Engines – Power

Lavochkin LaGG-3

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Various remedies for the handling shortcomings of the LaGG-1 were applied, and the first LaGG-1 prototype to introduce these changes was referred to as the I-301 (from the numerical designation of the factory – GAZ-301). This also featured redesigned outer wing panels incorporating additional fuel tanks. The I-301 entered flight test on 14 June 1940, the modified aircraft being assigned the designation LaGG-3 and most pre-series examples of the LaGG-1 being completed to the later standard.

Lavochkin LaGG-3 Article

The LaGG-3 was essentially the series production version of the LaGG-1 with a revised outer wing incorporating fuel tanks, and an armament of one 20mm and two 7.62mm weapons. Fixed wing slats – later replaced by automatic slats – were introduced and balance weights were added on the elevators and rudder, but were later discarded in favour of statically and dynamically balanced surfaces. Weight was reduced as a result of a structural analysis. LaGG-3 deliveries commenced in the spring of 1941, initially with the M-105P engine, but, from late in the year, with the M-105PF of 1260hp at 800m.

Provision was later made to replace one or both machine guns by weapons of 12.7mm calibre, the 20mm hub-mounted cannon being replaced by one of 23mm calibre in some cases, and a pair of 12.7mm underwing guns was sometimes fitted. Three aircraft were each fitted with a 37mm cannon and referred to as LaGG-3K-37s, and one example was fitted with the 1650hp Klimov M-107A engine. Production of the LaGG-3 was completed in the late summer of 1942 with a total of 6,528 built, superseded by the La-5.

During 1941 Lavochin converted one LaGG-3 to have an M-82 radial engine. Despite its fractionally greater installed drag, 1%, it offered speed increase from 353 to 373 mph and improved all-round performance at height. The liquid-cooled fighter was cancelled in May 1942, all production switching to the new machine, designated LaGG-5.

Flown to Manchuris by a Russian deserter and tested by Japanese in 1942 at Harbin

Gallery

LaGG-3
Engine: Klimov M-105, 1100 hp
Wingspan: 9.8 m / 32 ft 2 in
Wing area: 17.5 sq.m / 188.37 sq ft
Length: 8.9 m / 29 ft 2 in
Height: 8 ft 10 in
Empty weight: 2620 kg / 5776 lb
Max take-off weight: 3190 kg / 7033 lb
Max. speed: 570 km/h / 354 mph at 16,400 ft
Cruise speed: 450 km/h / 280 mph
ROC: 2953 fpm / 900 m/min
Ceiling: 9700 m / 31800 ft
Range: 800 km / 497 miles
Armament: 1 x 20 mm ShVAK cannon, 1 x 12.7mm Beresin mg, 2 x 7.62mm ShKAS mg

Lavochkin/Gorbunov/Gudkov LaGG-3

Lavochkin I-22 / LaGG-1

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Semyon A Lavochkin, together with V P Gorbunov and M I Gudkov, established a new design bureau in September 1938, and began work on a single-seat tactical fighter. Initially designated I-22, the fighter was novel in that plastic-impregnated wood known as delta drevesina was used extensively in its construction, with stressed bakelite plywood skinning. Power was provided by a 1,100hp Klimov M-105P engine with a 23mm VYa-23V cannon mounted between the cylinder banks, the remaining armament comprising two 12.7mm UB machine guns in the forward upper decking.
Work began simultaneously on seven prototypes, and a pre-series of 100 fighters was laid down. The first prototype was flown on 30 March 1940, the designation having meanwhile been changed to LaGG-1.
It demonstrated inadequate range, ceiling and manoeuvrability, and potentially dangerous handling characteristics. Time did not permit fundamental redesign of the fighter, and the Lavochkin team therefore initiated a programme aimed at alleviating the more serious of the fighter’s defects. Improvements were progressively introduced, while the design was subjected to a thoroughgoing weight analysis. The large calibre machine guns were replaced by 7.62mm ShKAS guns, and the 23mm cannon gave place to one of 20mm. Various remedies for the handling shortcomings were applied, and the first LaGG-1 prototype to introduce these changes was referred to as the I-301 (from the numerical designation of the factory – GAZ-301). This also featured redesigned outer wing panels incorporating additional fuel tanks. The I-301 entered flight test on 14 June 1940, the modified aircraft being assigned the designation LaGG-3 and most pre-series examples of the LaGG-1 being completed to the later standard.

