How I fly the LaGG

[WokeUpDead]

I've been playing this game for a couple of months now after playing 1946 for years, and I'm enjoying myself a lot.  Just like in 1946 I find that the German planes are more balanced and easier to fly, while the Soviet ones have some obvious weaknesses as well as some great strengths.  To learn BoS as fast as possible I decided to start by concentrating on what's generally thought of as the "worst" plane, the LaGG, figuring that if I can do well in that one I can do well in better planes too.  Here's what I found:

 

Weaknesses:

• It is the slowest fighter in BoS
• It is likely the slowest climbing fighter in BoS
• It is underpowered for its weight and its wing loading isn't great either, so it loses energy fast in sustained maneuvers.  Without gravity assist it feels heavy and starts to wallow after just a turn or two.
• It is only an average turn fighter: it should out-turn the 190, it won't out-turn the 109F-4, and it can turn with the 109G-2 but the German plane can choose to dive away, climb away, or run away at any time.

Strenghts:

• It's not a bad turn fighter: it should out-turn the 190, and it can turn with the 109G-2.
• The gun!  The 23mm Vya is probably the best air-to-air cannon in this game.  Don't think that it's only a little bit better than the 20mm German or Soviet guns, the 23mm bullet is actually twice as heavy as the Soviet 20mm Shvak bullet, and it has a ~25% higher muzzle velocity too.  Combine that with being able to choose all explosive bullets in your belts and this gun hits HARD, you can de-wing He-111s with a well-placed second-long burst.
• The roll rate.  It's surprisingly snappy, a scissors maneuver is a good defense against a 109 on your tail.  Add a rolling element to it along with some throttle and flap trickery and you can get your pursuer to overshoot and end up in front of you.  In an even turn fight, use your roll rate to do some quick high and low yo-yos which will help you conserve energy and might confuse your enemy or even make him lose sight of you.
• Toughness.  No plane can afford to take sustained fire, but if you need to risk a maneuver that will put you in your enemy's sights just for a split second then you're more likely to survive it in a LaGG than in most any other plane in the game.

 

Tactics.  

 

Avoid taking the LaGG deep into enemy territory.  All Soviet fighters are worse at this than German ones, but the MiG at least is fast up high, the La-5 is fast down low, the Yak and the I-16 may be able to maneuver their way out of trouble, but the LaGG has really no good answers against better planes or against a bounce, it needs the home-turf advantage of having friendly aa to run to or nearby friendly aircraft to call to.  If you do need to take it into enemy airspace then climb to 4-5000m over your airfield, arrive at the front line with a cool engine so you can shut your radiator and push your engine for a few minutes if necessary, and limit yourself to hit and run tactics planned in such a way that your nose is pointing home after your hit.

 

Ideally, the LaGG is best used as a point-defense fighter.  Look at the map, look where enemy airfields and friendly ground forces are, and patrol the area in-between, closer to your forces.  If you encounter a bomber or ground attack aircraft then you can dispatch them quickly with your Vya.  If the attackers have cover then they might be flying lower than you to cover the ground-pounders, you should be at 3-5000m.  If they engage you then be very aggressive and try to finish the fight quickly; the longer the fight goes the more likely they are to get an energy advantage.  Don't try to get above your opponent unless you started with an energy advantage, you won't be able to. Stay below them where you're harder to see but try to have enough momentum to pull up for a shot if an opportunity arises.

 

If it ever gets to the point where your opponent climbs to where you can't reach him (109) or extends to where you can't catch him (190), then don't pursue: shallow dive to reach your ground force's aa where your attackers will be nervous about following you.  If they follow then drag them down low where help from aa or friendly pilots is more likely; if they don't follow then keep an eye on them while you climb in circles.

 

Good luck and have fun!

[-TBC-AeroAce]

Seems about right

[Finkeren]

Good points, but I don't get why evaluate the LaGG by BoS standards under strengths and weaknesses ("the slower fighter in BoS") and then go on to compare it with BoM planes like the MiG-3 and I-16?

