Рыбин, Ю. В. Советские асы на Харрикейнах в годы Второй Мировой Войны / Юрий Рыбин . – [Б. м. ] : Osprey Publishing, 2012. – 97 с. : ил., портр. – Англ. яз.

C HA PTE R ONE The LaGG-3's primary shortcoming was its excessive weight. The aircraft's all-wood construction, w ith load-bearing components of laminated plywood, was too heavy for the fighter's low-powered M-105PF engine The Bell P-39 Airacobra had an impressive performance but was difficult to fly, and therefore unsuitable for many newly-trained Soviet pilots in 1942-43 because of their limited flying experience. These particular machines were assigned to Northern Fleet Air Force regiment 255th IAP, this regiment regularly escorting Hurricanes of 27th and 78th IAPs during 1943-44 M-105 engine was underpowered too. Many manoeuvres could result in a considerable loss of altitude, which meant that dogfighting below 1000 m was to be avoided at all cost. Finnish and German pilots frequently reported incidents of LaGG-3s crashing even though they had not come under fire. In addition, the fighter required a lengthy takeoff run, and had a tendency to swing to starboard. The Airacobra offered superior characteristics. It was relatively forgiving to inexperienced pilots on takeoff and landing thanks to the excellent view resulting from its unique nose-wheel undercarriage. Yet there were disadvantages with the Bell machine that prevented it from being widely used in the USSR. With its mid-mounted engine located behind the cockpit, the Airacobra was not always predictable in flight. The fighter demanded precision and accuracy during manoeuvres in the vertical plane, for any loss of speed could all too easily lead to a flat spin from which it was all but impossible to recover. In many respects the Curtiss P-40 was the mirror image of the Airacobra, being easy to fly. Indeed, it could be sluggish like the Hurricane, but with a noticeable tendency to turn as speed increased. This made flying rather more complicated, especially when approaching maximum horizontal speed, which, in any case, Soviet pilots were warned to avoid so as to conserve precious fuel and oil —both in short supply in 1941-42. The aircraft was generally stable in flight, even at slow speeds. Compared with the Airacobra, landing and takeoff seemed fairly complicated in the P-40, especially with the Tomahawk II and Kittyhawk I variants. During its landing roll the aircraft could veer sharply to the left or right, and it was even difficult to keep straight when taxiing. Accidents in Soviet service were not infrequent. The principal drawback of the early P-40 variants, however, lay in their operational characteristics. The problem was that the first series Allison V-1710-33 engines were very sensitive to the strength of their 10 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com