The La-11 is a long-range escort fighter and the last piston-engined fighter in service with the Soviet air force. Created through a serious modernization of the La-9, the La-11 was the final note in the development of piston-engine fighters in the Soviet Union. Was it a major note? You will be able to find out the answer to that question very soon!

The modified La-9M, as the La-11 was initially designated, was developed in just six months and took its first flight in May of 1947. However, the appearance of the aircraft had changed little even after all the adjustments and improvements. The oil radiator’s air intake “migrated” from under the fuselage to under the engine’s ring cowl (which is why it went from round to oval), and one of the four excessively powerful 23mm NS-23S aircraft cannons was removed to partially compensate for the vehicle’s noticeably increased weight. Incidentally, it was not only the additional fuel tanks that caused the weight of the new aircraft to increase in comparison to that of the La-9. The pilot’s seat on the La-11 was significantly more comfortable – a good thing, because now the pilot had to sit in it for hours at a time and beginning with the 11th production series of the aircraft an automatic compressor switcher was installed. The various radio apparatus and electronics inside the vehicle were also improved and an advanced de-icing system for the wings and fins was added. To improve the flight characteristics, the model of the aircraft which is presented in the game, was created as lightweight as possible in accordance with the information, specified in the technical description. Namely a refueling option was given only for three tanks (two in the centre section and one in the fuselage), the anti-icing system and radio equipment was withdrawn.





Apart from being deployed to patrol the borders of the USSR, the La-11 was also actively used in China, where from the summer of 1950, it took part in battles against opponents of the communist regime. Roughly a year later, in the summer of 1951, the Chinese La-11 fighters were re-deployed to the city of Anshan to repel American bomber assaults during the beginning of the Korean War.

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