Aircraft · Soviet Union · 1944-1945
Lavochkin La-7
fighter
A refined, lightened La-5 with a more powerful engine and cleaner aerodynamics, the La-7 was among the fastest piston fighters of the war at low altitude and became the mount of the Soviet Union's top-scoring ace, Ivan Kozhedub, who used it in February 1945 to become the first Soviet pilot to shoot down an Me 262 jet. It gave Soviet fighter regiments a genuine edge over the Luftwaffe in the war's final year.
| crew | 1 |
|---|---|
| top speed | 680 km/h |
| armament | 2-3x 20mm cannon |
| produced | ~5,750 |