The Caudron-Renault C.714 Cyclone; French Feather Weight
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- Опубліковано 15 гру 2021
- In the run up to World War Two, the French decided to develop a light weight fighter both to replace their older aircraft and for potential supply to allies.
This ended up as the C.714 - a fighter built of wood and powered by a measly 500hp engine!
Despite this - and the fact no one wanted to fly it - it ended up fighting in the last desperate days of the Battle of France.
NOTE: I could only find two pictures of the aircraft in Polish service, so had to use some of the C.714 in French service to illustrate.
And yes, at 8:50 I screwed up my script. :(
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C.714's career in Finnish Air Force was even worse than you described. Out of six planes delivered, only four were made flight-worthy. Out of those four, first two completed planes crashed on landing while being delivered from State aircraft factory to 30th Squadron at Pori in 3rd and 4th of September 1940. Based on those landing accidents, the other two completed planes were immediately banned from flying and the two unfinished ones were left uncompleted. They were officially removed from inventory in May 1941, but actually never flew after those accidents. The parts that survived to this day came from two unfinished ones that were given to mechanics school as instructional airframes.
Thanks for filling on the blanks. A lot of the info on these aircraft is erratic.
@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters Hello! Where does the information about CR.714 aircraft captured and “tested by the Germans and Italians“ come from?
@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters Thanks for covering this aircraft nonetheless! The C.714 has always been & will always be one of my favorites of the period. Not that it was spectacular in itself but that the Poles had the balls to keep taking them into battle even after French authorities tried to ground them. lol
Never buy a Renault
Sounds like a lot of military aid going to Finland in hat time period. Weapons with no (or the wrong) ammo, ineffectual equipment. Intentional?
It seems that the Poles posed quite the challenge no matter what equipment they were given, any time you hear about Free-Polish forces during WWII, there is always something about how they got stuck right into the German's any chance they got, no matter the odds, and proved tough nuts to crack.
The thing is that Czechs and Poles, unlike the west, saw the war as coming and inevitable, therefore training the pilots well and enough. Also, doctrine of Czechoslovakia was "Air is our ocean", and also had massive civilian air fleet (and pilots)
if tough nuts you mean eggs then you'd be right.
@@carlosandleon says the man who knows nothing of history. Neither Czechoslovakia nor Poland existed at the end of WWI, so you're talking about countries that had less than 25 years to develop a military and of course they were going to get crushed by the Nazis, and in the case of Poland, got sandwiched between the Germans and the Soviets. Like to see what you would do under those circumstances. Those who could escaped to Britain to fight on, and accounted well for themselves. Eugene Horbaczewski, for example had 20 kills which included four V-1 "buzz bombs". Not too shabby. Czech pilot Kut Kuttelwascher had 20 kills as well, and as dedicated night fighter no less. That may not seem like much compared to a guy like Erich Hartmann, Luftwaffe ace with 352 kills, but remember that Hartmann fought for the entire war, and in the Spanish Civil War. Initially, Czech and Polish pilots were not allowed to fly with the RAF. Once they had proved themselves, the Brits reluctantly took them in, becoming impressed with their performance. When they first were allowed to fly, the were given beaten up Hawker Hurricanes, but by the end of the war they were flying the latest models of Spitfires due to their successes.
@@rbilleaud V 1 buzz bombs shouldn't really count, you just tip the wingtips
@@carlosandleonat nearly 500 mph getting up close enough to tip the wing with your own. Again, I'd love to see you try. You seem to think everything is so simple. My uncle flew Corsairs in the Pacific and the stories he told were truly hair raising. This wasn't some video game. People were shooting back.
I absolutely love these concise deep dives into aviation history! You're a remarkable historian, copywriter and video editor!
Quantity has a quality all of its own
@@cosmoray9750 too long, didn’t watch.
But that phrase came from a novel about a future war between China and Russia that also has vassily zaitsev fire the first shot.
@@brucebaxter6923 Those words are assigned to Josef Stalin.
@@Galvars
Thanks, it’s good to know where they come from.
