The La-7 still can be used "offensively" in the AH MA, if one desires to manage fuel consumption. Pulling the RPMs down to 2100 or so gives you about 30 minutes and leaves you with approximately the same speed/climb performance as a P-47D on MIL.
A few months ago I spent the night flying the La7.
First I thought. "Man this thing sure runs out of gas quick." Then I remembered several times seeing Shane in places that he aught not be let alone fighting there and being able to RTB based on what I was currently seeing fuel wise.
So I started tinkering with the throttle and RPM settings. I was amazed at the legs it grew.
Realistically speaking. Pilots typically didnt fly with the throttle and RPMs fire walled from take off to landing.
And this holds true for most planes. Climb to the desired alt then manage your fuel. Once you get to alt and up to speed. you wil find you can reduce the fuel and throttle settings significantly thus significantly increasing your operating range. And not loose one MPH in airspeed.
In some planes like the D9 you can even enter a slight climb of around 2K without loosing a significant amount of airspeed.
I do this in the D9 all the time. While alot of folks I know and fly with take along drop tanks. I rarely do. I'll do an auto climb to about 5 K Level out and get up to speed then enter a 2K climb for the rest of the trip. I usually get to the area I want to fight in at around 10k. Which is plenty high under most circumstances.
I find for me this is the perfect alt. 90% of the people I see at 20K have no idea what to do with all that alt. And are easy to dodge.
And if I do get jumped. I have alot more E at my disposal then those guys with drop tanks and/or on full auto climb.
I fight and just around the time my bullets run out. My fuel is telling me its time to go home.
If Im being chased and low on gas I dive to the deck, completely reduce my RPMs. cut my throttle by about 1/3 and cruise on home still outrunning my pursuers.
I rarely run out of gas.
Know your plane
Get your aircraft up to max speed then mess with the RPM and throttle settings to find what is the most efficient. Different aircraft handle the settings differently
La's were primarily lower alt fighters. 10K is more then sufficient for the roles they were intended or should be used for.
Shane. The best La pilot I've seen to date. I dont think I ever saw above 5K.
If you insist on taking one to 20K and fighting with it. of fly firewalled all the time and you run out of gas. Thats not the games fault