LaGG-3-34

This page is about the Soviet fighter LaGG-3-34. For other uses, see LaGG-3 (Family).

LaGG-3-34

LaGG-3-34

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.3	2.3	2.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

MARKET

Description

The LaGG-3-34 is a premium gift rank II Soviet fighter with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB) and 2.3 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.41.27. This vehicle is currently only available via the Gaijin Marketplace.

This fighter is equipped with a very effective 37 mm gun. As such, it can fight late biplanes and early fighters and will suffer in low altitude engagements due to its weight. However, if used as a heavy fighter (maintaining energy, using altitude and avoiding furballs), the LaGG-3-34 is extraordinarily effective in dealing with planes and tanks.

The LaGG-3-34 is a modification of the LaGG-3 with a nose mounted 37 mm NS-37 auto-cannon that can be equipped with a variety of belts, including AP. It performs decently for a Soviet fighter, though it should be used as a bomber-hunter or anti-tank CAS plane. With 36 rounds for a 37 mm NS-37 mounted through the nose, and a single 12.7 Berezin UB with 200 rounds, the LaGG-3-34 is highly effective after you have mastered this aircraft. It operates well as a bomber interceptor, even though the climb rate may not be the best in its class.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 3 700 m560 km/h

Turn time23 s

Max altitude9 200 m

EngineKlimov VK-105PF

TypeInline

Cooling systemWater

Take-off weight3 t

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 3,700 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	542	527	9200	24.1	25.0	11.5	11.4	450
Upgraded	579	560		22.0	23.0	16.3	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	460	460	280	~11	~8

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear450 km/h

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB977

RB576

SB930

Crew training3 400

Experts23 000

Aces180

Research Aces380 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 40 / 80 / 170 %

2 × 118 / 118 / 118 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Compressor Wings repair Engine	Airframe Cover	ub_belt_pack ub_new_gun ns37_belt_pack ns37_new_gun

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 137 mm NS-37 cannon

Ammunition36 rounds

Fire rate260 shots/min

Weapon 212.7 mm Berezin UBS machine gun

Ammunition200 rounds

Fire rate996 shots/min

The LaGG-3-34 is armed with:

• 1 x 37 mm NS-37 cannon, nose-mounted (36 rpg)
• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, nose-mounted (200 rpg)

Usage in battles

The LaGG-3-34 is very powerful against attacker/bomber aircraft, and though the NS-37 isn't the most accurate, they are large targets you can usually take them out with relative ease. As such it is best to stay at high altitudes in order to dive on enemy bombers. The NS-37 is the same cannon as in the Yak-9T, so players experienced with that aircraft will feel right at home in this aircraft. The LaGG-3-34 can also provide ground support when equipped with AP rounds, although the slight inaccuracy with the cannon can make it difficult at long ranges against tanks.

The Berezin 12.7 mm machine should really always have Air target rounds since it's not very useful when attacking ground targets. Even then it's best used to line up shots for the NS-37: fire a few bursts with just the 12.7 mm until you hit the target, then shoot one or two rounds of 37 mm. This should be all you need to bring down an aircraft at your battle rating.

One interesting effect of this plane is that many enemies will try to head-on you since they will not recognize the aircraft tag and confuse it with a LaGG-3-35. These battles are easily winnable with the 37 mm cannon, as it has the ability to one-shot enemy fighters.

Specific enemies worth noting

Due to the added weight of the large cannon, this plane has excellent energy retention in the vertical but quickly bleeds it while turn fighting. It struggles to keep pace after it loses speed, so players must be wary of any engagements that take place in the horizontal. Many American aircraft at this tier have the ability to out-turn you with flaps, so remain vigilant and do not be lulled into lower altitudes. German and Italian fighters will outperform you at altitude, so it is best to engage them at some distance with the 37 mm.

Counter-tactics

Many people will head-on this aircraft if you use it as a fighter instead of an interceptor. Fire off a few shots with the 37 at .6 km, and then pull up or down to avoid their fire. Any damage to your engine can be fatal, as the glide characteristics of this modification of the LaGG are not very good. Bombers are weary of all aircraft approaching them. As such, coming from directly behind is not advisable. Blasting a wingtip off of a bomber from above is an excellent way to avoid being hit by most gunners.

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:

• Very large and powerful nose mounted gun for rank II
• NS-37 gets HEFI-T* rounds which can take out enemy planes with a single hit
• Good manoeuvrability at its typical speeds
• Has access to 36 shells for the 37 mm gun (6 more than the Yak-9T)
• Semi-rare variation of LaGG-3 to see in the battles, a nasty surprise to the enemy
• Heavy weight allows for excellent speed gain in dives, be careful with lock up

Cons:

• NS-37 isn't very accurate when firing long bursts
• Low ammo count for the Berezin UB 12.7 mm heavy machine gun
• Poor cockpit rear view, a recurring problem with LaGG-3s
• Easily outmanoeuvred by British and Japanese fighters of same rank
• Poor manoeuvrability at low speeds and suffers some locking up at high speeds
• Due to the weight it has some issues with energy retention

History

These planes were used during the battle of Stalingrad with great success against enemy bombers. However, recoil and centre of gravity issues plagued the plane, and the extra weight caused them to suffer from worse performance than other LaGG-3s, which were already somewhat underpowered. The fact that the Il-2s were considered just as effective against ground targets, and the test flight of the Yak-9T which proved a much better platform for the NS-37 gun, spelt the end to this variant of the LaGG-3 with only 40 being produced.

In-game description

In as early as 1940, M.I. Gudkov had the idea of installing large-caliber cannons on the LaGG-3 in order to combat enemy armored vehicles. In the spring of 1941, Y.G. Taubin and B.G. Shpitalny began to develop a model of the fighter equipped with 37 mm cannons.

But development was put toward an anti-tank model of the LaGG-3 (the series 34) with the Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 engine-mounted 37 mm cannon. The NS-37 cannon was installed in the cavity between the engine cylinders instead of the 20 mm ShVAK cannon. The NS-37 cannon's barrel extended significantly beyond the propeller spinner, and was installed in place of the propeller's lengthened hollow shaft with a ratchet.

This meant that the plane's armament consisted of a 37 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 cannon with 12 shells and a 12.7 mm synchronized Berezina UBS machine gun with 200 rounds, installed in the nose section of the fuselage above the engine and to the left.

Wing-mounted bomb racks were not installed. Automatic slats were installed on the wing panels to improve the plane's runway characteristics and maneuverability at low flight speeds.

The anti-tank LaGG-3 with its NS-37 cannon successfully passed state testing, but it took until 30 December 1942 for the military to adopt the cannon itself. Nonetheless, aircraft plant No. 31 in Tbilisi produced the LaGG-3 Series 34 in the autumn of 1942. According to various estimates, between 40 and 65 LaGG-3 Series 34 planes were built.

Planes of this model saw successful use in combat at Stalingrad. Firing from the 37 mm cannon did not shake the plane, and accordingly, did not affect firing accuracy, which was particularly important in battles against armored vehicles.

But the 37 mm NS-37 cannon significantly increased the plane's weight and affected its center of gravity, which seriously reduced its flight characteristics. In addition, the plane's structure poorly withstood the cannon's strong recoil. Further production of this model was stopped in connection with the unacceptable drop in its flight characteristics.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• [sovietwarplanes.com] LaGG-3s with 37 mm guns
• [wio.ru] Lavochkin piston fighters

Obtainable events

• The LaGG-3-34 was obtainable via a pack from the Gaijin Store but has been removed as of recent, making the LaGG-3-34 unobtainable to new players.

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