Lavochkin La-15K

By Olivier Lacombe

Cooperativa, 1/72

 

 

In 1949, one year after the La-15 first flew, the Soviet Navy leaders became aware of the need to replace the obsolete Hellcats they were using on the Ukraine SSR and Lenin SSR. They tasked Lavochkin OKB to come up with a naval version of the La-15, which had lost out the fighter role in the VVS to the MiG-15, thus freeing the design bureau for different work. With the help of Major Olivienev Jakovitch Lacombski, a veteran pilot from the VVS who had on the Ely during the war, they made the following modifications to the plane:

  • Reinforcement of the landing gears
  • Addition of a retractable tail hook
  • Folding wings
  • Aerodynamic refinements

After extensive wind tunnel trials, the second set of fences on the wings of the aircraft was deemed superfluous and was removed. Conversion of the first aircraft was undertaken by the KnAAPoOZQc plant on the shores of Lake Baikal. Surprisingly, there was little to do to reinforce the gears, since the aircraft had been built with unprepared runways in mind and was thus very strong. Major Lacombski took the diminutive fighter in the air for the first time in 1950, and the Derwent-powered fighter quickly proved it had the right stuff, beating the MiG-15K in a face-off. The MiG always suffered from damage caused to the fuselage when deck landing due to the short stroke of the undercarriage.

The first La-15K squadron took to the sea in 1951, on the rebuilt Lenin. It sailed to the Korean peninsula, where the Americans had the shock of their lives when the Panther pilots reported blue painted Soviet jet fighters…

The kit

What you have here is the Cooperativa 1/72 La-15 kit. It looks like some old Airfix kit and is very easy to build, the construction taking a mere two weeks. Seams are prominent, but easy to reach. The wing fold cut was made between the flap and the aileron, right along a panel line, simplifying the job.

Paints are Gunze, the blue being a mix and the grey being Ocean Grey. Decals are from the kit. Naval info taken from JoeP's posts.


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Text and photos Copyright © 2003 Olivier Lacombe

Page created December 11, 2003