Lavochkin La-15

The Lavochkin La-15 (NATO reporting name 'Fantail') was an early Soviet jet fighter and a contemporary of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15.

Development

The La-15 was the outcome of a series of development aircraft that began with the Lavochkin La-168 in 1948 and continued via the La-172 and La-174 later that same year. Even while the second La-174 prototype (the La-174D) was undergoing flight trials in August, the type was ordered into production and the designation La-15 was issued.

The La-15 had a barrel-like fuselage, swept wings, and stabilisers mounted high on the fin, almost like a T-tail. In basic configuration, it resembled the more famous MiG-15, except for a slightly sleeker appearance and high-mounted wings. It was popular with pilots because of its easy handling and dependability, and its pressurized cockpit was an advantage at high altitude. Nevertheless, official enthusiasm for the La-15 was mild, largely because it was a complex design that required complicated (and expensive) production tooling. The MiG-15 was somewhat less capable, but easier to mass-produce.

Some 500 La-15s were built, and served with the Soviet Air Force until 1954. A two-seat trainer version was also developed as the La-180 and was to be put into production as the La-15UTI, but as official interest in the La-15 waned, the trainer was cancelled before mass production began.

Specifications (La-15)

General Characteristics

Crew: one, pilot
Length: 9.56 m (31 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 8.83 m (29 ft 0 in)
Height: m ( ft in)
Wing area: 16.2 m² (174 ft²)
Empty: 2,575 kg (5,665 lb)
Loaded: 3,850 kg (8,490 lb)
Maximum takeoff: kg ( lb)
Powerplant: 1x Tumansky RD-500, 15.6 kN (3,505 lb) thrust

Performance

Maximum speed: 1,026 km/h (637 mph)
Range: 1,170 km (730 mi)
Service ceiling: 13,000 m (42,650 ft)
Rate of climb: 1,612 m/min (5,288 ft/min)
Wing loading: 238 kg/m² (48.8 lb/ft²)
Thrust-to-weight ratio: 1:2.4

Armament

2x 23 mm NS-23 cannon