LaGG-1
Engine: 1 x 1,100hp Klimov M-105P
Wingspan: 9.80 m / 32 ft 2 in
Length: 8.81 m / 28 ft 11 in
Height: 4.40 m / 14 ft 5 in
Wing area: 17.50 sq.m / 188.37 sq ft
Max take-off weight: 3380 kg / 7452 lb
Empty weight: 2968 kg / 6543 lb
Max. speed: 600 km/h / 373 mph
ROC: 2953 fpm / 900 m/min
Service ceiling: 31,496 ft / 9600 m
Range: 660 km / 410 miles

Laville DI-4

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Laville DI-4 (Russian: Лавиль ДИ-4) was a prototype two-seat fighter aircraft developed in the Soviet Union in the 1930s.

The chief designer Henri Laville was one of several French aviation specialists invited to work in the Soviet Union and the DI-4 layout was typical of the French trend at the time with a high-mounted gull wing (first for a Soviet aircraft) and all-metal construction.

First flying on 4 January 1932, the test flight program was completed in 1933 but despite good performance the aircraft did not enter mass production, in part because Soviet Union had no plans to purchase the Curtiss V-1570 engine. Only the one was built.

Powerplant: × Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror, 448 kW (601 hp)
Propeller: 2-blade fixed-pitch
Wingspan: 13.3 m (43 ft 8 in)
Wing area: 23.9 m2 (257 sq ft)
Length: 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in)
Empty weight: 1,448 kg (3,192 lb)
Gross weight: 1,949 kg (4,297 lb)
Maximum speed: 266 km/h (165 mph, 144 kn)
Range: 500 km (310 mi, 270 nmi)
Service ceiling: 6,440 m (21,130 ft)
Time to 5,000 m (16,404 ft): 17 minutes
Wing loading: 81.5 kg/m2 (16.7 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 0.230 kW/kg (0.140 hp/lb)
Horizontal turn time: 15 seconds
Crew: 2

Lauer L.II Dädalus

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A German school biplane built in spring 1912, powered by a 55 hp Argus, Richard Lauer built this biplane in 1912 and was permitted to test the aircraft at the Exerzierfeld Halle-Beesen, where he managed “some long flights”. He also set up a hangar and wanted to open a flight school that summer but unfortunately he crashed and destroyed the aircraft in June. Lauer suffered severe injuries that presumably prevented him from ever flying again.

Latécoère Late 631

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Developed in 1939, construction of the L.631 was interrupted by the war. The prototype Late 631 flew for the first time on 4 November 1942. It was a high-wing monoplane flying-boat powered by six 1,192kW radial engines. Accommodation was provided for 46 passengers in two- or four-berth cabins. However this aircraft was confiscated by the Germans during the occupation of France. It was flown it to the Bodensee (Lake Constance) on the German–Swiss–Austrian border. In 1944, it was attacked and destroyed at anchor by RAF Mosquitos.

Despite the war raging through France, Latécoère managed to complete the first production model in March 1945, now powered by Wright Cyclones instead of its original Gnome et Rhône engines.

In October of 1945 a propeller on F-BANT separated in flight with a blade slicing through the cabin and killing two passengers. Four production models were bought by Air France and inaugurated transatlantic services between their base at Biscarosse, south-west of Bordeaux, and Fort-de-France in Martinique on 26 July 1947.

Other operators were SEMAF (Société d’Exploitation du Matériel Aéronautique Français) and SFH (Société France Hydro).

The first Transatlantic Flight, Geneva, Switzerland to Fort de France, Martinique by “Latecoere 631” was on June 14, 1948. They covered the distance of nearly 5000 km in 16 hours.

A special mail flight arrived at Fort de France on June 16th, 1947. The plane disappeared on its return flight.

In February of 1948, F-BDRD crashed in the English Channel during a snowstorm killing all 19 on board. After just over one year of service, there was the total loss, with all passengers and crew, of F-BDRC on 1 August 1948. In March of 1950, F-BANU was lost off the coast of France, again with no survivors and finally in 1955, SFH’s F-BDRE had a wing failure, crashing with the loss of half of the 16 people on board.

The Societe France-Hydro operated one on cargo services in French Equatorial Africa for three years, but it crashed: after which all remaining Late 631 were broken up.

