Lavochkin La-7

Lavochkin La-7
Country	Soviet Union
Type	Fighter
First flight	1 February 1944
Built	5800+

The Lavochkin La-7 (Russian: Лавочкин Ла-7) was a piston-engined single-seat Soviet fighter aircraft developed during World War II by the Lavochkin Design Bureau. It was a development and refinement of the Lavochkin La-5, and the last in a family of aircraft that had begun with the LaGG-1 in 1938. Its first flight was in early 1944 and it entered service with the Soviet Air Forces later in the year. A small batch of La-7s was given to the Czechoslovak Air Force the following year, but it was otherwise not exported. Armed with two or three 20 mm (0.8 in) cannon, it had a top speed of 661 kilometers per hour (411 mph). The La-7 was felt by its pilots to be at least the equal of any German piston-engined fighter. It was phased out in 1947 by the Soviet Air Force, but served until 1950 with the Czechoslovak Air Force.

Source: Lavochkin La-7 on Wiki

Lavockin La-7 Walk Around
Photographer	Pavel Senk
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	30

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Lavochkin La-7 Walk Around
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Lavochkin La-7

General Characteristics

The Lavochkin La-7 was a Soviet piston-engined, single-seat fighter aircraft developed late in World War II. As the ultimate refinement of the La-5 series, the La-7 introduced significant aerodynamic improvements and the replacement of some wooden parts with aluminum, resulting in better overall performance and reduced weight. It was regarded by many Soviet pilots, including the top Allied ace Ivan Kozhedub, as the equal of any German piston-engined fighter at low to medium altitudes, excelling as an air superiority fighter and interceptor on the Eastern Front.

Property	Typical Value (1945 Production Model)
Role	Air Superiority Fighter, Interceptor
Manufacturer	Lavochkin Design Bureau (OKB)
First Flight	Early 1944
In Service	1944–1947 (USSR), up to 1950 (Czechoslovakia)
No. Built	5,753
Crew	1 (Pilot)
Length	8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Wingspan	9.80 m (32 ft 2 in)
Max Takeoff Weight	3,315 kg (7,308 lb)

Powerplant and Performance

Engine: One Shvetsov ASh-82FN 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine.
Power Output: 1,380 kW (1,850 hp).
Maximum Speed: 661 km/h (411 mph) at 6,000 m (19,700 ft). Some prototypes reached 680 km/h.
Maximum Speed (Sea Level): 597 km/h (371 mph).
Service Ceiling: 10,450 m (34,280 ft).
Rate of Climb: Approx. 15.7 m/s (3,095 ft/min).
Key Improvement: Aerodynamic refinements included moving the oil cooler from the nose to under the fuselage and relocating the engine air intake to the wing roots.

Armament

Standard Armament: 2 x 20 mm ShVAK cannons (with 200 rounds per gun), firing through the propeller arc.
Alternate Armament: Later production runs were armed with 3 x 20 mm Berezin B-20 cannons (with 100 rounds per gun), which were lighter and improved firepower.
Suspended Ordnance: Up to 200 kg (440 lb) of bombs on two underwing hardpoints (typically 50 kg or 100 kg bombs).
Pilot Feedback: Pilots praised the concentration of fire from the nose-mounted cannons, though the standard ShVAK guns were sometimes criticized for having less effective damage than comparable German weapons.