LaGG is one of the best and main fighters of the period of the beginning of World War II. He stood in line with the Yak and MiG fighters, which they called innovative. The name of the aircraft is deciphered by the first letters of the names of its designers - Lavochkin, Gudkov and Gorbunov, and the number three denotes their triple alliance.
Release history
Despite the fact that by 1940 the “troika” had broken up, they decided to keep the name - LaGG-3 aircraft. Initially, the project was carried out with the letter "I" or the designation of the fighter was I-22, and later it was changed to I-301 in honor of the plant number, which was used for all the design. The plant was in Khimki, Moscow region.
At that time, the Soviet government issued an order to develop the aircraft in two variations - one was to be high-altitude with the introduction of the M-105TK turbocompression engine, and the second LaGG-3 model was aimed at front-line activities with the M-106P engine. But due to problems with the creation of these power plants, the model left the factory belt in a completely different version.
In total, the series had a hundred copies. The first flight of the LaGG-3 aircraft was made in March 1940, when the Germans marched across Europe for a year. The fighter was commissioned by the beginning of 1941, and in the spring pilots of the 24th fighter regiment had already retrained for it.
At that time, the Yak-1 became a competitor to the LaGG-3 aircraft. The initial LaGG sides, released by the factory at number 21, were much inferior to the Yak both in flight characteristics and in flight range. The aircraft, created by the Yakovlev Design Bureau, could occupy a ceiling of five thousand meters in almost 5.7 minutes, and the LaGG-3 aircraft reached the same height only after 6.4 minutes. However, in terms of armament, LaGG certainly succeeded, because in addition to the cannon and the ShKAS (the first Soviet high-speed synchronous machine gun designed for the aviation industry), a large-caliber machine gun was also installed on the hull.
Fuselage material
To create the first prefabricated LaGG-3 model, it was decided to use a lightweight version of delta wood. But for its creation it was necessary to import foreign resins with phenol formaldehyde, and Yak was created entirely from steel very rare in the USSR. Then the designers, trying to comply with the agreement with the customer, reduced the amount of metal in the design of LaGG, making its body completely made of wood.
Delta wood at that time was a unique material and had high strength. Metal parts were installed only in those places where the wood did not pass in any way according to technical requirements, for example, the engine hood was made of steel alloy.
Distinctive feature
A distinctive feature of the LaGG-1 aircraft, as it was called in the design, was the wing. It was created integral and inserted into the fuselage so that it was a monolith and increased the percentage of strength of the entire structure of the machine. Moreover, thanks to such a wing, the aircraft won very well in the mass. From the photo of the LaGG-3 aircraft, you can notice the unique design of the entire model.
LaGG Series Aircraft
LaGG, produced in series, were completely different than the prototype. Firstly, they became much heavier, and secondly, their surface was not polished like I-301. This design of the car led to a significant loss of speed.
In addition to all of the above, two months after the invasion of Nazi Germany across the borders of the USSR in 1941, the party ordered Lavochkin to equip all fighter jets fired with additional fuel tanks, which were to be hung using special units. And for the use of cars in the winter months they had to install ski chassis.
After conducting several test drives of the LaGG-3 aircraft in such an arrangement, Lavochkin and Gorbunov realized that it was no longer possible to reduce weight by any means. Due to their heaviness, by 1944 the serial production of aircraft was discontinued, since the Yak turned out to be more effective according to the technological map. In addition, later, the Yaks were able to upgrade, having received several different types.
Modifications
What modifications did LaGG imply:
- 1-3 series, the ones in which, due to the deterioration of the quality of the finish, the speed functions decreased.
- The 4-7th series came with an improved carburetor.
- LaGG-3-8 was equipped with an AFA camera used in reconnaissance operations.
- There was also a "tank destroyer" armed with a machine gun and a cannon motor. Such models were released in the amount of eighty-five pieces.
- The 11th series is a variant of a fighter-bomber, in which tanks on the wing were removed and two bomb racks were installed, where bombs with a caliber of up to fifty kilograms were placed.
- The 23rd series was with an increased tail unit.
- The 28th series stood out as light as possible, with some models the tail wheel could be removed.
- The 29th series was released with an updated radio station and a larger screw.
- The 34th series was equipped with a 37 mm gun and a 12.7 mm machine gun.
- The 35th series was created with significant changes aimed at improving aerodynamic performance.
- And the last series was the LaGG-3-66 aircraft. This was the most perfect option, in which bulletproof glass was installed and delta wood was replaced with pine, thereby reducing the specific gravity. In general, thanks to this modification, the La-5 was created.
Comparison with other fighters
The main comparison for LaGG has always been Yak. But the fighter equipped with the M-105PF engine developed a speed more than thirty kilometers than the Yak-7B. The minus, of course, was the life of LaGG with direct shelling, because the wood was flammable.
The advantage over the MiG was only in high speed at an altitude of three thousand meters. And the rest of the MiG had a great climb, and also without problems entered into a maneuverable battle even at altitudes exceeding ten thousand meters. LaGG would not have survived by five thousand. But in general, the MiG was originally created as a high-altitude fighter with the interceptor function. But LaGG weapons were much better and higher in quality characteristics. That is why during the war he received the nickname "varnished guaranteed coffin."
Design Requirement
After successful tests of the I-301, before the aircraft was launched into mass production, the party again received a request in a mandatory tone. It spoke of the need to modify the aircraft, in particular, to increase its range to a thousand kilometers. It was then that the designers installed additional fuel tanks, because in another way it was not possible to fulfill this "request". Of course, they understood that the weight category would also increase. But along with the Yak and MiG, LaGG still became the aircraft of a new generation of the Soviet Air Force.
War years
Despite all the difficulties that were overcome during the design, the I-301 by 1940 surpassed the German Messerschmitt fighter in many qualities. However, by the 41st year, a new German modification appeared (Bf-109F-2), which was equipped with another armor, which improved aerodynamics, installed more powerful engines and removed a cannon of a fifteen-millimeter caliber under the hood.
The situation turned out to be interesting, since the 29th series of the LaGG-3 aircraft lost all available advantages and was equal in efficiency to the German model. Even an additional machine gun on a Soviet fighter as a whole ceased to be a trump card.
LaGG revision
LaGG-3 flight performance improved only by 1943. Gorbunov then did a great job, but even this was not enough to regain dominance over the Germans. The aircraft was armed with a twenty-three-millimeter cannon and a large-caliber machine gun was installed, while cruising speed was increased to six hundred eighteen kilometers per hour.
But for the harsh winter of 43-44th this was not enough. Then the designer decided to put on the car a completely different power plant in the form of a star-shaped M-82 engine. This feint was done just on the last model - 66. Some changes in the design were taken from the drawings of Yakovlev. As a result, the maximum rate of climb reached 893 meters per minute.
However, with the more successful Yak in service, the State Defense Committee decided to discontinue LaGG at one of the most powerful aviation plants and launch the Yakovlev production at it. By 1943, the LaGG-3 assembly was moved to Tbilisi. The 66th series was completely produced by the Georgian factory. In total, LaGG-3-66 was released in the amount of 6528 pieces. Subsequently, these fighters participated in an air battle over the Kuban. It was in Georgia that Gorbunov tried to unsuccessfully equip the fighter with M-106 or M-107 engines.