 

Thing is, while clearly outclassed by its late 1942 contemporaries in BoS, the LaGG s.29 is actually not that poor a fighter in a BoM setting.

[andyw248]

Interesting analysis. Since I haven't even tried the LaGG in combat scenarios myself this gives me a good framework.

[Guest deleted@50488]

Very nice reading and info!  Thx for sharing!

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

Don't try to get above your opponent unless you started with an energy advantage, you won't be able to. Stay below them where you're harder to see but try to have enough momentum to pull up for a shot if an opportunity arises.!

I don't agree with this tbh. In an ongoing dogfight where the enemy uses dive-climb attacks you should always use the breaks between his attacks to gain energy. Either by climbing (and thus forcing your enemy to climb more, too) or increasing airspeed. Either way you must stay above min manouvre speed, for the lagg I'd say 320km/h. Otherwise you won't be able to evade further attacks form the enemy fighter in time.

 

If it ever gets to the point where your opponent climbs to where you can't reach him (109) or extends to where you can't catch him (190), then don't pursue: shallow dive to reach your ground force's aa where your attackers will be nervous about following you.  If they follow then drag them down low where help from aa or friendly pilots is more likely; if they don't follow then keep an eye on them while you climb in circles.

 

Good luck and have fun!

 

The Lagg is an excellent trainer for defensive manouvre tactics. if you are not very familiar with them or the aircraft, escape tacics are probably more adviseable. If you know how to to play "cat and mouse" with your enemy from a lower energy position the Lagg is starting to get fun.

 

For defensive manouvering you need to have constantly speed above min manouvre speed and good sight to your enemy. Lose one of them and you'll lose the fight. Your main goal is to stay lower than your enemy and waiting for him to attack, preferrably with high airspeed so he can't manouvre well. Right before he shoots you use defensive manouvres (scissors, barrel rolls, spiral dive turn, fake-headon ect) to make him overshoot.

 

Experienced german pilots than would start climbing and regaining their initial energy. If thats the case level out, preserve manouvre speed and climb (not nessecarily directly after the enemy). Get yourself in a good position to evade his next attack.

 

If the enemy pilot overshoots and starts to turn or extending the dive you're now have an opportunity to attack. Timing is very important though as your enemy still has more energy and will regain the upperhand as your time window for attack closes quickly.

 

As for the La-5 it's all about speed in the Lagg-3. At manouvre speed it's able to outroll 109s with ease, equal with 190s and even turn sharp for short time. Always keep an eye on your airspeed as anything above corner speed is starting to make the aircraft less manouvreable.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Stab/JG26_5tuka

[Y-29.Silky]

WokeUpDead...

 

What you need to do, is message me. That's exactly what you need to do. I [Edited] on 109's trying to gain energy or dive.... PM me, let's fly it together, I'll show you the ropes..
DO NOT, listen to what people say here. No offense to them because they're very respectable pilots, but I have many hours in the Lagg. I have more hours in the Lagg than any other aircraft in this game by a long shot.

... And with that said, you have to actually fly it to learn it's true capabilities. 

 

... I will walk you through it.

 

Edited January 18, 2016 by Bearcat
Language

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

DO NOT, listen to what people say here.

Maybe elaborate so others who read the topic know why everyone else has a wrong mindset flying the Lagg.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Stab/JG26_5tuka

[SteelValkyrie]

WokeUpDead...

 

What you need to do, is message me. That's exactly what you need to do. I Sh!t on 109's trying to gain energy or dive.... PM me, let's fly it together, I'll show you the ropes..

DO NOT, listen to what people say here. No offense to them because they're very respectable pilots, but I have many hours in the Lagg. I have more hours in the Lagg than any other aircraft in this game by a long shot.

... And with that said, you have to actually fly it to learn it's true capabilities. 

 

... I will walk you through it.

 

 

I've started flying Russian more and I'm enjoying learning the La-5/Mig-3 and such, but I'm not particularly confident enough to take the aforementioned craft out on a lone wolf sortie yet.

