Warbird Information Exchange

Gentlemen,

together with some friends, I am seriously looking for the original plans and documentary to rebuild a soviet LaGG 3 fighter plane from WWII.

If someone should have an idea on how to find and where to purchase a respective set of plans and documentaries, please let me know. They may either be digitally stored on a CD or be real paper blueprints. But I am only looking for original construction plans, and nothing else.

Again: I am NOT A MODELLER. I am talking about the real thing. I am of the opinion that, there are so many YAK 3 in the world already that, a LaGG 3 would only be a most attractive alternative.

As my friends an me are experienced carpenters, and having access to sophisticated CAD and CAM-equipment as well as, having access to a well equipped workshop, we are looking forward to putting our skills to a test - which, hopefully, will resume in a LaGG 3's second first flight, after a reasonable amount of time.

Any ideas how to help me?

Cheers!

Montanamotor

That may be hard to come by. But you never know. Personally I prefer the LA-5. Its a 3 with a radial engine. In the LAVOCHKIN book by GORDON. The radial really made that airframe go. It was said the airplane was just to heavy for the horsepower the RUSSIAN V-12 could deliver.

Thanks for the tip, vanguard. Yes, I know about that. On the other hand, the wooden Lagg/La airframe gives you one of the very few choices to add an engine at will: Put in an Allison V-1710 and fly a LaGG 3, or add a Curtiss-Wright R 2600 and ride a La 5. It's always good to have a choice in life, isn't it...?

Interestingly enough is that, when comparing the actual figures of several other contemporary fighter planes with the LaGG 3, this argument of the LaGG 3 being too heavy almost completely disappears. Put in a row with Bf 109, Spitfire and Hurricane, it's exactly as heavy or as light as they are.

One thing that is correct, though, is that the LaGG 3 was heavily armed in the first batches and, carried a comparatively big amount of fuel in her days - maybe too much so when being delivered to the soviet fighter units for the first time, which were not accustomed to such bulk and, the respective behaviour, yet - coming from light, nimble Polikarpov I-153 and, I-16, as they were.

I rather suspect that, the Lag-series-fighters were the first MODERN, heavily armed fighters for the red airforce, and their pilots wer not accustomed to their feel and habits yet, when they first got in contact with them.

In the end, the Lagg 3 cannot have been that bad a plane as is so often reported in many sources. Because: You don't change a dog into a racehorse just by swapping the engine. So, the bare substance of the Lagg 3's airframe must have been basically sound, to allow the next-generation La 5 to flex it's muscles to the extend which it finally did.

But that's not important for me, anyway. What counts for me is this: The Lagg/La fighters are among the very few fighter aircraft which were made from wood in WWII, they feature elegant, atractive lines, IN LATER VARIANTS (Emphasis added purposefully!) their behaviour and performance was as good as one can expect from any other fighter of WW II, and they payed a great tribute to saving their country, as well.

And there's one thing not to forget, also: I simply like the looks of those Lagg 3, series 34/35 or later...

So, any advise how to get along some genuine plans of it to rebuild one would still sincerely be most welcome.

Has anybody contact to aircraft-afficionados in Russia...? Could the Commemorative Airforce know of a way to go, perhaps...?

Cheers!

Montanamotor

I have asked my Russian contact if he has drawings, or knows if they are available. Will advise.

Dave

Thanks, Dave.

I'll stand by.

Cheers!

Montanamotor

Just to inform you - in this matter, I have sent this following email to the address contained: The russian NAPO aircraft factory in Novosibirsk, Russia, which in is still in existence and during 1941-42 also has built LaGG 3 for the soviet airforce.

Quote:

Sirs,

I am an aircraft-enthusiast from Germany. Together with some other friends, only recently we have agreed on a plan to re-build and fly a fighter aircraft from World War II.

Yet, as our skills are mostly concentrated on woodworking, realizing this plan completely depends on finding a fighter-aircraft of WW II, which was made of wood as much as possible.

We identified the famous LaGG 3-fighter aircraft as a very attractive option for our plans. And as your website shows, LaGG 3 aircraft have been build by your company in 1941 and 1942.

So I dare asking you the following questions:

a. Does your company still posess the original construction plans, blueprints, partslists and other documentary neccessary to rebuild the LaGG 3-fighter aircraft?

b. Would you sell us a set of respective plans and documentaries?

c. What charge would you put up on us, to sell us a set of respective plans and documentaries?

d. I have noticed that, your company has cooperated in the 1990ies with the New Zealand-based Alpine Fighter Society, to restore some Polikarpov I-16 and, I-153 fighterplanes from WW II, already.