Proving again the quality of the Polish pilots, so glad we were able to have them during the Battle of Britain and beyond. I knew nothing of this aircraft, first impression was if opera glasses were provided so the pilot could see up to end of the nose from the cockpit! Another brilliant concise breakdown; thanks
Best regards from Poland!👍
cant remember which British commander said it (might have been Kellett): we were trying to shoot down airplanes, while the Poles were trying to kill Germans
I am glad about the very brave German pilots! 😸👍
Excellent video again Ed!
One of these was stored in small aviation museum in Finland but it has been given on long term loan to Krakow, Poland. It's being restored there in memory of Polish pilot's service in France.
Never knew of this plane, until now. Great info regarding the Polish.
Hi Ed. This is very similar to the Martin Baker MB2 thwarted by lack of backing . Thanks Ed.
Landing and taxiing that thing must have been annoying/terrifying lol. Cheers for the vid. Another head scratcher.
Well done Ed Again!
Brilliant video. There is a good little aviation museum near me in Rochefort, in the old french fleet aviation station, next to the school of gendarmerery. Difficult to miss as there is a french submarine hunter on the roundabout outside! Well worth a visit, lots of history in Rochefort.
- Thanks!
You are welcome. There is also the old french navy dockyard, museum, rope factory and a full size replica of the French frigate 'Hermione'. A good town to visit on the south West coast of France. Not forgetting the thermal baths also.
Thank you so very much for info on this little known fighter. I am inspired to go fly my c-714 in WOWP well armed with knowledge if not firepower !!! Kudos for your efforts, this series is inspiring and I folllow you here on U-tube.
Those Polish pilots must've been incredibly brave. I owned a three year old Renault car and all it did was break down or go wrong. There's nothing like driving down a motorway in a thunderstorm with your windows going up and down uncontrollably. Apart from being issued a crap lightweight fighter with a Renault engine.
Lol....tell me about it...i had a Dauphine!
When I was in high school, a friend of mine had a Le Car. As soon as he said it was made by Renault….😳.
Awesome story on this aircraft. Good Job Mr. Nash.
Another amazing video
Another fascinating video! Thanks, Ed. The Caudron C.460 was a terrific racing plane that won the 1936 Thompson Trophy at the National Air Races in the US. One can see how a tiny wooden racing plane might not make the best fighter. Now, we need a video about that lightweight Italian fighter, please.
The British produced a wooden 'emergency' fighter, the Miles M20, early in WW2 as a possible backup for the Spitfires, but the M.20 wasn't needed. It was said to have a good performance despite its fixed undercarriage.
One of my earliest vids :)
That's the problem with bargain price light aircraft, they are best when the opposition only have them or no aircraft at all.
Ah yes, my favourite 'what-were-they-smoking-when-they-designed-this' fighter.
Great to see an episode dedicated to it, keep up with the great work!
I think it's one of those 'looks good on paper at a committee board meeting but doesn't work in practice' aircraft. The only use I could ever see the Caudron having is as a fighter lead in trainer but by 1940 once enough Arsenal VG.33, Dewotine 520, Bloch 152 and American Curtiss typed were on hand there were plenty of old Morane 406 for that purpose.
The Italian iteration, the SAI 207 mentioned, had a 750hp engine and could reach 350 mph+ which in 1942/3 was behind the curve but in a Mediterranean sky still heavily populated by Spitfire V's, P-40s and Hurricanes flying in a roughly similar performance bracket it was (in theory) competative - the 290mph Caudron was simply fodder for the Bf-109 and -110 capable of 340-350mph. As it was it would take a phenominally skilled (not to mention phenominally bloody-minded) Pole to get anything out of such a lemon.
Considering the Finns fielded Gloster Gladiators and Brewster Buffalos it says a lot about the C.714 if they weren't deperate enough to actually field the thing.
The Finns had the Brewster Model 239, which possessed superior flying characteristics to the later Model 339, which the Brits named the Buffalo. In addition to that, the Finns adapted their tactics, just like the Americans did with the Wildcat, which was clearly inferior to the Zero.
Nowt wrong with the Gloster Gladiator. In the right hands it could take on the BF109. Not as quick, but more manoeuvreable.
@@jamesblade6684 Most old doubledecker fighters (Gladiator, Rata etc.) were more maneuverable than the 109, which didn't help them. The 109 would always have the speed advantage to disengage and the altitude advantage to start the fight. And the 109 pilot would avoid a dogfigt against a way more maneuverable aircraft to begin with. It was the same over Vietnam; a MiG-17 could take on an F-4 in a dogfight, which the F-4 pilot would always try to avoid.
