Author Topic: La7: Really that much faster? (Read 3094 times)

MikkaMan · « **on:** December 30, 2003, 08:59:13 PM »

Pardon me if I'm not up on my facts about the La7, but having flown for only for a few weeks in AH, it seems that the La7 was the best fighter or WWII according to its performance in this game. It turns with the best at slow speed; it climbs as well as anything I've seen; and finally, it can out run any ftr. How accurate is this? I'm sure you hotshot pilots (meant as a compliment) can tell me where the weak points are with the La7, but I can't find them.

palef · « **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2003, 09:04:27 PM »

Uh - same La7 as in AH??

AH La7 is an unpleasant handler at lo speed, isn't the fastest fighter by any stretch, and doesn't perform well over 10k. All those drawbacks can be mitigated by a thinking pilot, but an La7 will only appear uber until some real skills are required.

Kweassa · « **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2003, 09:32:03 PM »

However, given that all planes have a certain extent all sorts of deficiencies, yes, as a non-perked plane, the La-7 could be considered perhaps one of the, if not the, best in AH. At least - in almost every category where it directly manifests its performances edges into tactical combat advantages.

Don't listen to all those skillful pilots saying the La-7 sucks

They don't say its uber, because to them, nothing gives trouble or difficulties. However, to us average guys

, the La-7 is really a handful to fight against.

For instance, unless I can somehow feel sure that I'm very much more relativedly skilled than the other guy, I know I can't beat any La-5FN or La-7 in Fw190s, 1vs1, coalt.

Also, fighting against it in US planes, it involves clever tactics requiring lot of skill, to best it.

Fighting against it in the Bf109s, the only real chance of catching one is with the Bf109G-10, which is a really close match, with the La-7... and still it can simply disengage at will, if there is room to dive - since the La-7 dives much better than the Bf109G-10, and suffers less heavy controls due to high speed.

Basically, as an average pilot, if you see an La-7, and you're not in one yourself, it just gets really frustrating - they're almost as fast as Tempests at deck! Only about 3~5mph slower, I think.

There are a few 'versions' of different data going about the La-7, but it's a shuddering thought that AH La-7, is not even using the best of them. I don't think we can deny it's a fantastic plane under 15k range.

Karnak · « **Reply #3 on:** December 30, 2003, 10:16:09 PM »

MikkaMan,

What have you been flying?

Tactics against the La-7 are heavily dependant upon that and in many cases simply come down to tricking the La-7 pilot into squandering his advatages (re: Kweassa's Fw190s).

GRUNHERZ · « **Reply #4 on:** December 30, 2003, 11:40:55 PM »

Just imagine the La-9:

Lighter
Much Cleaner Aerodynamically
Faster
New up to date laminar flow wing
4 23mm nose cannon silimar to those of Il2

La-9s saw combat in Korea, China and against US recon B29s over open water.

artik · « **Reply #5 on:** December 31, 2003, 01:16:38 AM »

Ok, La-7 really good plane - but it has main disadvantage - from 8k and higher its berfomances become very poor.

It is great plane for BnZ fight but it is problem if you get higher then 8-10k - and most BnZs are at mid, high altitude.

As turnfighter it is not so good - there are much better planes for turnfighting.

So........ it is good but has problems

GODO · « **Reply #6 on:** December 31, 2003, 05:20:21 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by artik
Ok, La-7 really good plane - but it has main disadvantage - from 8k and higher its berfomances become very poor.

Only its top speed becomes average instead of superb higher than 10k.

Angus · « **Reply #7 on:** December 31, 2003, 07:33:53 AM »

La 7's are good,- fast, roll well, pack a punch, and handle decently.
La 9 is plain Scary.
But so is Spit Mk XXII

Furball · « **Reply #8 on:** December 31, 2003, 10:50:43 AM »

I love the La-7, its awesome in AH. I feel confident vs. any enemy in any situation in it. The only plane i do not really like encountering in it is a coalt/higher Spit IX.

The only drawback for me is the crappy cannon ballistics on it, i do not mind the low speed characteristics.

But then again i rarely go above 10k when fighting, so it suits me.

MikkaMan · « **Reply #9 on:** December 31, 2003, 05:14:57 PM »

Been flying Niki's and Spits...Nikis can run with the to a point, but don't seem to accelerate as fast as the LA, but I can turn fight with them in the Niki. When in the spit, the LA just pulls away in from the spit...no chance of catching them. I guess I most often meet them under 10k so that speed advantage is really apparrent.

For my part, its been almost 7 years since I flew in AW...and I wasn't all that great then either, but I definitely need to hone my skills and get a stick with a hat so I can keep my eyes on the nme.

thanks the input gents...don't shoot me down too often!

cheers,
DK (Mikka)

ALF · « **Reply #10 on:** December 31, 2003, 06:38:28 PM »

La-7 has several very good points, and just as many (some are the same) drawbacks. The low altitude speed is well known, and under 15k its preformance is amazing in that area. Also one of the best dive accelerators in the game. That seconds charactaristic takes much away from the La7 game however.

A 15k La7 cannot dive succefully on a 5k enemy without overspeeding. So the La7 pilot will often overshoot until he bleeds off enough E.....at which point he is impotant. A slow La7 is like a refrigerator crate filled with children and chocolate....its heavy, hard to handle, and may shift in any randome direction at any moment

An La7 is only marginally faster than a P51 down low, and the 51 can out turn it, and take much better high aspect shots. Up higher the P51 eats the La7 for lunch.

Tilt · « **Reply #11 on:** December 31, 2003, 08:14:09 PM »

As a regular la7 flyer the two ac I find most challenging in any equal e stituation are NiK2's and Spit IX's if i am equal e. But caught slow even with equal e SpitV's, 205's, FM2's, Hurris, F6F's (infact any better turner) then my acceleration will not help me (my bad SA).

Above 8k its starts to become average. But (and this is what upsets most folk) whilst it will not out dive several ac, it will not be caught once extending in a shallow dive. Hence you can mix it for a few turns (at medium alt) and bug out if the angles did not come right for you.

If your La7 is kept above 225/250 mph, kept below 8K your ACM skills go to pot as SA is then all that counts but life becomes boring.

Its actually an ideal angles fighter as its roll, turn, slip and zoom are all better than average.

Some folk be moan its guns but infact the three cannon version only needs one sustained hit to finish off any thing.

Its biggest set back is its relative instability during tight manouvers ......... it lacks "fidelity" and is not as "stable" a gun platform as most ac.

Hap · « **Reply #12 on:** January 01, 2004, 05:10:28 AM »

what tilt said.

hap1

Angus · « **Reply #13 on:** January 01, 2004, 10:04:58 AM »

Fighting the La7 tought me to appreciate the 109. A 109F and for that sake 109G2 is a very good La7 killer.
A Yak will also have La7 for breakfast.

wrag · « **Reply #14 on:** January 01, 2004, 10:51:15 AM »

I really like the 109g10 with 20mm gondolas against the La7. In fact the La7 is in large part the reason I fly the 109g10 with gondolas. I tend to go out of my way to shoot down an La7. It makes me SOOOOO happy

I stay above 10k with the g10 most of the time. I have also found that I seem to be able to outturn many la7 pilots with the g10. That however maybe due to the pilot and not the la7.