{"id":28739112,"date":"2026-10-19T15:48:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T13:48:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/lavochkin-la-5-soviet-fighter-ash-82-radial-engine-lagg-3\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T15:49:24","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T13:49:24","slug":"lavochkin-la-5-soviet-fighter-ash-82-radial-engine-lagg-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/lavochkin-la-5-soviet-fighter-ash-82-radial-engine-lagg-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Lavochkin La-5: The Soviet Fighter Saved by a Radial Engine"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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His LaGG-3 fighter had a poor reputation at the front, it had cost him Stalin's favour, and the factories building it were being switched over to Yakovlev fighters. His design bureau was working out of a small hut next to an airfield. The way out turned out to be a single, bold change: bolt a big radial engine onto the nose.<\/p>\r\n<p>The result was the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/lavochkin-la-5\/\">Lavochkin La-5<\/a>. It first flew in March 1942, was in full production by July, and became one of the Soviet Air Force's best fighters of the war. Nearly 10,000 were built.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Type:<\/strong> Single-seat, single-engine piston fighter<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Designer:<\/strong> Lavochkin bureau (Semyon Lavochkin, Vladimir Gorbunov)<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>First flight:<\/strong> March 1942<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Engine:<\/strong> Shvetsov ASh-82 14-cylinder air-cooled radial (M-82FN on later aircraft, 1,960 hp)<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Top speed:<\/strong> 648 km\/h (403 mph) at 6,250 m<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Armament:<\/strong> Two 20 mm ShVAK cannon, up to two 100 kg bombs<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Built:<\/strong> 9,920, including La-5UTI trainers<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Successor:<\/strong> Lavochkin La-7<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">From LaGG-3 to La-5<\/h2>\r\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/lagg-3\/\">LaGG-3<\/a> had a sound wooden airframe but not enough power. Its inline engine could not give it the performance it needed against the Luftwaffe, and lighter airframes and stronger engines did not fix the problem. By early 1942 the factories were turning to the Yak-1 and Yak-7.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vladimir Gorbunov, one of the original LaGG partners, made the decisive swap. He fitted the LaGG-3 airframe with the Shvetsov ASh-82 radial, a 14-cylinder air-cooled engine, and borrowed the nose installation from the Sukhoi Su-2 bomber. The new fighter was briefly called the LaG-5, then the La-5 by July 1942, when it was ordered into full production.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IT0q0xchgxE\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">Look in The Past: the history of the Lavochkin La-5 and La-7.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why the Radial Made the Difference<\/h2>\r\n<p>A big air-cooled radial is heavy and draggy, which is why many designers of the time preferred slim, liquid-cooled inline engines. But it is also tough. It has no radiator or coolant lines for a single bullet to puncture, and it acts as armour in front of the pilot. For a fighter that spent much of its war at low and medium altitude over the Eastern Front, that toughness mattered.<\/p>\r\n<p>Pilots liked it. Soviet pilot Viktor Sinaisky remembered the type with real warmth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;That was an excellent fighter with two cannons and a powerful air-cooled engine.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Viktor M. Sinaisky<\/strong> &mdash; Soviet fighter pilot, as quoted on Wikipedia's La-5 article<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/la-5fn-41st-guards-fighter-regiment-lobanov-pavlov-1945.jpg\" alt=\"Soviet fighter pilots Alexander Lobanov and Alexander Pavlov talking beside a La-5FN with a heart on its cowling\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Heroes of the Soviet Union Captain Alexander Lobanov and Major Alexander Pavlov of the 41st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment beside a La-5FN, April 1945. Photo: Boris Myasnikov \/ TASS (public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">La-5F and La-5FN<\/h2>\r\n<p>The La-5F reached the front in February 1943, with a cut-down rear fuselage that gave the pilot a much better view behind. Then came the La-5FN, with a fuel-injected engine, a different air intake and more weight taken out. Very late FNs swapped the two ShVAK cannon for two Berezin B-20s in the cowling.<\/p>\r\n<p>Results followed. The 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment flew 3,802 sorties on the type and claimed 128 aerial victories for 52 La-5s lost. The Soviet Union's top-scoring ace, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/ivan-kozhedub-62-kills-never-shot-down-the-top-allied-ace-of-wwii\/\">Ivan Kozhedub<\/a>, scored his first victory in a La-5 on 6 July 1943, shooting down a Ju 87, and flew La-5s until August 1944.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;Everyone was in love with the La-5.