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 for the WIM site
Soviet GB, & it shows.)
