Guards Lieutenant Benedikt Ilyich Kardopoltsev. Participated in the GPW from 10/43 till 5/45, flew La-5 and La-7.
— Did you fly La-5 or La-5FN?
I had plain one, three tanks and with gargroth. We used to have five-tank planes in other squadrons. We also had several FN planes in our GvIAP, but they were not given to young pilots – they were considered to be “heavy”, and “more difficult”…
- Why “FN” was considered as “heavy”?
I can’t say, I do not know… We just had rumors that they were a bit more difficult in flight, heavier on controls… I got from La-5 to La-7 directly, I never flew “FN”. Well, I got some training, and stayed at Kosolapov’s squadron. In the late autumn our regiment flew to the front near Vitebsk. The winter of 1943 was snowy, but all went well. We started introduction flights, and in about one weeks time we started to fight.
— How long could you fly in La-5 and La-7?
50 minutes in combat, and more than an hour in economical mode.
— When you fle patrol flights what speed you would keep?
About 450 km\h.
— Wasn’t that too fast?
If there were clouds germans could attack suddenly, and if you did not have speed, you would get killed.
— Do you remember how German planes were painted and when you could tell that it was enemy?
They all were something like steel-matt. We would understand who it was at about 400 meters, beyond that it was just a “black spot”.
— When you attacked, what distance was optimal to fire?
About 100 meters. We had grades on our aiming device, and if enemy got in to these marks you could tell the distance...
— Did you have collimators or “rings”?
Collimators. On I-16 we had optical tubes – that was not easy to use. Especially for ground attack – it was very difficult to estimate distance to target.
— Strong and weak points of your aircraft which you flew in combat?
My opinion is that Me-109 was better than our planes in the beginning, only because we were late to start preparing for war.
Speaking of Lavochkin... First of all – better firepower, extremely dynamic plane. La’s easily caught Messer or Fokker. Engine of 1800 hp, ASh-82. I’m a pilot, and when I saw La-5 after LaGG-3 I fell in love, do you understand? Although I think that Yak was easier to fly, it did not require such presiseness, as La.
— Did you fly with opened or closed canopy? And how good was the view?
Canopy was always closed, gargroth was not that bad, so we could see quite well, but only if you would be fastened by waist belts only. There was no rear view mirror either.
— Did exhaust gasses penetrate into the cockpit? Was it hot inside?
No, never felt exhausts… When I fired guns I would feel the smell of burnt gun powder, and yes, it was hot, in 5FN some pilots even got burns.
— We heard that temperatures could reach up to 70 degrees Celsius at the feet level.
In FN yes, our pilots would fly them with fur gloves. Plain La-5 was colder, and La-7 was just a luxury plane.
— There is an opinion that Soviet fighters had weak armament?
Are you kidding! 3 cannons 20-mm each! We used to have machine guns on I-16, those really were only for tickling…
— By the way, we were told that La’s did not like to dive, that it tended to came to horizon, so the pilot had to “push it” into the dive?
It really had a tendency to return to horizon.
— How long plane could serve before it was written off?
When I was shot down, I kept regretting: «Such a good plane burned, it could serve for a long time...», La-7 which I received in 1944 served until victory day.
— Did you experience technical failure?
Not a single case…
— But what about Marchenko, when he could not lift landing gear?
It was due to the locks. There was some kind of deformation, but I never experienced any problem…
- Have you met jet planes?
Not in Germany. After the war we used to chase Canberras in MiG-19PF. They were quite arrogant, until we got an order to shoot them down. I also shot down 7 american baloons…
— What can you say about German fighter tactics?
In the end of war if they saw that they are not in an advantage, they would leave. Real dogfight would happen only if they had numeral advantage at least two-to-one…
I fought many dogfights, but they were always in advantage, only in the last days we met singular planes or pairs…
— What you can say about German pilots? How were they as fighters?
Different... During Orel operation our regiment met “Udet” group. Those were strong opponents. As soon as such group would appear on the front they would shoot all the young pilots... By the end of war we got new planes and it became easy, La-5, it felt, how powerful it was, if German got behind you, just push throttle forward, and you will see how enemy folls behind you. Then we got La-7, me and my wingman brought first three-cannon ones from Luberzy. IAP commander took plane from my wingman Vasilii Troshin. My one was left to me – I finished the “high combat flight school”, and I already had some kills on my account.
...
I remember the engines on Lavochkins were really good. I got hit by flak in the engine, and two lower cylinders were shattered to pieces… But I made it home. Mech opened cowls, and we saw some bits falling out. And I can’t say that I lost power drastically.
What was unpleasant about those engines – it’s that they smoked heavily. As soon as the resourse would wear out, the engine would be changed. No one repaired them in the field.
— Did you utilize mixed formations of La-7’s and La-5? Wasn’t it too difficult to have a wingman with lower-class plane?
No, no difference… I had La-7, Vasilii Troshin flew La-5... You see, we fought war, not raced. Speed is of course important, but smart head is an ultimate weapon.
— About engine control. Germans had Kommandogerat, and La’s pilot had to manually change prop pitch, close cowls and stuff…
We had no problems… We mostly operated speed only by throttle. If we would fly on the rout separated controls were better… If you do not want problems in flight – you have to know how to fly!
— I’ve been told that if you had to dogfight the best choice is Yak, but for war La is better. True or False?
True.
Full text:
http://mig3.sovietwarplanes.com/pilots/kardopoltsev/kardopoltsev.htm