 

Do you have steam or a particular time you jump on TS? If so lemmie know as I'd love to get involved in a crash course of this beautiful Stalinwood kite (I tried messaging you btw, but your inbox is full)

[Feathered_IV]

If you take the LaGG up and use as a point defense fighter it is quite successful. Especially if you select the cannon armament.

Choose a friendly ground target and orbit to its east while waiting for the next ground attacker to appear. You will rarely be in position to intercept before they make their first pass, but almost everybody does a climbing stall turn to make another run. That's the opening you need to drop on them, as they are low in speed and altitude.

[Y-29.Silky]

defense fighter it is quite successful.

So my super Soviet secret tactic is to take it up to 6000m and use it offensively with the 23mm. This Lagg has decent performance up there and even better energy retention. I have climbed up to, dove upon, and rolled over 109's who apparently never expect the Lagg to do what it can do. And now with summer maps, it's even easier as you can go up there without contrails giving your position away and jump them from behind.

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

Yup agree with Silky..love my Lagg! You have to really fly it.. but it can do a lot. Calling it the worst fighter in the game.. Bahh..not even.

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

So my super Soviet secret tactic is to take it up to 6000m and use it offensively with the 23mm. This Lagg has decent performance up there and even better energy retention. I have climbed up to, dove upon, and rolled over 109's who apparently never expect the Lagg to do what it can do. And now with summer maps, it's even easier as you can go up there without contrails giving your position away and jump them from behind.

Hush man! That's top secret stuff!

Edited January 20, 2016 by Blackwolf

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

Silky, this kind of hard bastard attitude is what makes a good Soviet fighter pilot, keep it up 

[Willy__]

 

 

o my super Soviet secret tactic is to take it up to 6000m

 

No offense mate, but when I see a russian flying at 6000m, I just climb to 7-8000m and dive on them.    

[=FI=Rambo]

I loved going up to 8k in the lagg, when you are that high by yourself everyone just assumes you are German. One pass is all it takes

[Willy__]

I loved going up to 8k in the lagg, when you are that high by yourself everyone just assumes you are German. One pass is all it takes

 

Rambo!!! Long time no see! I miss our dogfights, hope to find you on the skies again.   

 

 

I do not miss your ability to snipe me more than half km away though

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

Not trying to be rude but if you are far above enemy aircrafts even an I-16 is a dangeous opponent. Not saying t's not true, but this applies to all aircraft, not only the Lagg-3.

 

It's still possible to have sucess at mid altitude, especially agains Fw-190s. But it's indeed good to climb whatever altitude you can possibly get in the Lagg-3.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Stab/JG26_5tuka

[Ace_Pilto]

Gotta agree with Silky, It's no use farting around near the clouds with a target painted on your back, hoping to get lucky. Get up there with the bastards! Half the time when you see a contrail in a 109 or 190 you tend to think it's just another friendly so you have that in your favour too, provided you play your hand wisely.

 

The LaGG is a decent plane and that 23mm does the business. It's easy to fly and looks kind of swish too in that unique Russian way, I've always had a soft spot for it.

[ACG_daffy_]

I think that I agree with the OP, for the most part!  I accidentally started flying the Lagg in the original IL2.  I played CFS for a couple of years, and for whatever reason, the Lagg just looked cool to me when I got IL2.  Started flying it, and fell in love with it.  It is slow, and it is not a 'dog fighter', like some others are, but it is tough and if you can manipulate it right, it will take care of you and the area around ya!  There are a few little tricks that Lagg pilots can use. 

You always know a fellow Lagg pilot, no matter what airframe they are in at the time, by a few attempted maneuvers they'll make that for some reason or another....seem to work only in the Lagg, and only when it HAS to work.  I'm not sure there is really a clear way of explaining what I mean by that.  You have to be a Lagg pilot to know what I meant haha.

 

Anyway, nothing wrong with the Lagg, and that big cannon.  Just aim higher than the bad guy!! 

S!