Lavochkin La-21 Firedog: Done - pic's pg.1

[Old Wombat]

Beginning life with the demise of the unsuccessful La-250/A 2-seat interceptor the OKB-301 design team went back to basics & created a new aircraft from the ground up.

Smaller & faster than the La-250 this design was built as the single-seat La-275 for experimental purposes. It utilised information purportedly stolen from the Swedes, including an afterburning, re-engineered variant of the RR Avon engine.

The design was sufficiently superior to the near-contemporary MiG-21 as an interceptor for it to be accepted for this role in 1963, with the MiG-21 being assigned the "fighter" role at home.

On acceptance the experimental designation La-275 was dropped & the official designation La-21 was applied.

This aircraft type was given the NATO reporting name Firedog.



Pic's to follow in the next few days (I hope).

[Old Wombat]

Lavochkin La-21G (NATO reporting name: Firedog)

The La-21's success prevented OKB-301 (Lavochkin) being fully absorbed into Vladimir Chelomey's OKB-52, allowing the design team to go on to build 3 more successful jet fighters & inserting their own work into the Soviet space program, free of Chelomey's OKB-52 influence.

Originally wired for the Kaliningrad K-5 (AA-1 'Alkali') & K-8 (R-8) (AA-3 'Anab') missiles by the mid-70's they were carrying the Molniya (now Vympel) R-60 (AA-8 'Aphid') & Vympel R-23 (AA-7 'Apex').

The La-21 was phased out of Soviet operational service during the mid-1980's. They were never sold to client states.















The pictured aircraft, Yellow 08,  is a La-21G of an unknown unit operating from Afrikanda-2 Air Base, Murmansk Oblast, in the mid-1970's, carrying 4 x AA-8 'Aphid' missiles on the wing hard-points & 2 x drop-tanks on the belly hard-points. The AA-7 'Apex' (& earlier AA-3) missiles could only be carried on the belly hard-points, thus limiting the La-21's range.

Crew:
1

Armament:
2 x Nudelman-Rikhter NR-30 30mm autocannon (all models)
4 x Kaliningrad K-5 (AA-1 'Alkali') – La-21 to La-21E(early)
4 x Molniya (now Vympel) R-60 (AA-8 'Aphid') – La-21E(late) onwards
2 x Kaliningrad K-8 (R-8) (AA-3 'Anab') – La-21 to La-21E(early)
2 x Vympel R-23 (AA-7 'Apex') - La-21E(late) onwards

Fuel Load:
Internal – 2,500L (approx.)
External – 1,000L in 2 x 500L drop-tanks



(Note: This was a [for me] quick & dirty build, & it shows.)

[RAFF-35]

That's so cool  great Sovietisation of the draken, all the little fillets and bulges really make a difference to the look of the aircraft 

[NARSES2]

Cracking job, come out really well 

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, gents!





For info: TThere is nothing imported from any other kit, just some styrene sheet, PSR & some judicious sanding - even the missiles are converted from the kit parts.

[Captain Canada]

Nice work ! Love the intakes. Funny how much things change with a red star ! Great stuff.

[DogfighterZen]

The tail and intakes really make it look Soviet, love the canons in the wingroots and the loadout, the scheme and the story! Very nice work!

[zenrat]

What a fantastic job.  Well done.

[Old Wombat]

Thank you all, gentlemen! Much appreciated!

[JasonW]

Like the looks of this one, subtle yet very effective transformation of the Draken. Love the back story too.

[chrisonord]

Liking that, and the intakes look perfect on it.
Chris

[Old Wombat]

Thank you very much, gentlemen!

[Jesse220]

Looks like the Chinese copy of the Saab Draken