). The internal sealing of the aircraft was also improved by completely eliminating cracks in the hood and the gaps between the pipes and the openings for them in the firewall. All these improvements gave the La-7 an advantage over the La-5 in speed, rate of climb and practical ceiling .

As weapons, the La-7 could be equipped with 2 × 20-mm ShVAK or 3 × 20-mm B-20 guns with a hydromechanical synchronizer , which provided firing through a rotating aircraft propeller (most La-7 were armed with two ShVAK guns with ammunition of 180 rounds on the trunk). The ammunition included armor-piercing incendiary shells weighing 96.6 g (capable of penetrating armor up to 20 mm thick from 100 m normal) and fragmentation incendiary shells weighing 96 g.

On two underwing nodes suspension of bombs weighing up to 100 kg (each) is possible. The most frequently used high explosive bombs FAB-50 and FAB-100 , as well as incendiary ZAB-50 and ZAB-100 ; 50 kg and 100 kg, respectively. Behind the pilot's seat, an 8.5–10 mm thick armor plate is installed (depending on the year of manufacture).

La-7 received the baptism of fire on June 24, 1944. ^[1] under Baranavichy. In an air battle, the pilots of the 176th Guards IAP shot down two German Fw-190s , without incurring losses on their part. Since the Soviet command was equipped with the best fighter regiments with new fighters, La-7 had to be confronted by selected German formations such as the JG-54 Grünes Herz.

February 19, 1945 ^[2] (the date also occurs on February 24, 1945) I. N. Kozhedub shot down the latest German Me 262 fighter jet in an air battle.

The famous British test pilot Eric Brown got the opportunity to test the aircraft in May 1945 . In his review, Brown notes the ease of control and high flying qualities of the aircraft. However, weapons and scope, according to Brown, can not stand comparison with analogs ( Eng. Below par ). Brown also notes the low combat survivability of the wooden structure of the aircraft and the "outrageously primitive" devices ( English appallingly basic ) ^[3]

This is partly due to that fact. that on La-7, as well as on other Soviet fighters of that period, the automatic control system of the propeller-engine group differed significantly in control principles from that of Western fighters - it provided greater control flexibility, but also required more attention from the pilot.

At the same time, the improved flight performance of La-7 allowed the Soviet pilots to change the tactics of warfare. In view of the increased rate of climb, the shackling group no longer had to have a serious excess in height over the shock group. New La-7 quickly managed to gain the necessary height and take a favorable position for the attack. Despite this, there are cases when the German FW-190s left the La-7 on a low-level flight after a sharp decline and braking due to a sharp gas discharge and the release of wing flaps. In such cases, the La-7 stopped the attack and left the battle with a climb so as not to fall under enemy fire. At the final stage of the war, German pilots were extremely reluctant to launch frontal attacks against La-7. Mostly the FW-190 pilots went for it. Pilots on the Me-109 G-Series evaded them altogether.

• La-7TK is an experimental high-altitude version of a fighter with a TK-3 turbocompressor. This modification was distinguished by the installed engine ASH-82FNV.
• La-7B20 - differed in the installation of three 20-mm guns of the Berezin design instead of two 20-mm ShVAK guns. ^[four]
• La-7R is an experimental version with the V.P. Glushko installed in the rear of the RD-1 jet engine.
• La-7PVRD
• La-7 M-71 - an experimental modification with the M-71 engine .
• La-7UTI - a training option.

• Kozhedub, Ivan Nikitovich
• Alexandruk, Victor Ilyich
• Alelyukhin, Alexey Vasilievich
• Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin
• Amet Khan Sultan
• Baklan, Andrey Yakovlevich
• Baturin, Alexander Gerasimovich
• Belikov, Oleg Stepanovich
• Blinov, Alexey Pavlovich
• Boykov, Pavel Mikhailovich
• Borodachev, Victor Ivanovich
• Vasko, Alexander Fedorovich
• Golovachev, Pavel Yakovlevich
• Gromakovsky, Vladimir Alexandrovich
• Davidkov, Victor Iosifovich
• Dolgushin, Sergey Fedorovich
• Evstigneev, Kirill Alekseevich
• Elizarov, Sergey Mikhailovich
• Zaitsev, Vasily Alexandrovich
• Karaev, Alexander Akimovich
• Lavrinenkov, Vladimir Dmitrievich
• Maresyev, Alexey Petrovich
• Skomorokhov, Nikolai Mikhailovich
• Shestakov, Lev Lvovich
• Sharov, Dmitry Mikhailovich

La-7 by Ivan Kozhedub , on which 16 (out of 62) enemy planes were shot down, is on display at the Central Museum of the Air Force of the Russian Federation in the village. Monino .

La 7 Head No. 45210860 is on display at the Aviation Museum in the Prague suburb of Kela . The plane was received from the USSR in May 1945 and belonged to the 1st Czechoslovak Consolidated Air Division.

• Fw 190a8
• Bf. 109g 6
• P 51D Mustang
• Spitfire Mk.IX

• Frost Sergey. Vertex. Fighter La-7. Part 2 (Russian) // Science and Technology . - H. , 2018 .-- No. 6 . - S. 12-19 .
• 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. - 1,500 copies - ISBN 978-5-699-58917-3 .
• Yakubovich N.V. La-7, La-9, La-11. The last piston fighter of the USSR. - M .: Yauza: Eksmo, 2014 .-- 128 p. - (The war and us. Aviation collection). - ISBN 978-5-699-76444-0 .

• Reviews on the La-7 aircraft No. 45210139 and its aerobatic properties as test pilots of the LII (June 1944)
• Photo of Ivan Kozhedub La-7 at the Monino Museum.
• 50 photos of La-7 by Ivan Kozhedub at the Monino Museum
• Armament La-7. Brief instruction. 1945