General info for LaGG-3-8

• Country USSR
• Vehicle role Fighter
• Rank 1

• Battle rating in
  • arcade battles 2.3
  • realistic battles 2
  • simulator battles 1.7

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Wiki info about LaGG-3-8

Official War Thunder wiki

The breakneck rush to produce fighters in 1941, in tandem with an influx of unqualified personnel to aircraft plants, led to an unavoidable drop in quality in the assembly and machining of planes. The situation was worsened by an emerging shortage of Bakelite plywood, which had to be replaced with standard pine and birch. As a result, the LaGG-3's weight increased again, and its aerodynamic properties and flight characteristics decreased. Designers attempted to counteract the increased weight by weakening its weaponry yet again. The LaGG-3 Series 8 had its synchronized 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns removed. The plane's armament now consisted of a 20 mm Shpitalny-Vladimirov ShVAK cannon in the cavity between the engine cylinders with 150 shells, and a 12.7 mm synchronized Berezina BS installed in the nose section of the fuselage above the engine and to the right with 200 rounds each. This airborne armament configuration became standard, and remained unchanged (except for series 34 planes) until LaGG-3 series production ceased. Externally, the LaGG-3 Series 8 planes differed in the absence of the now unnecessary ShVAK cannon fairings on the engine hood. The LaGG-3 Series 8 went into production at the end of 1941. LaGG-3 fighters of this model were produced right up until series 11 was launched. Consequently, in less than a year, the LaGG-3 went from being a plane with excellent firepower to a fighter with a relatively average armament. Unfortunately, its “disarmament” only slightly improved its flight characteristics. The LaGG-3 still weighed nearly 300 kg more than the Yak-1, which was superior in speed, maneuverability and ascension rate. But worse still, it was not only inferior to its fellow Soviet Yak, but also to the German Messerschmitt, particularly its new Bf.109F model. Nonetheless, in spite of its drawbacks, the LaGG-3 was actively used on the front starting in August 1941. In the autumn of 1941, it was used on the Bryansk, Kalinin and Western fronts and in the Moscow Air Defense Force.