Lavochkin La-168
The Lavochkin La -168 (Russian Лавочкин Ла -168, NATO reporting name "Type 15") is a Soviet experimental fighter aircraft from the second half of the 40s. It is regarded as one of the precursor pattern of mass-produced jet fighter La - 15th
Development
It was developed from the experience of the first Soviet swept-wing fighter La - 160. However, it was the first time that the designer, Semyon Lavochkin went off of it to place the jet engine in the front. Since the engine was in the rear, which until then Lawotschkins structures so characteristic tail boom fell off. Equipped with an ejector seat, pressurized aircraft cockpit could therefore also be placed far forward.
The La -168 was designed as a cantilever shoulder -wing monoplane of all-metal semi- monocoque construction. During maintenance on the engine, it was possible to remove the entire rear fuselage area, so that an optimal access was possible. At the rear were two hydraulically extendable air brakes. The swept to 37 ° airfoil was zweiholmig and had two per side boundary layer fences. The four located in the fuselage tanks could hold 1430 liters of fuel, extending its reach, it was possible to fit a 610 liter extra fuel tank under the fuselage. As drive you chose the replica of the British Rolls- Royce Nene II engine, the RD- 45F. RD is the Russian acronym for Reaktiwny Dwigatel ( Реактйвный двигатель ), jet engine.
Flight testing began on April 22, 1948 by Ivan Fyodorov Yevgrafovich. In this disease a top speed of Mach 0.982 was achieved. In October of the same year, the La -168 graduated from the State loss. Series production was not in favor of the MiG -15. However, the pattern formed together with the second, almost identical prototypes La - 174, the initial model for the La - 15th The La -174 differed from the La -168 used by the Rolls-Royce Derwent engine as well as a slightly increased span and enlarged tailplane and a resulting higher weight. Nevertheless, the La -174 achieved a better performance than the La - 168th
A successor was the La -176, in which the hull some changes were done. With this type could be reached on 1 December 26, 1948 in the dive for the first time in the USSR Mach.
The term 168 refers only to the serial number. The second prototype La -174 is not to be confused with the La 174TK, a further development of the La - 150M.