Lavochkin La5 and La7
Russian fighter plane

Lavochkin La5, La5FN, La7 and La7U
Type: Russian aircraft (fighter plane).
History: Though the previous version of the aircraft Lavochkin La5, the LaGG-3, was a serviceable fighter that used wood rather than scarce light alloys, it was the poorest performer of the new crop of combat aircraft with which the VVS-RKKA (Soviet Military Aviation Defence Forces) sought to halt the German invader.

It was natural that urgent consideration should be given to ways of improving it and during 1941 Lavochkin's team converted one LaGG-3 to have an M-82 radial engine. Despite its fractionally greater installed drag (a matter of 1 %) it offered speed increased from 353 to 373mph and, in particular, improved all-round performance at height. The liquid-cooled fighter was cancelled in May 1942, all production switching to the new machine, designated LaGG-5. But within a matter of weeks this in turn was replaced on the assembly line by a further improvement, tested as a prototype early in 1942, with a new fuselage containing two 20mm guns and having a lower rear profile behind a canopy giving all-round vision. This was the Lavochkin La5 which proved to be 28mph faster than a Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2 at below 20,000 ft. But the German fighter could outclimb it and efforts were made to reduce weight.

The Lavochkin La5 FN-version with boosted engine could be identified by the extension of the carburettor inlet to the front of the cowl.

The resulting La-5FN had an boosted FN-engine, lighter wing with metal spars and overall weight 3791b (presumably on both empty and gross weight) less. Thousands of -5FNs participated in the huge battles around Kursk and throughout the Eastern front in 1943, demonstrating that Russian fighters could be more than a match for their opponents.
The La-5UTI was a dual trainer.

The La7 had the same engine as the La-5FN but a considerably superior performance was gained by aerodynamic refinement.

Further refinement led to the harder-hitting La7, with reduced weight (partly by reducing fuel capacity) and much reduced drag. The La7 and -7U trainer retained the slats and big ailerons that made the Lavochkin fighters such beautiful dog­fighters and were the choice of most of the Soviet aces. Ivan Kozhedub's aircraft is still visible in the Central Soviet Air Force Museum.

Users: Russia.

3d model Lavochkin La-5

La-5FN fighters of the 1st Czech Fighter Regiment at Preborsk in 1943.