Latécoère 631

Production total: 11
F-BAHG 01 First flown 4/11/1942
F-BANF (not completed)
F-BANT 02 First flown 6/03/1945
F-BANU 3 First flown 15/06/1946
F-BDRA 4 First flown 22/05/1947
F-BDRB 5 First flown 5/09/1947
F-BDRC 6 First flown 9/11/1947
F-BDRD 7 First flown 26/01/1948
F-BDRE 8 First flown 28/11/1948
F-BDRF 9 First flown 20/11/1948
F-BDRG 10 First flown 7/10/1949
F-BDRH 11 not completed

Engines: 6 x Wright Cycl. GR 2600-A5B, 1175kW
Max take-off weight: 71350 kg / 157301 lb
Empty weight: 32332 kg / 71280 lb
Wingspan: 57.4 m / 188 ft 4 in
Length: 43.5 m / 142 ft 9 in
Wing area: 350.0 sq.m / 3767.37 sq ft
Max. speed: 405 km/h / 252 mph
Cruise speed: 320 km/h / 199 mph
Range w/max.fuel: 6000 km / 3728 miles
Crew: 6
Passengers: 70

Latecoere L.631 Lionel de Marmier

Latécoère Laté 610 / 611 / 612

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The Latécoère Laté 610 Series were 1935 4-engined long-range flying boats

Laté 610: [Project] May 1935 recce flying boat for Aéronavale
Laté 610 as designed, single fin, span 38 m, length 24.5 m
Laté 611: enlarged recce flying boat to mod. Dec 1935 spec.
Laté 611 as planned, 4 x 1000 hp HS.79.02 radials
Laté 611-01: 1939, conv. under const. to 4 x 1010 hp G-R 14N4/5
Laté 611-01, G-R 14N30/31 engines substituted after trials
Laté 612 diff. in having 4 x powered turrets (incl. tail turret)

Latécoère Late 521 Lieutenant de Vaisseau Paris / Late 522 / Late 523

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The Late 521 was a flying-boat with strut-braced high wings and short stub sponsons. Named Lieutenant de Vaisseau Paris, it was powered by six 641kW Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs engines (inboard engines mounted as tandem pairs) and flew for the first time on 17 January 1935. A total of 76 passengers could be accommodated on the two decks of the two-step hull. The craft sank in a storm on its inaugural flight to the USA, but was salvaged and rebuilt with 484.4kW Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr engines. It subsequently established seaplane load-over-distance and load-to-height records in 1937.

Latecoere 521 Article

The Late 522 (powered by six 671kW Hispano-Suiza 12Y37 engines) appeared in April 1937 but World War II prevented a regular transatlantic service. Both the Late 521 and 522 were impressed into French Navy service on 1 September 1939, three naval Late 523 having already been delivered between January and October 1938. These were armed with five 7.5mm Darne machine-guns and carried up to 1,200kg of bombs. Maximum endurance was 33 hours.

The Late 522 returned to passenger service in March 1940. The remaining aircraft of the series performed Atlantic patrols with Escadrilles E6 and E12. One Late 523 had been lost in September 1939, a second was scuttled in June 1940; and the Late 521 was demobilised in August of that year. The surviving Late 523 was grounded in August 1942, having flown with Escadrille 4E out of Dakar since June 1941. The Late 521 and 522 were destroyed at Berre by retreating Germans in August 1944.

Late 521

Variants:
Laté 520: [Project] 1930-33, 4 x 1000 hp HS.18 Sbr, engine abandoned
Laté 521: 1935, 6 x 860 hp HS.12Ybrs (2 x tandem pairs, 2 x tractors)
Laté 521 sunk at Pensacola in hurricane, to France for rebuilding
Laté 521: 1937, rebuilt with 6 x 650 hp HS.12Nbr (later to mil.)
Laté 521: 1939, Aéronavale serv., 970 hp HS.12Y-37 then 900 hp ’27
Laté 522: 1939, Air France transatlantic serv., 970 hp HS.12Y-37
Laté 522: 1939, Aéronavale, 900 hp HS.12Y-27, then back to ’37
Laté 523: 1938, Aéronavale recce vers., 900 hp HS.12Y-27, 3 built

Engines: 6 x HS 12 Ybrs, 630kW
Max take-off weight: 37400 kg / 82453 lb
Empty weight: 21480 kg / 47356 lb
Wingspan: 49.3 m / 161 ft 9 in
Length: 31.6 m / 103 ft 8 in
Wing area: 330.0 sq.m / 3552.09 sq ft
Max. speed: 250 km/h / 155 mph
Cruise speed: 213 km/h / 132 mph
Ceiling: 6300 m / 20650 ft
Range w/max.fuel: 5800 km / 3604 miles
Crew: 6
Passengers: 70