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La-176 Piloted Fighter (1949)

Already in the design of a fighter, "168", it became clear that the high-speed data can be improved and the aircraft may reach the speed of sound, if applied with greater wing sweep. Therefore, just behind "168" th project was developed and built experimental fighter "176". It was established wing with a sweep angle of 45 degrees instead of 35-37 degrees all previous aircraft. The original "176" s been equipped with a Nene engine. Armament: 1 H-37 gun (37 mm), 2 gun HP-23 (23 mm).

Flight tests began in Moscow on his September 22, 1948. The first flight made a test pilot EDO IE Fedorov, and then fly sovershall young test pilot EDO OV Sokolovsky.

In October, due to the weather it was decided to test the aircraft "176" translate the Crimea (Saki). In December, the flights resumed. Captain O. Sokolovsky, gradually increasing the speed of December 26, 1948, in flight from the reduction reached a speed corresponding to Mach 1.0 at an altitude of 9060 meters, which was officially confirmed by the specialists of TsAGI and LII.

In January, the aircraft was equipped with the engine VC-1. The wing with a sweep of 45 °, combined with a powerful engine VC-1 has greatly improved characteristics of the fighter, come close to the speed of sound. In late January, with a reduction in flights has been obtained number M = 1,016-1,03, and in level flight at an altitude of 7500 meters M = 0.99 (the speed of 1105 km / h).

However, the tests were inconclusive. February 3, 1949 the aircraft "176" crashed due to a lantern opened on takeoff, the pilot test OV Sokolovsky was killed. How to set the alarm Commission Sokolovsky securely locked before flying lantern, and on takeoff flap opened. The young pilot took a risky decision - in flight tried to close the torch and continue the job. It cost him his life.

The disaster not only interrupted the trial (all were performed 33 flight, among them - 11 with VC-1), but also to a large extent caused the official reserve management of the country in respect of the outstanding achievements of Soviet aviation, and undoubtedly influenced the decision later decision on the discontinuation of the La-15.

Further work on the car, "176" is not carried out, since similar work began in the Mikoyan Design Bureau based on serial MiG-15.

SA Lavochkin was a pioneer of the application of the swept wing in Russian jet aircraft. Lavochkin Design Bureau were picked up by other fighter design bureaus. In 1949 were built and released for testing its similar aircraft with a wing sweep of 45 degrees Mikoyan and Yakovlev (MiG-17 and Yak-50). In 1951, the MiG-17 was put into production and produced in large quantities until the mid-1950s, confirming the high aerodynamic qualities of such a scheme.