The prototype was completed at the GAZ-301 factory, North-West of Moscow and the design was approved for production in January 1940. The I-301 was a single-seat, low-wing monoplane with a semi-monocoque fuselage and skinned with birch veneer and plywood. On 14th June it was accepted for trials and it achieved the speed of 510 km/h (320 mph) with a climb to 5.000 m (16.400 ft) in 5.85 minutes. Later, it achieved the speed of 604 km/h with its radiator doors closed, making it the fastest M-105P powered aircraft.
The first series commenced on 29th June 1940 and its production progressed slowly as there were teething problems with the aircraft due to an untrained workforce with no previous experience in aircraft manufacturing (GAZ factory had manufactured tanks and cars to that date). The lack of knowledge with the delta wood structure (the main material of the fuselage), incomplete technical drawings, lack of jigs and the fact that some factories didn't complete the transition from manufacturing the Polikarpov I-16 and I-153 to the LaGG-3 were the cause of those problems. The Series 1 differed from the prototypes in having a strengthened landing gear, 10 mm seat armour, enlarged carburetor air intake and were armed with two 12,7 mm Berezin UBS machine gun and two 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns. Some machines were fitted with a radio transmitter/receiver device, which were allocated to flight leader aircrafts only, while the other aircraft had either one receiver or no radio at all.
In order to balance the mass, weights were added above and below the rudder to eliminate control surface flutter. The LaGG-3 had also an unique fire suppression system which collected exhaust using a tube on the port side of the exhaust manifold that ran to a condenser, where the gasses were cooled and pumped into the empty fuel tanks.
This first series was powered by a Klimov M-105P engine which yielded 1.100 hp of power and was equipped with a centrifugal two-speed two-stage supercharger. Given the additional equipment, the Series 1 aircraft was heavier than the prototype, which had a negative impact in overall performance. Therefore the LaGG-3 was slow, with a top speed of 549 km/h (341 mph) at 5.000 m (16.500 ft) high and it had also a considerably slower rate of climb. It also required a longer take-off run.
As the production process was very slow, it wasn't until spring 1941 that initial conversion training for Fighter Aviation Regiments based in Soviet Asia began. This training required time and great effort. Those Aviation Regiments were chosen in order to reinforce the Soviet-Manchurian border as both Japan and the USSR had clashed in 1939 (see the Battles of Khalkin-Gol or Nomohan Incident). During training, as most Soviet pilots were used to flight the extremely maneuverable Polikarpov I-152, the Series 1 as unforgiving and unmaneuverable as it was, it was very unpopular. Mechanically speaking, also suffered a lot with mechanical failures such as landing gear not deploying, guns not firing or brakes not working, were the rule, forcing many machines to be back into factories for reparations. Those teething problems were ordered to be fixed on 31st May 1941 by the People's Commissariat for Aircraft Industry.
When Operation Barbarossa was launched on 21st June 1941 there were only 322 LaGG-3 of the Series 1 available. None of them clashed with the Luftwaffe as they were all stationed in the Far East. Most of the LaGG-3 remained in Asia until summer when it was clear that Japan would honor the neutrality pact signed with the USSR.
The LaGG-3's existence was kept in secret, specially for Germany which, although they knew the VVS (Red Air Force) was equipping a new fighter, they ignored its characteristics.
During combat patrols, many pilots flew with the canopy open, and some of them even removed it entirely. This was done because it couldn't be jettisoned and its poor-quality plexiglass was almost opaque.
When LaGG-3 pilots met their enemies for the first time, they lacked training and initiative and most leaders were unable to command their units, so when they were shot down, the rest of the flight, usually, continued to fly in formation without changing direction until them all were shot down.
Some pilots, however, managed to fully control the LaGG-3. For instance, Captain V.I. Popkov, who would eventually be a VVS ace, scored his initial victories with the LaGG-3 Series 1.
When operating from unprepared fields, the lower landing gear doors were removed, in order to keep mud from building up on the landing gear.
The Series 1 kept operating on the main frontlines until 1942 when they were sent to more secondary frontlines like the Finnish ones.
There was also an anti-tank specialized version. This was called Gudkov K-37 and was equipped with a 37 mm Shpitalny Sh-37 axial cannon firing through the propeller hub. Twenty were built in summer 1942 and served with the 42nd IAP (Fighter Aircraft Regiment). This machine proved it could shot down an enemy fighter with a single shot, but it could barely damage enemy tanks.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov_LaGG-3
2. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 163 - LaGG Fighters in Action
3. https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/lagg3/lagg3.html
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