The Gladiator was a good aircraft in the 30s but it was outclassed in the 40s. As seen above Malta, it was still capable of shooting down Italian and German bombers but that was out of desperation. A "bad" fighter is still better than no fighter.
If the RAF had started their bomber campaign over Germany in 1939, they would have met He-51, Ar-68 and Bf-109C & D. Not because these were still formidable aircraft but because there weren't enough 109E around yet.
very interesting as always, thanks.
A Breguet 693 video would be much appreciated! Thanks for all the videos.
my Dad recalled being a mechanic on these during the war, as they were stationed in French Morocco to escape the Germans. The Germans used them as target practice as they were so easy to shoot down
I never regarded the SAI 207 as a particularly charming plane but, in comparison to the 714, it looks almost fine looking! Anyway, your vid was both fascinating and interesting...now i'm waiting for the Ambrosini as well! Thank you Ed! 👍🏻
Love the information but really appreciate the presentation
I love these light fighters. The Mazda miata of jets.
Sadly not; more like the Renault Alliance.
I always thunked this was such a nifty looking thing, clearly showing it's
racing ancestry...
I love how you cover this stuff... the cool as well as the crap 🤔
Thanx
As wooden aircraft go I don't think the Mosquito has anything to worry about.
When your Commander in chief is relying on motorcycle dispatch riders to communicate with his distant forces , the chances of success against the Luftwaffe are slim..
The Polish pilots were among the bravest. And so enraged by the german aggression and occupation of their country that they would have flown litteraly ANYTHING with wings and a couple of machine guns!
Another great video, I'm as usual baffled by the quantity of info and pictures you were able to find.
Combo of books and hunting around online.
Unbelievably brave and hardy men, and willing to do just about anything to get at their enemy. I want to charge the Germans, give me something! A sword? No? A spear? No? A crossbow? Not that either? So what do you have? A crude wooden club?
_Fine, gimme that_
Poland had kept the PZL P.7 and P.11 in service while selling the P.24 was because they needed funds to develop and produce the P.50.
Being without radios their pilots became great at situational awareness. Witold Urbanowitz while on a “observation “ assignment with US forces in China amazed the young American pilots by given a thorough report of the action they were in. He wasn’t authorized to fly combat missions but fit and added 3 kills to his tally, I believe
I believe the Polish nickname for it was “Flying Coffin”
Would love to hear your take on the Bugatti 100P. I got to meet the crew building the replica near Tulsa, Oklahoma a few years ago, and it was a tiny little thing. Absolutely beautiful plane though.
Supposedly Belgium had some interest in making it into a light fighter/interceptor shortly before they were invaded in 1940.
Oh wow! Never come across that before! She's a beauty!
As for Belgians, I've covered their Renard fighters, might be of interest to you.
Sadly that gorgeous replica crashed, killing the pilot, on an early flight. The original 100P airframe survives in a US museum.
Fascinating, as usual. TFP.
Well it's not that surprising that Renault the car manufacturer made airplanes in WW2. Consider that airplanes, whole or in part, were also made by Rolls-Royce, Packard, Daimler-Benz, Saab, and Fiat, all of whom are automobile manufacturers.
they did engines. afaik renault was not involved at all in plane construction, much like RR. their inverted straight sixes did win a few races in caudron frames, which were amongst the most extreme prewar designs. however they were outdated and outperformed by 1938, hence the c714's poor rate of climb.
i'm amazed how quickly tech went backwards in some areas.... the french had anzani (1st "long" range engine, also first W engine), hispano suiza (1st fighter v12) , antoinette (1st watercooled V8), gnome and rhone (most reliable ww1 engine), renault (multiple air racing and endurance victories) making extremely advanced engines just 10 years prior.
I had a little giggle when Ed mentioned that production of the aircraft was hampered by French industrial action and poor workmanship of the time. Seemed like a good idea but again execution of said idea lacking. Another rare aviation 💎 gem Ed.
Maybe I missed it, but looked through your videos and did not see the IAR 80/81. That would be an excellent topic for a "Forgotten Planes" video. Such a beautiful fighter, and a good one too.
