Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-1

 

The Lavochking-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-1 was a Soviet fighter of the World War 2. It served as the prototype of more sophisticated Soviet fighters of the time.

It was designed in September 1938 by Semyon A. Lavochkin and V.P. Gorbunov as a light-weight fighter powered by the Klimov M-105 inline engine. It was internally called as I-22 and, in order to save strategic materials, it was made out of plastic-impregnated wood known as delta drevesina, with a stressed bakelite plywood skinning. 

The first prototype flew for the first time on 30th March 1940 and, although it showed some flaws, it proved to be promising. It didn't, however, live up to the expectations raised by the designers. Considering the need for the VVS (Soviet Air Force) to have a modern fighter, specially after the catastrophic losses they sustained during the Winter War, the type was ordered into production. Around 100 were made and sent to evaluation squadrons, where their shortcomings were made obvious. The LaGG-1 was underpowered, it lacked agility and it was too short-ranged. Furthermore, while the first few prototypes were carefully made, the manufactured exemplars were crudely made. 

The LaGG-1 was powered by a single Klimov M-105P V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine with a theoretical power of 1.000 hp. The first prototypes were armed with a 23 mm  ShVAK cannon  mounted between the cylinder banks, firing through the propeller's hub and two 12.7 mm UB machine guns mounted on the upper decking. Production version were, however down-armed as they were armed with a single 20 mm ShVAK cannon mounted between the cylinder banks and firing through the propeller's hub plus two 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns on the forward upper decking. The prototypes with modified armament were internally referred as the I-301 (from the numerical designation of the factory GAZ-301). The manufactured versions had also redesigned outer panel wings with additional fuel tanks. The I-301 went to flight testing on 14th June 1940, with its denomination being changed to LaGG-3 and the remaining exemplars of the LaGG-1 to be completed being finished to the later standard.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov_LaGG-1

2. http://www.aviastar.org/air/russia/lagg-1.php