LaGG-3-66

This page is about the Soviet fighter LaGG-3-66. For other versions, see LaGG-3 (Family).

LaGG-3-66

LaGG-3-35

La-5

LaGG-3-66

LaGG-3-35

La-5

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.0	2.7	2.7

Class:

Fighter

Research:5 600

Purchase:22 000

Show in game

Description

The LaGG-3-66 is a rank II Soviet fighter with a battle rating of 3.0 (AB) and 2.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.31.

The LaGG-3-66 is a jack-of-all-trades type of fighter aircraft. It does not have many weaknesses but does not have many advantages. When flying the LaGG-3-66, it can be used in a variety of roles depending on what you are engaging in combat. Always keep in mind certain planes you battle may be better than the LaGG-3-66 at something.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 3 300 m591 km/h

Turn time21 s

Max altitude9 800 m

EngineKlimov VK-105PF

TypeInline

Cooling systemWater

Take-off weight3 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 3,300 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	572	558	9800	22.4	23.0	11.2	11.1	403
Upgraded	608	591		20.7	21.5	16.6	13.8

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
0	450	440	414	280	~14	~10

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 410	< 380	< 380	> 323

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
700 m	1,260 hp	N/A
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
2,700 m	1,180 hp	N/A

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear450 km/h

• 8 mm Steel - Plate behind pilot's seat
• 55 mm Bulletproof glass

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB657 → 823

RB1 300 → 1 630

SB1 805 → 2 263

Total cost of modifications10 390

13 650

Talisman cost750

Crew training6 300

Experts22 000

Aces250

Research Aces220 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

40 / 100 / 200 %

124 / 124 / 124 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 690 Cost: 910 105 Radiator Research: 690 Cost: 910 105 Compressor Research: 580 Cost: 770 85 Wings repair Research: 650 Cost: 860 100 Engine Research: 650 Cost: 860 100	Airframe Research: 580 Cost: 770 85 Cover Research: 1 700 Cost: 2 200 260	ub_belt_pack Research: 690 Cost: 910 105 ub_new_gun Research: 580 Cost: 770 85 DZ-40 Research: 580 Cost: 770 85 shvak_belt_pack Research: 650 Cost: 860 100 RO-82 Research: 650 Cost: 860 100 shvak_new_gun Research: 1 700 Cost: 2 200 260

Primary upgrade targets are "Compressor" and "Engine" to improve the dogfight performance. Offensive 12.7 mm and Offensive 20 mm belts are next in the priority list. The other upgrades can be chosen at one's own preference, but the additional payload modules are cheap to get as tier 2 and 3 and can be good stepping stones to unlock the next tiers.

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 120 mm ShVAK cannon

Ammunition150 rounds

Fire rate800 shots/min

Weapon 212.7 mm Berezin UBS machine gun

Ammunition200 rounds

Fire rate996 shots/min

The LaGG-3-66 is armed with:

• 1 x 20 mm ShVAK cannon, nose-mounted (150 rpg)
• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, nose-mounted (200 rpg)

Suspended armament

List of setups (4)

Setup 12 x 50 kg FAB-50sv (forged) bomb

Setup 22 x 100 kg FAB-100sv (forged) bomb

Setup 36 x ROS-82 rockets

Setup 46 x RBS-82 rockets

The LaGG-3-66 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs (100 kg total)
• 2 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs (200 kg total)
• 6 x RS-82 rockets
• 6 x RBS-82 rockets

Usage in battles

The LaGG-3's instrument panel.

The LaGG-3-66 compared to others in the LaGG-3 series offers a little more performance but trades it with a higher BR. This plane is a "jack of all trades, master of none" type of aircraft. When the LaGG-3-66 gets up-tiered, it will face opponents in far superior planes that will outperform the LaGG-3-66 with no issues. Therefore, when flying the LaGG-3-66 in up-tiered matches, keep your energy high and always force the enemy to fight on your terms.

When using this plane, it can be used in a variety of roles depending on what ordnance (secondary weapons), you may carry:

• Bomber Hunter: the LaGG-3-66 is a capable bomber hunter, especially when using the rockets. Bombers that you would meet will easily disintegrate from a single rocket hit the majority of the time or be crippled so badly that they will eventually crash. Also, the cannon and machine gun on the plane can do damage to enemy bombers as well, it will take some time but eventually the enemy bomber will go down.

• Air Superiority: the LaGG-3-66 is a capable air superiority fighter as it can fight as an energy or turn fighter depending on what you face. But no matter what happens, you must always keep your energy up. There is a high chance in the LaGG-3-66 to face planes that can outperform this plane with no issues except in low-speed manoeuvres.

