Lavochkin La-9 (Fritz)

History

Lavochkin produced two famous fighter jets, the La-5 and La-7 series, during the defense of the Soviet Union during World War II (1939-1945). The La-9 was in development at the end of the war and became a direct evolution of the La-7 through the La-126, the later prototype of the war. The Lavochkin La-9 was eventually adopted by the Soviet Air Force under the NATO codename "Fritz". Compared to the previous La-7, the La-9 represents the same aircraft, but with all-metal construction and slightly larger dimensions.

The aircraft entered service in 1946too late for action in World War IIand subsequently entered service in the stockpiles of some Soviet-backed countries, including China, Romania and North Korea. Production took two years and included 1,500 copies.

The La-9 was also one of Lavochkin's last piston fighters, before switching to jet fighters in subsequent years.

The La-9 has a traditional layout with low wings and a single-seat cockpit. The fuselage is nicely streamlined, and its rear traction unit is retractable (including the tail wheel). Armament includes 4 x 23mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-23 cannons with 50 projectiles per cannon.

The aircraft's all-metal construction has allowed engineers to reduce structural weight, resulting in increased fuel capacity and longer range. The reduction in weight also allows for the installation of a large-caliber 23mm gun in the nose.

Power comes from an air-cooled Shvetsov ASh-82FN radial piston engine (driving a three-bladed propeller) with a two-stage supercharger and fuel injection for added power. Output is 1,850 horsepower, propelling the La-9 to a speed of 430 mph and a range of 435 miles.

Service is capped at 35,400 feet with a climb rate of 3,510 feet per minute.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes