Lavochkin La-11: Difference between revisions
→Operational history: Replaced loaded word with neutral word. |
→Operational history: Corrected in line with VR-HEU article; removed unreferenced claim. |
||
| Line 39: | Line 39: | ||
The main target of La-11 pilots during the [[Korean War]] was the Douglas [[A-26 Invader]] night bomber, although numerous skirmishes with P-51s also took place.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}} Attempts to intercept Boeing [[B-29 Superfortress]] bombers proved fruitless. La-11 required 26 minutes to reach the B-29's cruise altitude and once there had a speed advantage of only 20 km/h (12 mph) making it easy for the B-29 to evade the attacker in a shallow dive. |
The main target of La-11 pilots during the [[Korean War]] was the Douglas [[A-26 Invader]] night bomber, although numerous skirmishes with P-51s also took place.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}} Attempts to intercept Boeing [[B-29 Superfortress]] bombers proved fruitless. La-11 required 26 minutes to reach the B-29's cruise altitude and once there had a speed advantage of only 20 km/h (12 mph) making it easy for the B-29 to evade the attacker in a shallow dive. |
||
On July 23, 1954, a [[Douglas |
On July 23, 1954, a [[Douglas C-54 Skymaster]] military transport aircraft, registration [[Cathay Pacific VR-HEU|VR-HEU]], operated by [[Cathay Pacific Airways]] on a civilian passenger flight en route from [[Bangkok]] to [[Hong Kong]], was shot down by two La-11 fighters of the 85th Fighter Regiment, [[People's Liberation Army Air Force]] (PLAAF) off the coast of [[Hainan Island]],{{citation needed|date=September 2012}} killing 10 people. |
||
Although the four-engined propeller-driven Douglas (registered ''VR-HEU'') was a C-54 Skymaster, the incident is known as "the DC-4 shootdown" because the C-54 is the military version of the [[Douglas DC-4]], and the aircraft was flying a commercial passenger run.<ref>[http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1954/1954-35.htm Accident details - VR-HEU] - Plane Crash Info</ref><ref name="val">[http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/dnetGOjg/230754.htm VR-HEU Account by passenger: Valerie Parish] - Major Commercial Airline Disasters</ref><ref name="helianthus">[http://www.helianthus-productions.com/VRHEU.html VR-HEU] - The Life & Times of James Harper</ref><ref name="movietone"/> |
|||
Three days later, near the same location, two La-11s of the same unit were shot by 12 [[Douglas AD-4N Skyraider|AD-4]] airplanes of the [[US Navy]]. |
|||
During 1954–55, La-11 fighters of the PLAAF took part in the [[Battle of Yijiangshan Islands]] escorting the ships of the [[People's Liberation Army Navy]] and [[Tu-2]] bombers.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}} |
During 1954–55, La-11 fighters of the PLAAF took part in the [[Battle of Yijiangshan Islands]] escorting the ships of the [[People's Liberation Army Navy]] and [[Tu-2]] bombers.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}} |
||
Revision as of 22:48, 18 July 2014
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2012) |
| La-11 | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Manufacturer | Lavochkin |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1947-1951 |
The Lavochkin La-11 (NATO reporting name Fang) was an early post-World War II long-range piston-engined Soviet fighter aircraft.
Development
One of the recommendations from the government testing of Lavochkin La-130 (Lavochkin La-9 prototype) was to further develop it into a long-range escort fighter. The resultant La-134 prototype (also sometimes referred to as La-9M) featured increased fuel and oil capacity. Armament was reduced to three cannons. The prototype flew in May 1947. The second prototype, La-134D had fuel capacity increased by an additional 275 l (73 US gal) with wing and external fuel tanks. The aircraft was fitted with larger tires to accommodate the increased weight and amenities for long flights such as increased padding in the seat, armrests, and a urinal. In addition, a full radio navigation suite was installed. Not surprisingly, combat performance with a full fuel load suffered. However, as the fuel load approached that of La-9, so did the performance. The aircraft was found to be poorly suited for combat above 7,000 m (23,000 ft). The new fighter, designated La-11 entered production in 1947. By the end of production in 1951, a total of 1,182 aircraft were built.
Operational history
The first documented combat use of La-11 took place on April 8, 1950, when four Soviet pilots shot down an United States Navy Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer over the Baltic Sea, with all 10 of the Privateer's crew lost. Later the same year, two La-11 pilots shot down a USN Lockheed P2V Neptune over the Sea of Japan near Vladivostok; one USN crew member was killed.
From February 1950, the Soviet 106th Fighter Aviation Division moved to Shanghai to defend it against bombing by the ROCAF. The division included the 351st Fighter Regiment, equipped with the La-11. On March 7, the regiment claimed a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber, shot down near Nanjing.[citation needed] On March 14, 1950, a Martin B-26 Marauder bomber was claimed in Xuzhou.[citation needed] On March 20, 1950, five La-11 pilots encountered a group of North American P-51 Mustangs north-west of Shanghai, although the P-51 pilots immediately retreated.[citation needed] On April 2, 1950, two P-51s were claimed by La-11 pilots over Shanghai.[citation needed] After that, MiG-15s of the Soviet 29th Fighter Regiment took over the air defence role. The ROCAF stopped bombing Shanghai that June and the Soviet units left in October 1950.
By July 1950, La-11s were flying combat air patrol missions over North Korea.[citation needed]
On November 30, 1951, 16 La-11 fighter pilots of the 4th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) were escorting 9 Tu-2 PVA bombers to bomb the South Korean island of Taehwa-do (대화도/大和島), in the Pansong archipelago. They were attacked by more than 30 F-86 fighters of the United States Air Force: four Tu-2 bombers and three La-11s were shot down.[citation needed]
The main target of La-11 pilots during the Korean War was the Douglas A-26 Invader night bomber, although numerous skirmishes with P-51s also took place.[citation needed] Attempts to intercept Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers proved fruitless. La-11 required 26 minutes to reach the B-29's cruise altitude and once there had a speed advantage of only 20 km/h (12 mph) making it easy for the B-29 to evade the attacker in a shallow dive.
On July 23, 1954, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster military transport aircraft, registration VR-HEU, operated by Cathay Pacific Airways on a civilian passenger flight en route from Bangkok to Hong Kong, was shot down by two La-11 fighters of the 85th Fighter Regiment, People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) off the coast of Hainan Island,[citation needed] killing 10 people.
Although the four-engined propeller-driven Douglas (registered VR-HEU) was a C-54 Skymaster, the incident is known as "the DC-4 shootdown" because the C-54 is the military version of the Douglas DC-4, and the aircraft was flying a commercial passenger run.[1][2][3][4]
Three days later, near the same location, two La-11s of the same unit were shot by 12 AD-4 airplanes of the US Navy.
During 1954–55, La-11 fighters of the PLAAF took part in the Battle of Yijiangshan Islands escorting the ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy and Tu-2 bombers.[citation needed]
Users
- People's Liberation Army Air Force - Imported 163 La-11 fighters from 1950-1953. The last 18 La-11 airplanes retired in 1966.
Survivors
- La-11, on display at Chinese Aviation Museum, Datangshang, China as Red 24
- La-11 10142/N2276Y, stored pending restoration with Kermit Weeks, Orlampa, Florida
- La-11 20, stored pending restoration by The Fighter Collection, Duxford, Cambs
- La-11, on display at Nizhy Novgorod Military Museum, Russia
- La-11, on display at Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Beijing, China as Red 09
- La-11 F-911, on display at Indonesian AF Museum, Adisutjipto AB, Yogyakarta
Specifications (La-11)
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
Performance
Armament
- 3 × 23 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-23 cannons, 75 rounds/gun
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- Notes
- ^ Accident details - VR-HEU - Plane Crash Info
- ^ VR-HEU Account by passenger: Valerie Parish - Major Commercial Airline Disasters
- ^ VR-HEU - The Life & Times of James Harper
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
movietonewas invoked but never defined (see the help page).
- Bibliography
- Gordon, Yefim. Lavochkin's Piston-Engined Fighters (Red Star Volume 10). Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-85780-151-2.
- Kopenhagen, W (ed.), Das große Flugzeug-Typenbuch (in German). Transpress, 1987, ISBN 3-344-00162-0
External links
The initial version of this article was based on material from aviation.ru. It has been released under the GFDL by the copyright holder.