Lavochkin La-5

Lavochkin La-5FN
Description
Role	Fighter
Crew	one, pilot
First Flight	March 1942 (LaG-5)
Entered Service	September 1942
Manufacturer	Lavochkin
Dimensions
Length	8.60m	28' 2"
Wingspan	9.80m	32' 1"
Height	2.540m	8' 4"
Wing area	17.5m²	188 ft²
Weights
Empty	2,605kg	5,731 lbs
Loaded	3,265kg	7,183 lbs
Maximum takeoff	3,400kg	7,480 lbs
Powerplant
Engine	Shvetsov ASh-82FN
Power	1,380kW	1,850 hp
Performance
Maximum speed	648km/h	405 mph
Range	765 km	478 miles
Service ceiling	11,000m	36,080 ft
Rate of climb	1,000m/min	3,280 ft/min
Wing loading	186kg/m²	38lb/ft²
Power/Mass	0.42kW/kg	0.26 hp/lb
Avionics
Avionics
Armament
Guns	2x 20mm ShVAK cannon
Stores	500kg (1,100 lbs) of bombs or up to 8 RS-82 rockets

The Lavochkin La-5 (Лавочкин Ла-5) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development and refinement of the LaGG-3 and was one of the Soviet Air Force's most capable types of the war.

The La-5's heritage began even before the outbreak of war, with the LaGG-1, a promising yet badly underpowered aircraft. The LaGG-3 was a modification of that design that attempted to correct this by both lightening the airframe and fitting a more powerful engine. Nevertheless, this was not enough, and the lack of power remained a significant problem.

In early 1942, two of the LaGG-1 and -3's designers, Semyon Lavochkin and Vladimir Gorbunov, attempted to correct this deficiency by experimentally fitting a LaGG-3 with the more powerful Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engine. Since the LaGG-3 was powered by an in-line engine, they accomplished this by grafting on the nose section of a Sukhoi Su-2 (which used this engine). By now, the shortcomings of the LaGG-3 had caused Lavochkin to fall out of Stalin's favour, and factories previously assigned to LaGG-3 construction had been turned over to building the rival Yakovlev Yak-1 and Yak-7. The design work required to adapt the LaGG-3 to the new engine and still maintain the aircraft's balance was undertaken by Lavochkin in a small hut beside an airfield over the winter of 1941-1942, all completely unofficially.

When the prototype took flight in March, the result was extremely pleasing - the fighter finally had a powerplant that allowed it to perform as well in the air as it had been supposed to on paper. After flying, the LaG-5 (the change in name reflecting that one of the original LaGG designers was no longer with the programme), Air Force test pilots declared it superior to the Yak-7, and intensive flight tests began in April. After only a few weeks, the design was modified further, cutting down the rear fuselage to give the pilot better visibility.

By July, Stalin ordered maximum-rate production of the aircraft, now simply known as the La-5 and the conversion of any incomplete LaGG-3 airframes to the new configuration. While still inferior to the best German fighters at high altitudes, the La-5 proved to be every bit their match closer to the ground. With most of the air combat over the Eastern Front taking place at altitudes of under 5,000m (16,400 ft), the La-5 was very much in its element.

Further refinement of the aircraft involved a fuel-injected engine, further lightening of the aircraft, and flixed slats to improve all-round performance. This was designated the La-5FN and would become the definitive version of the aircraft. Altogether, 9,920 La-5s of all variants were built, including a number of dedicated trainer versions, designated La-5UTI. Further refinements of the aircraft would lead to the La-7.

A number of La-5s continued in the service of Eastern Bloc nations after the end of the war, including Czechoslovakia.

Related content
Related Development	LaGG-1 - LaGG-3 - La-7
Similar Aircraft	Focke-Wulf Fw 190 - Supermarine Spitfire - P-51 Mustang - Kawasaki Ki-100
Designation Series	LaGG-1 - LaGG-3 - La-5 - La-7 - La-9 - La-11
Related Lists	List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS - List of fighter aircraft

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