Therefore, I'd like to ask you some additional questions:

d.1.: Would your company potentially be capable and willing to maybe rebuild Lagg 3-aircraft by yourself and sell it to us as an airworthy plane? (The same way, as Yak rebuilds and sells their WWII-Yak 3-fighters as rebuilds actually.)

d.2.: Whould the price for a COMPLETE LaGG 3-fighter from your company be a match for the price of a Yak 3?

I do hope I am not embarrassing you with these questions. I admit that still, they are actually mostly for orientation purposes.

But: I am NOT about stealing your time, only. Be shure of the fact that, IF you were able to answer some of these questions positively, I would only be glad to further discuss this matter with my project partners very seriously.

And if there was a possible way for us to proceed our project together with you, we would very sincerely try to find a way to do so.

Hoping to hear from you, I remain Yours sincerely,

Unquote.

Answer pending...

Good luck to all the ones who would try to help me with my endeavour.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Cheers!

Montanamotor

Hi,

maybe I have identified another possible source for LaGG 3-plans - see text.

Quote:

"The regiment was a part of the army's 257 mixed aircraft division (435 IAP 257 SAD). This Lavochkin Gorbunov Goudkov LaGG-3 was shot down in air battle with two Fw 190's of 13./JG 5 over Akhmalakhti area. Crashed at lake Lille Skardvatnet, near Kirkenes. The pilot JLt F.I. Marasev escaped unhurt. SNo 7043 of Series 70 was produced by Zavod 31 in Tbilisi,Georgia in October 1943. It was received by the army on 06.01.44 and arrived to the 7th Army's 260 SAD directly from the factory on 17.02.44 together with 39 other LaGG-3s. All these 40 LaGGs were handed over to 435 IAP."

Unquote.

Taken from: http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/skardvatnet.html

Zavod (factory) 31 in Tbilisi, Georgia built the LaGG 3, too - and according to my sources, they did so longer than any other factory in Russia did. Therefore, their aircraft definitely will have incorporated each and every improvement which was EVER possible for the LaGG 3, anyway.

Makes them a very attractive choice.

Does anybody know what happened to Zavod 31 in Tbilisi? Could there be any documentaries left somewhere?

Cheers!

Montanamotor

Hi!

Maybe I found another text - of which somebody else might draw important hints on surviving construction plans for the LaGG 3.

Quote:

(Zavod) 31 im.
Dimitrova
(from 1934)
Taganrog Lebedev plant 1916 & 'Lebed' since 1920, then GAZ-10
(aircraft) 1920 & zavod 31 1927; built aircraft, mostly
seaplanes, R-1, R-6, MR-1, TB-3, MBR-2, MDR-4, MDR-6,
ANT-9, LaGG-3 and Sh-2; p/ya 19 Tekhnika (1940); evacuated
10/41 to Tbilisi absorbing zavody 45 & 448; Taganrog site
reopened as zavod 86 in 9/43

Unquote.

Taken from http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/econo ... lltext.pdf

PDF-document:

Numbered Soviet Aviation Factories,
1921–1941
Keith Dexter
University of Warwick
The.Dexters@virgin.net
PERSA Working Paper
No. 22

Someone out there, who could make best use of these informations to track down a source for construction plans of the LaGG 3?

Cheers!

Montanamotor

Gentlemen,

could THIS ONE be the Taganrog factory which was mentioned above...?

Beriev Design Bureau
Aviatorov Sq.,1
Taganrog, Russia 347923
Tel: 7-86344-499-01
Fax: 7-86344-414-54
Gennady Panatov, President & General Designer

(Dis)-approval welcome!

Cheers!

Montanamotor

LAST -

but in no way least:

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=778

and

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=3202

Well: Zavod no. 31 is ALIVE...!

I know about the actual political tensions between Russia and Georgia, of course. But would there be any chance that, someone might be able to find out the proper address of Zavod No. 31 (which I couldn't) and maybe ask them the one, decisive question, also: Is it still there...? The LaGG 3's plans and paperwork, I mean.

Cheers!

Montanamotor



UPDATE!

Look, what I found - new name and address for Zavod 31:

Jsc Tbilaviamsheni
Address : 181, B. Khmelnitsky Str. 00136 Tbilisi
Country : Georgia
Phone : +995 32 703265
MainMarkets : Aerospace

No working website, though.

Cheers!

Montanamotor