I know this has been around awhile..but it's worth a re-read.
Thanks to the most excellent Soda's Aircraft Evaluation Pages!
http://www.telusplanet.net/~dsoder/models.htmIn the environment of the main arena, most fights are 10k and down.
"In terms of pure performance, there may not be anything better under 10K. "
--Soda's Aircraft Evaluation Pages
Dont get caught bringing a knife to a gun fight.
Regards
Sun
(Article shortened for BB. Full Article at Soda's place above)--SD
La-7
Overview
The big brother of the La5, it is almost the same airplane with a modified engine and repositioned intakes. This turned something that was already a good plane into a excellent performer. There are some other key changes though, both good and bad. The firepower has been increased (you have a 2 or 3 gun option) with the 3 cannons weighing no more than the 2 guns on the La5 but have slightly less ammo per gun. Really, the increase in firepower more than makes up for the decrease in ammunition. The handing has also changed, it is not nearly as nimble as the La5 and has a far more vicious low speed stall. In terms of pure performance, there may not be anything better under 10K.
It's hard to say exactly what gives the La7 a bad reputation, but it tends to not really border on respect, it's more frustration. The La7 is one of those planes that is simply so fast that it's hard to slow it down long enough to kill it (if it will ever slow down at all). While most aircraft get slower with lower altitudes, the La7 really doesn't, being about the fastest (or in the top 2 or 3) at all altitudes under 10K. That said, speed is a great defense, but not all that effective in the offense, at least for average pilots. Faster speeds tend to mean shorter firing times, more difficult intercept angles, and quicker reaction times.
Engine Performance
The major asset of the La7 is simply pure power, it really has nothing else going for it that stands out, but sometimes power is enough. The engine imparts a sea-level cruise speed of 358mph, which would put it in the top of class, but adding WEP brings this up to 380mph. This is outstanding, and is faster than every other non-perk aircraft in the game, though some planes like the Fw190D9 and Bf109G10 can give it a pretty good run for the money. Still, the majority of aircraft can't come close and are easily left behind. Acceleration and climb is equally staggering, with the La7 capable of over 4K/minute from sea-level, though this starts to tail off over 10K. WEP time is incredibly long, I don't know that I've ever really run a La7 out of WEP when flying it in a fight, likely this is because of fuel, which runs out very quickly. Fuel range is very poor with the duration at full throttle only being 28 minutes with no option for droptanks. I think this is about the shortest fuel supply of any aircraft in the game that can't take droptanks, and when you are using WEP like it's going out of style, you'll find your actual airborne duration is more like 18 minutes or less. Above 10K, the La7 quickly loses it's edge with a number of aircraft out-stripping it in terms of speed and climb rate, but that tends to suit the style of fight in Aces High anyway, where fights start out at medium altitudes and usually progress quickly down to the weeds.
Weapons
One would think that the firepower on the La7 would be excellent when seeing it on paper. Really the choice is easy, a three 20mm with 150 rounds/gun, with a twin 20mm with 200 rounds/gun presented as an option though probably less than 1% of La7 sorties are flown with only 2 guns. Being cowl mounted the concentration of fire is excellent and anyone caught in the gunsight is likely in deep trouble before they can react. Cowl mounted weapons also don't suffer from convergence problems like widely wing mounted weapons, and it is possible to set the convergence out to D650. That in mind, now comes the really bad news, the ballistics of the Soviet cannons are awful, beyond ugly, and set a new level of aiming difficulty on targets out past D300. While the convergence might be effective at D650 it is almost pointless to set it out that far because the real range that you can expect to land aimed hits at is more like half that distance. Shooting at ranges outside of around D350 is simply spraying hoping for lucky hits, and you likely don't have all that much ammunition to waste with only 150 rounds/gun. A lot of people have troubles adapting when they've been used to flying something with hispanos, or US .50's, and falsely believe that shooting in the La7 is just as easy, while it certainly is not. This also leads to new players have troubles hitting anything in the La7, since they don't have the techniques mastered to get in close and land fatal hits in very short periods of time. This often leads new La7 pilots to resort to Head-On shots at suicidal close ranges. Good La7 pilots though can get in close and deliver crippling fire quickly, leading to the belief that the La7 has better guns than it actually does.
Maneuverability
The La7 might be considered a nimble plane, though I wouldn't really class it anywhere near a turn-fighter. At high speeds, it probably turns with just about anything in the game, though really all high speed turns are limited to the blackout limit at 5G anyway. While only a little better than average in the turning game at mid-low speeds, in the process of turning, it really gets away from it's main strength, speed. Low speed turning is dangerous since the La7 has a nasty stall behaviour, quickly and easily stalling only one wing and snap-rolling the plane downwards (maybe into the ground). You really don't need to push the La7 very far into unfriendly manuevers to realize how short tempered it can be when flown outside it's limits. High speed handling is excellent, even at extreme speeds, and I've never had an La7 come apart on me under structural loading that would have sent many other planes to the scrap-yard in pieces. One last point, the La7 really glides well, just like a P-51, so engine damage/failure should involve a climbing process with the plan to glide back to safety (reducing engine RPMs the La7 seems to glide forever).
Flying the La7
The icon "La7" is bound to draw a lot of attention so you will likely find yourself a rather hunted individual. Many MA opponents know that the La7 is the greatest threat to them if they are forced to try and escape low so will attempt to remove all La7s quickly while they have advantage. The P-51, in particular, will want to eliminate you so that it can dominate in the high speed fight without having to worry about low La7's causing them problems as the fight altitude deteriorates. The P-51 is an excellent matchup for the La7 and is an extremely dangerous opponent to encounter, but the balance favors the La7 as the fight get lower, which is the natural progression for most fights.
The key in the La7 is to use your speed to your advantage for both offense and defense, never slow down and learn to react to everything happening very quickly. Staying really fast typically helps keep anyone off your tail, or at least makes their job getting there a whole lot more difficult, plus likely extending the time you have to notice. You really need to have some experience and anticipation to properly fly the La7, with such inaccurate guns you need to get in close where aiming is not an issue. Your firing opportunities are likely to be brief, but if you are good, they will be very bloody for the enemy. I've cut many a Spitfire to ribbons in one pass with a 1/4 second firing because I anticipated his break turn, and then met him at short range when he was presenting a full plane view while turning. Slashing attacks are great, appearing quickly, taking a couple of shots while passing through a pile of bad-guys, and then racing out the other side to safety, or reversing to make another pass.
Defensively, you should be able to out-run anything you can't out-turn as long as you detect it early enough so you can build up seperation and maximize your speed. Try and not get cornered where you must turn and slow, that is almost certain death for any number of Spitfires who will dive 15K or more to get enough speed to catch you. You only need to break clear from an enemy with superior E, but vastly inferior natural top speed, once, and then you should be able to motor away. Against someone with similar high speed at your altitude, you should still likely be faster if only by a bit. You may also have a turn-rate advantage as many of the fastest aircraft (190D9, 109G10) that are not known to be considered even average turners (significantly towards the bottom of the pile overall). Don't worry about having to dive away, that's fine, playing to your advantage as long as you can find a direction to run while low that won't lead you to more high enemies.
Head-Ons are not really recommended, although it is a typical of the La7 but only because many people who fly it haven't yet developed the techniques to employ other tactics properly. The views and stall of the La7 also make it feel uncomfortable, since they are restrictive to people how have been used to the carefree handling and sight from such planes as the Spitfire and P-51D..............
