Wow! my favourite plane so far – but still only dogfighting…

[beet1e]

Having come over from Warbirds, I had been trying planes in AH that exist in WB that I thought would be familiar. But in a 190A5 I found I could not escape from the LA7. Even after a split-S evasion, the damn thing would catch up to me again.

So I decided to try an LA7 for myself. Wow! I’m surprised it’s not a perk plane!! Now this is one plane I’m going to enjoy. It does all the things I like in a fighter plane. I’m a B&Z man, so prefer to do attacks from a higher altitude. LA7 climbs wonderfully, and is fast, and is good in e-fighting situations.

I must confess to knowing nothing about the history of the LA7 – it has a red star on it so I assume it’s Russian. Where and how was it deployed?

I was hoping there might be a synopsis of the planes within the AH game itself, but I can’t find one. I have also looked in help but could find nothing.

Right now, I’m still watching, listening and learning. I watch as my team (Bishops) go off on capture missions. I’m still learning the game strategy. So thanks to whoever it was who advised me that a “Goon” is a C47 with troops for field capture. Little details like this are so much easier to ask online instead of delving through a voluminous help application.

[funkedup]

Here is info on the planes: http://www.hitechcreations.com/models/models.html

La-7 was used from mid-1944 to the end of the war.  It was basically an optimized La-5.  La-5 was a LaGG-3 (think P-40 but even crappier) with a fuel injected radial replacing the inline.  The Lavochkin fighters had a lot of wood in their structure.  There were over 5,000 La-7 built.

It is probably the best AH fighter under 10k.  But if you look on the charts at the link above, you'll see the La-7's WEP only works below about 8,000 feet.  From 8,000 feet to about 16,000 feet there are a lot of planes that outperform it.  That's where I prey on them.

[ 12-05-2001: Message edited by: funkedup ]

[Kronos]

SO thats its weakness..... dang me for not paying more attention to models stats pages....  maybe now i can actually shoot some LA7's down  

[Kieran]

I took out an La-7 last night 1 vs. 1, me in P-51D (75% fuel, slow from the bombs and rockets I was forced to drop), on the deck. He kept looping, I was just barely hanging on, and he finally stalled a little. Thought I would be toast, but just kept cool.

May have been a newbie, but I am too (sorta, been away a while), but I find La-7's aren't bad if you see them coming in most cases.

[K West]

The only time I really do not worry about an N1K2 is if I am in a P-38 and it's a turn/loop fight or I'm in a Yak9U. Anytime and circumstances (besides a gangbang) when I'm in a Yak9U   But the LA7 is a damn fine plane. So much that it usually becomes my primary target in most fights I enter. (Used to be the N1K2 but the La7 is just much more of a threat imo).I imagine that is the same for many folks and the La7 driver may find himself persecuted in a fight.  Just don't be surprised to see a few enemy ignore the Spits, 109's or KI's to get you first  
 
 Westy

[ 12-05-2001: Message edited by: O'Westy ]

[CRASH]

He musta been a real dweeb....not sayin' ur not good, just sayin' the turn rates are so disparate that if he was any good at all you'd never win an angles engagement below 8 or 10k.
     Totally agree with ya westy, I'm primarily a p38 and p51 driver.  My first target is always the la7
CRASH

 

Originally posted by Kieran:
I took out an La-7 last night 1 vs. 1, me in P-51D (75% fuel, slow from the bombs and rockets I was forced to drop), on the deck. He kept looping, I was just barely hanging on, and he finally stalled a little. Thought I would be toast, but just kept cool.

May have been a newbie, but I am too (sorta, been away a while), but I find La-7's aren't bad if you see them coming in most cases.

[ 12-05-2001: Message edited by: CRASH ]

[Kieran]

Mighta been, who knows. I do know it isn't the La-7's that hammer me over and over- that answer is spelled S*P*I*T*F*I*R*E.

[dtango]

I'm a P-51D driver.  The La-7 in my opinion is the nemesis of the P-51D.  I too target the La-7's first.  13K and below they out class the P-51D badly.

*Higher speed
*Better acceleration
*Better E-retention
*Better turn performance

At co-alt, co-E you can't turn fight or energy fight them.

Tango, 1st Lt.
412th FS Braunco Mustangs

[Nifty]

La7s and Spitfires are the two best planes for MA fighting, unless you're one of Lazs' hated sky accountants.  Almost every fight takes place near ground level.  They might start up higher, but they'll end there.  La7s are vicious down low.

Spits are vicious anywhere, IMO.

[Chaos68]

spitdweebs!...argh hate them!

[funkedup]

I agree with Tango.  La-7 are my biggest enemy in the Mustang and I always kill them first.  Spits and N1K I just ignore.  They are speedbumps.  Their only hope is to catch me in the landing pattern.

[airspro]

Originally posted by Kieran:
I took out an La-7 last night 1 vs. 1, me in P-51D (75% fuel, slow from the bombs and rockets I was forced to drop), on the deck. He kept looping, I was just barely hanging on, and he finally stalled a little. Thought I would be toast, but just kept cool.

May have been a newbie, but I am too (sorta, been away a while), but I find La-7's aren't bad if you see them coming in most cases.

We tried this out in the TA last week . P51D v La7 , La7 will out turn it np down low , up high P51D will eat it it up . Must have been a newbie , but you should use up trim on elev to get it to turn good .

Now with a P15B , the La7 is toast . We did it over and over again , that Stang will stay with a Spit9 pretty good also , got to use the flaps but works well . I was suprised how good the B model turns down low compared to the D .

I like the acceration of the La7 , you can lift off the field with wep on , get the gear up and go to auto climb half way down the strip . Try that with either Mustang , hehe , will dive for the deck to get airspeed , then boom , hehe .

I seem to get more bounces with the La7 also , might be the closure speed ? Don't know but many just don't see it coming .

I finally got 7 kill mission , first ever last week with La7 that tells me something for sure  

take care ,
spro

[Hornet]

yeah a 51B can get pretty mean, lotta la7 sticks come in complacent vs a 51 which helps  

[MrLars]

Been flying the La7 for a couple of Tours now. Just like the 51 jocks..I tend to focus on the 51's first depending on higher threats. The thing is, it's not a good TnB or a BnZ since it fails in both with a lack of sustained turning ability slow and the controls are very mushy at speeds over 400. When it comes to running down an <cough> extending 51 she really shines but any 51 jock that knows how to use the 51's high speed turning ability will cause the La7 fits.

BTW, in the absence of 51's, La's or higher threats, my first target is always the Nik...cuz they pop gud