Specific enemies worth noting

• Supermarine Spitfires - The Spitfire is a plane to be feared when flying the LaGG-3-66 as many of the key strengths the LaGG-3-66 has, the Spitfire has (if not better). When battling the Spitfire, always try to go for the initial hit as early Spitfires (Spitfire Mk I/IIa) do not react well to damage. If you are battling cannon armed Spitfires, always go for the initial hit but remember the cannon armed Spitfire has far superior firepower compared to the LaGG-3-66 and will have no issues destroying the LaGG-3-66. Always remember not to get into manoeuvring fights with Spitfires as they will easily outmanoeuvre the LaGG-3-66 at any speeds.

• Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa and Mitsubishi A6M Reisen - When battling these planes, altitude is everything. These two Japanese planes will have no issue outperforming a LaGG-3-66 in manoeuvrability. Therefore when facing these two enemy planes, use Boom and Zoom tactics to defeat them. The Ki-43 and the A6M are some of the few planes that the LaGG-3-66 will face that can easily defeat the LaGG-3-66 at low-speed manoeuvring air to air combat.

• Vought F4U Corsair and Grumman F6F Hellcat - The Corsair and the Hellcat should be feared as their firepower (compared to the LaGG-3-66's firepower) and superior speed are major factors to watch out for. Do not try to outrun or go for head-on attacks if possible when confronting the F4U Corsair or the F6F Hellcat. Turn fighting is your best chance of success as the LaGG-3-66 will have no issue out turning them.

• Macchi C.205 - This plane is another key enemy of the LaGG-3-66. The Macchi C.205 is a capable enemy that can outperform the LaGG-3-66 in every category except at low speeds. When facing the Macchi C.205 try to force low-speed turn fighting, eventually, the advantage will fall to the LaGG-3-66.

Counter-tactics

Countering the LaGG-3-66 is going to become a case of what your plane's advantage is. The LaGG-3-66 does not have many weaknesses nor does it have any major advantages. Therefore to shoot down the LaGG-3-66 is going to come down to what your plane's advantage is over the LaGG-3-66. If you are in a plane that has a higher BR than the LaGG-3-66, more than likely your plane's advantages will easily outweigh the LaGG-3-66's advantages except in low speed fights.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good armament
• Good energy fighter
• Rockets can be used for air to air combat
• Decent cannon ammo count
• Best performance at low altitude (< 3,000 m)
• Thick bulletproof glass to protect the pilot in head-on attacks
• Stable gun platform
• Dangerous at low speeds

Cons:

• Control surface compression at high speeds
• Poor performance at high altitude
• When up tiered this plane faces opponents that easily outperform this plane

History

Archive of the in-game description

The series 66 planes were the last series model of the LaGG-3. Outwardly, fighters of this series could be differentiated by their new cockpit canopy (the same one used on the La-5), and its frontal bullet-proof glass. Additional changes included a lighter fuselage frame, altered airvent shape and the installation of bomb rack fairings. As with the Series 35 fighters, the LaGG-3 Series 66 was equipped with an expanded water radiator, an altered airvent shape, automatic wing slats and a retractable tail wheel. The plane's aerodynamics were significantly refined. In particular due to altered water and oil radiator tubes and newly installed fairings on the exhaust pipes. The VISh-61P propeller was replaced with the VISh-105SV, which had wider blades. The propeller spinner also became slightly wider and took on a flatter shape. LaGG-3 Series 66 fighters were practically never used as attack aircraft, so they did not receive missile equipment. Factory No. 31 in Tbilisi produced LaGG-3 Series 66 planes starting in the spring of 1943. In June 1944, production of the LaGG-3 ceased once and for all. The LaGG-3 Series 66 was the lightest and most aerodynamic series of the LaGG-3s, but even they could not compare to the new Yak and La fighters. Nonetheless, planes of this model saw successful use in air combat above Kuban and in the storming of Novorossiysk. LaGG-3s were widely used in navy units in the Baltic and Black Sea fleets. In the final stage of the war, LaGG-3s were primarily used in economy-of-force operations due to their poor flight characteristics, and fought in the Baltics and the Karelian Isthmus. In August 1945, LaGG-3 planes took part in combat operations against Japan in the Far East. By the end of 1945, the air force had practically no LaGG-3s left in its combat units. In total, 6,528 LaGG-3s were produced between the years of 1941 and 1944, with their production hitting its peak in 1942.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the LaGG-3-66 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance

Lavochkin Design Bureau (Лавочкинa Опытное конструкторское бюро)
LaGG-3*	I-301 · LaGG-3-4 · LaGG-3-8 · LaGG-3-11 · LaGG-3-23 · LaGG-3-34 · LaGG-3-35 · LaGG-3-66
La-5/7	La-5 · La-5F · La-5FN · La-7 · Dolgushin's La-7 · La-7B-20
La-9/11	La-9 · La-11
Jet Fighters	La-15 · La-174 · La-200
Export	␗La-9 · ␗La-11
Captured	▀La-5FN
	*Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov (Лавочкин-Горбунов-Гудков), head designer V. P. Gorbunov