Lavochkin La-200

La-200
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Type	Interceptor aircraft
Manufacturer	Lavochkin
Maiden flight	16 September 1949
Status	Project cancelled
Primary user	Soviet Air Force

The Lavochkin La-200 was a Soviet all-weather interceptor aircraft which first flew in 1949. It remained a prototype.

The design used two turbojet engines arranged one behind the other in the fuselage due to their big diameter, with the exhaust pipe of the forward engine located below the wings.

The Soviet government ordered Lavochkin bureau in 1947, as well as Sukhoi and MiG, to build an interceptor fighter, fitted with a radar. A result were three similar aircraft: Lavochkin's "200", Mikoyan-Gurevich I-320 and Su-15. The first prototype of "200" (it had no official La designation) flew on 16 September 1949. It was fitted initially with Toriy radar, with central cover in an air intake. Tests came out well, but the radar was not reliable, so it was decided to fit "200" with a new radar Korshun. In January 1951 the prototype was modified, with Korshun radar in a cover in an upper part of the air intake, and smaller improvements. It underwent state trials with a satisfactory result (the maximum speed was 1070 km/h), and it was recommended for a production. However, Korshun radar has not been perfected, and it was considered to fit the plane with similar Izumrud radar. It was not proceeded, because in 1951 Stalin decided not to produce point-defense interceptors and produce surface-to-air missiles and area-defence interceptors instead.

File:Lavochkin La-200.jpg

Lavochkin La-200 in initial configuration, with Toriy radar

As a result, La-200 did not enter production, and Yakovlev was given an order for a new long-range area defence interceptor, with new Sokol radar. Lavochkin bureau tried, however, to modify La-200 to meet new requirements. The prototype was converted to aircraft "200B". It received a new nose, with a big Sokol radar cover, and three small pocket-like air intakes. Mass increased and performance worsened. The modified prototype "200B" flew on 6 July 1952. Only in 1953 it was fitted with radar. It was next used as a test aircraft in Sokol radar development. Finally, further development of La-200 was canceled, and Sokol radar was fitted to new Yakovlev Yak-25.

Specifications (La-200B)

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General characteristics

• Crew: Two
• Length: 17.33 m (56 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 12.96 m (42 ft 6 in)
• Height: ()
• Wing area: 40 m² (431 ft²)
• Empty weight: 8,810 kg (19,382 lb)
• Loaded weight: 11,560 kg (25,432 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 16,244 kg (35,737 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Klimov VK-1A turbojets, 30.7 kN (6,820 lbf) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 1,030 km/h (558 knots, 642 mph)
• Range: 960 km (518 nm, 599 miles)
• Service ceiling: 14,125 m (46,330 ft)
• Rate of climb: 1,429 m/min (4,687 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 289 kg/m² (59 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 2.6 N/kg

Armament

• 3 × 37 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 cannon

References

• Ugolok Neba (also photos and drawings) Template:Ru icon

See also

Comparable aircraft
I-320 - Su-15 - Yak-25 - F3D Skyknight - F-89 Scorpion Designation sequence
La-176 - La-180 - La-190 - La-200 - La-250 Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS
• List of fighter aircraft

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lavochkin La-200".