It's on the list, promise :)
Fascinating!
It's interesting to see that many Allied powers were considering the construction of a less powerful but very cheap wooden airplane that could swarm the enemy (think the M20 Miles you covered). Just goes to show sometimes it's a good idea to prepare for the worst and think outside the box. Even if inferior, when you have a lot more units than the enemy, you can turn the tide.
I'd never heard of this one before! Thanks for bringing this one to light.
Have you ever done a video looking at the OV-10 Bronco? I looked, but didn't find it.
No, must admit not yet. Closest I have is one on Venezuala bronco shot down by f16 during a coup there.
The basic idea of a light fighter, especially in that context, seems to be quite sound, but the execution was lacking.
well, there's a big gap between making a racing aircraft by hand and a fighter in "large" volumes. the high landing speed/low climb rate tells a lot. Neither were problematic for races.
Using a racing plane for combat is really an odd choice, but not as rare as you would think. The Germans experimented with the Heinkel He-100, and despite it being one of the fastest planes in the world, having giant water radiators in your wings means it is really easily to lose engine cooling with only a single round to the wing. Bell aircraft proposed an all-wood light fighter inspired heavily by Thompson Air Race planes in 1941 called the XP-77. It was designed to compete against the Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero over the Pacific for the impending war.
Another great video Sir! Cheese and Biscuits?
What a funny little plane and a hysterical story. 🇬🇧
In war thunder the plane is good but i despise those 7.5 mm machine gun
Ironically WT wise the Mac 1934 7.5 mm MG imo is superior to the H.S 404 autocannon, Using stealth belts with offensive weapons while with defensive weapons AP/IT ammunition.
The C.R.714 is in a rather grand spot I'll say.
@@lordwintertown82847,5 MAC was similar to the british 7,7mm Vickers use in the british fighters...The Hispano Suiza HS404 canon was use (integrated in the 12Y engine, later developments was the Klimov 105 and ShKAS 20mm cannon on Yak 1,3 and 9) on Morane 406 and Dewoitine D520, later on Spitfire and many other alliees aircrafts, up to the F8 Crusader ,also known as the last gun fighter, France was the last user from this fighter (in the navy)
WOW!
These flying, balsa wood models actually shot down German aircraft!
I had never even heard of these things before!!!
You have done it again Edward!
Thank you.
☮
BTW - they should have sold them to Japan.
They might have made great kamikaze planes.
Well...easy to make at least.
Ooh so similar to the Caudron Rafale in MSFS 2020!!
I find this elongated flying baguette very aesthetic. The concept of a cheap and "good enough" fighter for the war of attrition they were expecting, witg the frontline after the Maginot line makes a lot of sense. History steamrolled over this poor flying baguette though....
Bell built a small lightweight fighter powered by a Ranger inline air-cooled engine ,it also had very pleasing lines.
My friends and I nicknamed this aircraft "Gulliver" for no reason whatsoever. Oh the memories
Elegant Sportsplane, 👍
At 8:38 The SAI 207 had good performance
Performance
Maximum speed: 641 km/h (398 mph, 346 kn)
Cruise speed: 489 km/h (304 mph, 264 kn)
Range: 850 km (528 mi, 459 nmi)
Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,370 ft)
Rate of climb: 13.25 m/s (2,608 ft/min)
Time to altitude: 6,000 m (19,685 ft) in 7 minutes 33 seconds
However:
Despite its speed, Italian pilots were not impressed by the type and its service in the summer of 1943 quickly ended.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrosini_SAI.207#Specifications_(SAI.207)
As a boy I assembled theP.Z.L. Monoplane as a kit.
ThePoles used these to effect against the Luftwaffe.
A very unique design if not done well I think
Renault the car company also laid the template for all future tank design. The benefits of inverted Vee engines shows yet again in the ultra sleek nacelle.
The air intake under the prop looks like a permanently surprised mouth, I can't unsee it.
It's like he's become self aware
It's a pretty fun plane to use in warthunder (realistic battles) shit guns that can barely do damage in 300 meters but great maneuverability!
can out turn plans easily without flaps and as long as you aim for the enemy pilots you most of the time win 👌
I built a nice model of the 714 in Finnish livery…looks good…unique
It's not blindingly pretty per se, but I so want one. Just look at it.
