Author Topic: La-5 & La-7 Fuel Load (Read 349 times)

dtango · « **on:** June 29, 2001, 04:32:00 PM »

Does anyone know what the fuel capacity of the La-5 and La-7? I think I read 4 tanks? Is that right? How many gallons per tank?

MrLars · « **Reply #1 on:** June 29, 2001, 06:03:00 PM »

I don't have the info you wanted...just wanted to say that the fuel capacity/range is one of the reasons neither of these planes should be perked.

SpitLead · « **Reply #2 on:** June 29, 2001, 06:46:00 PM »

MrLars,

Fuel capacity means virtually nothing in AH. When nme bases are only 25 miles away or you're doing point defense of a field or you're taking off of a CV just offshore how much fuel do you really need??? I only ever use 25% in bombers and have NEVER run out of fuel. The only time I DO ever run out is usually point defense where the fuel is limited to only 25% and then that has nothing to do with the airplane itself.

Sorry for the interruption to your original thread Tango... we'll now return to the regularly scheduled program

wells · « **Reply #3 on:** June 29, 2001, 08:29:00 PM »

I think everything after the La-5, those being the La-5F/La-5FN/La-7 all had 102 gallons of internal fuel. The La-5 had 118.5 gallons. From 'Soviet Combat Aircraft of the Second World War, Volume I: Single-Engined Fighters', by Gordon and Khazanov.

ra · « **Reply #4 on:** June 29, 2001, 08:33:00 PM »

I thought the La-5FN had greater range than the La-5, that would imply more fuel.

ra

dtango · « **Reply #5 on:** July 01, 2001, 01:21:00 AM »

Hmmm- I just found this info on the La-7 and it states 610 liters = 161 Gallons by my calculations.
http://www.infos.cz/kopro/letadla/1106_e.htm

Can anyon confirm it is 102 vs 161? That's a pretty big difference.

mx22 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 01, 2001, 12:40:00 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by ra:
I thought the La-5FN had greater range than the La-5, that would imply more fuel.

ra

Not really, you can make plane more aerodynamic and thus increase it's speed and range. I think that is excatly what happened to La-5FN.

mx22

Tilt · « **Reply #7 on:** July 02, 2001, 03:35:00 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by dtango:
Does anyone know what the fuel capacity of the La-5 and La-7? I think I read 4 tanks? Is that right? How many gallons per tank?

3 tanks. One in each wing which drain via non return valves to a central fuselage tank.

The earlier La5 FN's (with wooden wing spars) also had quite large "filling" tanks which were between the wing filling point and the wing tanks. Hence the wing tanks could be "over filled".

It seems (the following is conjecture) that when the La7 prototype was developed, (La5fn model 44) from the I206, metal wing spars were adopted and the "filling tanks" reduced to a funnel type shape.

This set up was also used on very late la5FN production runs.

The tank capacities I have at home but the net result......

Operational ranges

Early La5 FN 775 km

Late La5 FN 580 km

La7 660 km

In this respect the la 7 failed to meet one of its design objectives. Its operational range was reduced over the then current La5FN of late 43 early 44.

Tilt