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Viktor M. Sinaisky<\/strong> &mdash; Soviet fighter pilot, as quoted on Wikipedia's La-5 article<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What the Germans Thought<\/h2>\r\n<p>Not everything was perfect. Luftwaffe test pilot Hans-Werner Lerche flew a captured La-5FN and found it strong below 3,000 metres but short on range, and he criticised its separate engine-control levers, which the pilot had to juggle by hand. The canopy could not be opened above about 350 km\/h, and cockpit ventilation was poor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/la-5-1st-czechoslovak-independent-air-regiment-1944.png\" alt=\"Ground crew servicing Lavochkin La-5 fighters of the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Air Regiment in 1944\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">La-5s of the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Air Regiment around summer 1944. Czechoslovakia kept La-5s in service after the war. Photo: K\u0159\u00eddla vlasti, 1955 (public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p>Even so, the La-5 did what Lavochkin needed it to do. It saved his bureau, gave Soviet pilots a fighter that could hold its own against the Fw 190 and Bf 109 at low level, and led straight to the even better <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/lavochkin-la-7\/\">La-7<\/a>. Czechoslovakia kept La-5s in service after the war. Not bad for an airframe that had been written off a year earlier.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vqPWfRXWx0Q\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">A wartime Soviet information film showing the La-5 in flight, with subtitles.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Wikipedia (Lavochkin La-5; Ivan Kozhedub), Look in The Past, K\u0159\u00eddla vlasti<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What was the Lavochkin La-5?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Lavochkin La-5 was a Soviet single-engine piston fighter of the Second World War. It was developed from the LaGG-3 by replacing its inline engine with a Shvetsov ASh-82 radial, first flew in March 1942 and was built in a total of 9,920 examples.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why did the La-5 use a radial engine?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The LaGG-3 lacked power, and its factories were being switched to Yakovlev fighters. Vladimir Gorbunov fitted the airframe with the Shvetsov ASh-82 air-cooled radial, which gave far more power and had no radiator or coolant lines to damage. That change turned the LaGG-3 into the La-5.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How fast was the La-5?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Lavochkin La-5 had a top speed of about 648 km\/h (403 mph) at 6,250 metres and about 583 km\/h at sea level. It performed best at low altitude, below about 3,000 metres, according to German test pilot Hans-Werner Lerche.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is the difference between the La-5F and La-5FN?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The La-5F had a cut-down rear fuselage for better rearward view and reached the front in February 1943. The La-5FN added a fuel-injected ASh-82FN engine, a different air intake and further weight savings, and some very late FNs carried Berezin B-20 cannon.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Did Ivan Kozhedub fly the La-5?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. Ivan Kozhedub, the top-scoring Allied fighter ace of the Second World War, scored his first victory in a La-5 on 6 July 1943 by shooting down a Ju 87. He flew La-5 variants until August 1944 and then the La-7.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many Lavochkin La-5s were built?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A total of 9,920 Lavochkin La-5s of all variants were built, including La-5UTI two-seat trainers. The type was followed by the improved Lavochkin La-7, and several La-5s stayed in service after the war with Czechoslovakia.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was the Lavochkin La-5?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Lavochkin La-5 was a Soviet single-engine piston fighter of the Second World War. It was developed from the LaGG-3 by replacing its inline engine with a Shvetsov ASh-82 radial, first flew in March 1942 and was built in a total of 9,920 examples.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why did the La-5 use a radial engine?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The LaGG-3 lacked power, and its factories were being switched to Yakovlev fighters. Vladimir Gorbunov fitted the airframe with the Shvetsov ASh-82 air-cooled radial, which gave far more power and had no radiator or coolant lines to damage. That change turned the LaGG-3 into the La-5.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How fast was the La-5?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Lavochkin La-5 had a top speed of about 648 km\/h (403 mph) at 6,250 metres and about 583 km\/h at sea level. It performed best at low altitude, below about 3,000 metres, according to German test pilot Hans-Werner Lerche.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the difference between the La-5F and La-5FN?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The La-5F had a cut-down rear fuselage for better rearward view and reached the front in February 1943. 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The type was followed by the improved Lavochkin La-7, and several La-5s stayed in service after the war with Czechoslovakia.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/ivan-kozhedub-62-kills-never-shot-down-the-top-allied-ace-of-wwii\/\">Ivan Kozhedub: 62 Kills, Never Shot Down \u2014 The Top Allied Ace of WWII<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/yakovlev-yak-3-normandie-niemen-french-fighter\/\">The Yak-3 That Frenchmen Flew Home to Keep<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/lavochkin-la-250-anaconda-soviet-interceptor\/\">Lavochkin La-250 Anaconda: The Soviet Interceptor Nobody Could Tame<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story In the spring of 1942, Semyon Lavochkin was in trouble. His LaGG-3 fighter had a poor reputation at the front, it had cost him Stalin&#8217;s favour, and the factories building it were being switched over to Yakovlev fighters. His design bureau was working out of a small hut next to an airfield. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":28738990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28739112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Lavochkin La-5: Soviet Fighter Saved by a Radial | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Lavochkin La-5 turned the failing LaGG-3 into one of the best Soviet fighters of WWII by adding an ASh-82 radial engine. 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