LA7 Best Dogfighter In The World

#1 10-23-2009, 07:51 AM

Dig this. I've been a WW2 aircraft buff since I was a kid. I have an entire bookshelf on these planes dating back to the sixties. Yeah, I'm a little up there in age. Going to an excellent airshow this weekend. I have a book called Aircraft of WW2. It is full of specs, production data, models, armament, performance data, dash numbers. Everything. Copyright 1973. Author Bill Gunston. 47 aircraft listed. I will quote it reguarding the LA7:

In late 1941 Lavochkins team fitted a LAGG-3 of the latest type with a powewrful radial engine. The result was a great success, performance being transformed and especially at high altitudes. The aircraft went into production as the LA-5. By late 1942 the LA-5 was being called the wooden savior of Stalingrad. Lavachkin was given a Stalin prize and his bureau was moved into the gigantic Aircraft Factory no. 21. By 1943 a more powerful FN series engine, with direct fuel injection, was being fitted. An intense effort was mounted to reduce weight, and light alloy (aluminum) Was substituted for the wooden wing spar, though the extra space was not used for fuel. By the end of 1943 production switched to the outstanding LA7, with a supercharger and oil cooler fed by ram inlets in the wing roots and under the rear fuselage. Weight saving resulted in reduced fuel capacity and armament.
BY LATE 1943 THE LA7 WAS PROBABLY THE BEST DOGFIGHTER IN THE WORLD, AND IT WAS SELECTED BY ALMOST ALL THE SOVIET ACES.

Ha!! More later. I'm goin to bed. Maybe the devs got it right!

wannabetheace · #2 10-23-2009, 08:10 AM

Yeees, I wholy agree with you.
I like La series but I more enjoy with Yak fighters especially yak-3 cause they are more pretty and more ajile than any other fighters except fire power.
With Yak-3P you can have amazing firepower though

.

DoraNine · #3 10-23-2009, 12:07 PM

"Best Turn-Fighter Below 15,000 Feet" would probably be a fairer description.

David603 · #4 10-23-2009, 12:19 PM

Yeah, I was running a few tests about top speeds for different planes at different altitudes, and while the La7 is the quickest prop fighter in the game up to about 7,500ft, between this altitude and 15,00ft it goes from being quick to being average at best, and it cannot cope with Bf109s, Spitfires or any other medium to high altitude fighters above this. Handling also suffers disproportionately as you climb. Still, if you stay low down it is a very strong aircraft with no real flaws.

Tudorp15 · #5 10-23-2009, 01:05 PM

I love it.. I use it in CTA almost exclusively, and sometimes in dog fights. You have to be careful which map you use it on dog fighting though. Foz brought it to my attension in one match that it is very easy to spot due to the grey winter camo if used in a contrasting colored map...

FOZ_1983 · #6 10-23-2009, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tudorp15

I love it.. I use it in CTA almost exclusively, and sometimes in dog fights. You have to be careful which map you use it on dog fighting though. Foz brought it to my attension in one match that it is very easy to spot due to the grey winter camo if used in a contrasting colored map...

Haha, i wish i'd never mentioned it now. Would of kept sneaking up on you

though your right, on Dover it stand out like a sore thumb when flying over trees etc, though the way you fly it tudorp when you fly from one end of the runway to the other (manston) it can sometimes be difficult to see as it blends in with the grey runway

Tudorp15 · #7 10-23-2009, 03:10 PM

As many bullets I have in my planes that came from yours, I don't think you need that advantage, so I am glad you tipped me off on that.. lol..

And, not sure if you noticed, but I am mixing up my flight path quite a bit lately.. Being predictable has been the death of me lately, lol..

FOZ_1983 · #8 10-23-2009, 03:20 PM

As long as you have someone on your team who can tell you that an emeny is on your 6 then you should be fine. The LA-7 can out turn them and go damn fast so you should be ok

Have noticed you changing things a little to, your not so predictable now

Soviet Ace · #9 10-23-2009, 03:34 PM

That light Alloy they're talking about is not aluminum. It's called Chromoly Steel. And it was used in the Yaks as well as La's.

I actually prefer the La-5FN to the La-7, but that's because the La-7 is to easy to get some kills in. The recoil on the FN gives me a bit more time to choose my shots as I have to fire in short bursts, rather than just let loose without having to manage the recoil like the La-7. Good plane none the less, and I still love it.

#10 10-23-2009, 06:08 PM

Chromly steel? Is that a chrome alloy? Russia had no aluminum? Wow, didn't know that. I've been using The La7 lately because it gives me a chance. The bad thing is only 2 guns. Gunnery is my worst attribute so I have to hose them down for like 5 minutes (mostly hitting sky) before they go down, or I damage them and someone else finishes them and I don't get credit. Last night I won 2 consecutive dogfights with it and I was thrilled! My first wins in dogfight! Although the competition was only fair, a win is a win. I need a shit load more practise before even getting in a match with you turkies. There was a p51d in one of the matches and I felt like crap shooting him down. It was too easy! That pisses me off more than anything else about this great game. What they've done to one of the greatest aircraft in history (along with the great FW190) is blasphamy!!! No excuses!!! They are worthless in the game. The La7 sure isn't, though.