For what it is worth - I think that had they stuck with cannon armament, and managed to get a bit more power out of the engine, they would have had something really useful. After all - quantity is a quality all of its own. If they could have had the speed the airframe seemed to promise, they could have been used to boom and zoom. I can't help thinking about how the Japanese had similar thinking in making ultra light aircraft as fighters, albeit with high maneuverability, and they kicked butt royally when put in the hands of good pilots. If form follows function - they look fast just sitting on the ground!
Imagine trying to land that on an aircraft carrier with that visibility.
Reminds me of the Bell XP-77.
Powerplant weight is always the killer with this class of aircraft; imagine what could have been produced with access to a small turboprop like the PT6 (out turn that with your multi-ton Messerschmitt) A DH Hornet with twin PT6's perhaps? No need to 'whang a Walrus' either, just untie the poor thing & rev up. It would have been a different war for certain : )
You have to wonder how the pilot managed to land the plane with that long nose, short landing gear and high landing speed
They didn't land, they crashed stylishly.
Looks like a great project for resurrection, all wood an so on ?
Lazy or non-productive (or poor workers - shamefull!) French workers before the war, and even more during the "drôle de guerre" is clearly a legend.
In fact, as for the pre-war MS406, The CR714 was not easy to produce, due to weak investment mainly.
Also, building with wood is slow and needs a particular organisation, such as for the Mosquito or another wooden fighter called the Arsenal VG33-34... Legends! ...
Ed Nash's Military Matters,
have you made videos about
the Gloster Squirt, the 1st British jet,
and the FFA P-16 the Swiss jet fighter ?
Not yet. Both are very much on the "to do" list :)
@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters
Thank you !
I root for them !
had a plastic model of it and i read they splashed 109e's in combat...
Cheap and fast to produce and replace but what about the pilots lost in combat ?
The attrition rate in the RAF during the B o B, the training was cut back to get pilots in to battle with little experience due to shortage.
The choice of wood rather than aluminum - as late as 1940 - always bewildered me. Shaping wood into airplanes is expensive, it takes much more skilled labor and shop time than stamping sheet metal. And then the wooden hulls would fall apart after one Finnish or Russian winter, or one campaign in the tropics. Why would anyone prefer wood? Scarce resources? But the French had strong aluminum industry and plenty of ore (the bauxite, after all, was named after Les Baux). Or was it about scarce electricity?
Just them overestimating their future needs of aluminium.
I think it would be a good match against the Messerschmitts...108s.
Quite a variety of markings thanks to fobbing off of substandard goods.
If you ever read Tintin there was a plane like this pumps legacy the book was call I think
It was in a Jo et Zette album by Hergé. It was indeed very similar in shape except much bigger.
"Take that Mosquito" lol
Hard to see forward?
Take a look at the quite similar Latvian VEF Irbitis I-16.
Lol I was going to do the I-16, but the c.714 predates it so thought it might be best place to start.
Is there an episode on the American P-35? I'm trying to find one, but can't find it.
Show idea 🙂.
Lol it is on the list...but so is just about every other aircraft :D
@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters okay, I'll take another look. Thank you
@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters Odd, this time I am searching in a web browser on your channel search tool for "p-35" and no
Seversky P-35... my search-fu has failed me.
@@lexington476 he means it is on his to do list but so are every other aircraft, it may get done one day
The French were not the only nation to look for light fighters. Many other nations either fielded service or flew concepts.
WW1 was probably the earliest time light fighters were used.
During WW1 the french decided to produce inferior planes in higher quantities to stop the so called « fokker scourge » by producing the light Nieuport 11 « baby » fighter.
Unlike the CR 714 though, the nieuport 11 was fast and maneuvrable, it’s advantages in manufacturing cost and in general performance helping the french secure aerial supremacy for most of 1916 and (with the introduction of upgraded versions of the Nieuport design), 1917.
You know your fighter is bad when even Finland doesn't want to use it as a fighter.
Would this plane have been better liked if it had the pilot sit much more forward -- and thus better all-around visibility -- like in a Ki-43 for example?
That would have required an entire redesign, because with such low airframe weight the center of gravity would have shifted significantly.
