Furthermore, it was fast enough at low altitudes to catch, albeit with some difficulties, Focke Wulf Fw 190 fighter-bombers that attacked Soviet units on the frontlines and immediately headed for German-controlled airspace at full speed. The La-7 ended the superiority in vertical maneuverability that the Messerschmitt Bf 109G had previously enjoyed over other Soviet fighters. It was phased out in 1947 by the Soviet Air Force, but served until 1950 with the Czechoslovak Air Force. The La-7 was felt by its pilots to be at least the equal of any German piston-engined fighter and even shot down a Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Armed with two or three 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon, it had a top speed of 661 kilometers per hour (411 mph). A small batch of La-7s was given to the Czechoslovak Air Force the following year, but it was otherwise not exported. Its first flight was in early 1944 and it entered service with the Soviet Air Forces later in the year. It was a development and refinement of the Lavochkin La-5, and the last in a family of aircraft that had begun with the LaGG-1 in 1938. Was a piston-engined Soviet fighter developed during World War II by theLavochkin Design Bureau (OKB). Matra R550 Magic 1 - the missile that PL-7 based on, sharing the exact same performance.Note: Base stats only (no upgrade installed).Most of these countries opted for the later PL-5EII as their new missiles, as well as new jets that would eventually replace the launch platforms of PL-7 only Iran is known to still equip these missiles in service as of the late 2010s.Įxcellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos. ĭue to its compatibility on both exported PLAAF jets and French jets, some countries such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Bangladesh acquired PL-7 for their jet fighters while PLAAF opted for the PL-8 (licensed Rafael Python 3) instead. Reverse-engineering of the missile was started by Factory 331 (now AECC South Industry) in March 1982, and the new PL-7 missile was the produced in 1985 and passed for certification by April 1987. Less effective when launched at close distanceĬhina acquired some examples of the R.550 Magic 1 around the early 1980s, likely from Pakistan who had obtained them alongside their batches of Mirage 5s in 1979 and were unable to domestically produce their own, or from Jordan who had also imported them in 1979.If players are already used to Magics on French jets, the combination of Warsaw Pact/Chinese jets and NATO weapons will give a unique experience: the limitation of Soviet jets (such as Fishbeds) is a lack of reliable IR AAMs for longer ranges the PL-7 ensures otherwise, as in most cases, if the enemy doesn't notice the missile or it isn't fooled by flares, the PL-7 will make sure the enemy meets their end quickly with its 35G overload after launch. Like its French brother, the PL-7 has high G overload and combat capability within 2.5 km. R-60 - Soviet IR AAM with excellent close-range manoeuvrability but lacks the range for farther targets.PL-5B - Chinese domestic IR AAM with impressive thrust and slightly less overload.AIM-9G - one of the most manoeuvrable missile in US service, having impressive burn time but lacking in close range combats.
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