Lavochkin La-168
| La-168 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Fighter |
| National origin | Soviet Union |
| Manufacturer | Lavochkin |
| First flight | 22 April 1948[1] |
| Number built | 1 |
| Variants | La-15 |
The Lavochkin La-168 was a jet fighter developed for the USSR. It was designed in response to a 1946 request for a new swept-wing jet fighter capable of transonic performance.[1]
[edit] Design and development
As a single seat fighter with swept flight surfaces and an engine behind the pilot, Aircraft 168 was similar in appearance to the Mikoyan MiG-15, which was designed to the same specifications. It also shared the cannon-armament and the Rolls-Royce Nene II engine. Unlike the MiG-15, the La-168 had shoulder mounted wings and a t-tail layout. Due to Lavochkin's decision to wait with La-168 development for the Nene II engine, the MiG-15, first flown with the less powerful Nene I, was available four months earlier, giving it a crucial advantage.[1]
Aircraft 168's first flight was on April 22, 1948, with I. E. Fedorov at the controls. Trials continued until February 19, 1949, when testing of the cannons at high altitude caused the canopy to collapse, resulting in a nearly fatal crash. In the end, the Lavochkin fighter lost out to the competing MiG-15. Another 168 derivative was the La-176, the first Soviet plane to achieve supersonic flight (in a shallow dive) on December 26, 1948.[1]
A scaled down version of this aircraft powered by a Rolls-Royce Derwent, was produced as Aircraft 174, prototype of the production La-15, which although well liked and having superior performance, was more expensive and harder to mass produce than the MiG-15.[1]
[edit] Variants
- Aircraft 176 - One Aircraft 168 produced with 45° swept wings and tailplane. Believed to be first Soviet aircraft to exceed Mach 1.0 albeit in a dive. Crashed whilst supersonic when canopy collapsed.
- Aircraft 174 - A 0.9 scale version of aircraft 168 which was productionised as the La-15.
[edit] Specifications (Aircraft 168)
Data from Lavochkins Last jets[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 10.56 m (34 ft 8 in)
- Wingspan: 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 18.08 m2 (194.6 sq ft)
- Aspect ratio: 5
- Empty weight: 3,111 kg (6,859 lb)
- Gross weight: 4,580 kg (10,097 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Klimov RD-45 Centrifugal compressor turbojet, 22.26 kN (5,000 lbf) thrust
Performance
- Maximum speed: 1,080 km/h (670 mph; 580 kn) at 5,000m (16,400ft)
- Maximum speed: Mach 0.95
- Range: 1,500 km (932 mi; 810 nmi) at 10,000m (32,810ft)
- Endurance: 2hr 12min
- Rate of climb: 37.8 m/s (7,440 ft/min)
- Time to altitude: 5,000m in2.2min
- Thrust/weight: 0.49
Armament
- Guns: ,br/>
- 2 × 23 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-23 cannon
- 1 × 37 mm Nudelman N-37 cannon
[edit] See also
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Related lists
[edit] References
[edit] Bibliography
- Gordon,Yefim. Lavochkin's Last Jets. Midland Publishing. Hinkley. 2007. ISBN(10) 1 85780 253 3
[edit] Further reading
- Gunston, Bill. The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London:Osprey, 1995. ISBN 1-85532-405-9.
[edit] External links
- La-168 at the Russian Aviation Museum
|
|||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