Would an engine with more HP made a difference in performance?
a bigger engine is heawyer so... no
OK the cabin aft of the wing looks so extreme it makes a twin boom pusher layout look good. Great forward vision in line guns etc. Then I saw one photo of the prototype Brewster 33A. I found nothing but one photo on reddit. What do you know? Plus all the post WW2 Biden like jets...
The French government issued a specification for a deathtra...er, lightweight fighter.
This plane was featured in a French comic of a brother and sister flying around the world
Quick et Flupke, by Hergé, Belgian.
Those wooden Caudron racers must have had some influence on the design/construction of WW2 Russian "MiGs", "Yaks" and "LaGGs".
To be honest, I don’t think so. Very different class of aircraft. Also, the Soviets had a captured (from Spain) Bf 109 to study that would have been of more interest. They prefered mixed and wood construction because of the availability of these resourses locally.
@@alaingadbois2276 this story is totale false because absolutly nothing remaind the bf 109 in the Yaks, but... whe found many details from hearly french fighters like Dewoitine D520/550 and Arsenal are similar on the Yaks, and the engine from the yaks are improvings from... the french Hispano Suiza Y12 engine and the HS404 canon integrated (firing trough the prop shaft) because soviet union did buy the Y12 license before WW2 to built the Klimov 100 and they evolutions , the Klimov 105 and Klimov 107...And the design from the MIG 3 was very similar to the Dewoitine D550...
@@leneanderthalien What I was stating is that nothing of the Caudron went into the new Soviet fighters, because they are obviously completely different. They did study a captured Bf 109, which was of interest for them. I did not want to suggest they copied it in any way. Engineers in the Soviet Union had excellent indigenous designs. The engines were, of course, of French origin as you mentioned.
This is my favorite French made aircraft
but was more a sport aircraft as a fighter...
It was the worst. Check the Dewoitine D520 or the Arsenal VG33 They were more able and sexy!
They got the nomenclature all wrong on this. Instead of it being the Cyclone C.714, it should have simply been called the Cyrano de Bergerac.
If the pilot got in trouble, he could always land the plane, get out, and run. Better chance of outpacing the enemy.
When the Finns won't fly your fighter, you know you've got a bad fighter.
It would be like if the Germans decided to weaponize the BF-108. Cute little plane, though, and better looking than most French aircraft of the era
Flown by Nicole? M.
I didn't know the Finns had the C714
Looks like it had the engine of a Chippy.
Poor reliability and power due to shoddy workmanship on a Renault?
Imagine my shock...
bad idea, some Renault engines was good and was one of the first (see Breguet XIV 1917 and the first turbocharger engine in 1918 (but the first turbochargers was unreliable so rarely use...), but Renault was never a great aircraft engines builder like for example Hispano Suiza with he's 12Y who known he's biggest glory in... the soviet union who built a evolution from the 12Y(made under license), more known as Klimov 105 (use on Yak 1, 3 and 9)
Changing the subject slightly.
The French say they shot down more Nazi aircraft in the Battle Of France than the RAF in the Battle Of Britain.
I cannot find any statistics on Nazi aircraft shot down by the French Air Force, anyone got a link ?
The latest and probably the best research was in The Battle of France: Then and Now, by Peter D. Cornwell .
I can't tell you the numbers though.
I believe after the 1940 loss the French government released a document stating they had destroyed 1000 axis aircraft.
I know Germany lost quite a few planes during the French campaign but not this much.
@@alaingadbois2276 the number of 1000 shot down is not true, was the result from some double counts aircraft combat VS anti aircraft artillery...Official and definitive number is 733 german aircraft shot down from the french in 1940
I have something like this in Warthunder..it sucks
A wooden engine? Wow!
"pre work war"
I prefer to have my wars after work. But then I'm not Italian.
"Take that mosquito!"
France 1940 > before the infamous Blitzkieg's year, the 1936-1939 period of french aircraft buiders has seen halas so many failed fighter designs. The Loire-Nieuport LN-161 was also one of them like the Caudron C714.....Despite promising performances, the boundary layer of the suction side of the inner part of the LN-181 wings was BLOWN AWAY by the exiting flow of the cooling radiators........SILLY-silly, isn' it ? for a plane which showed neithertheless an "avant-garde" look....
It reminds me a little bit of the Russian LaGG-3, another all-wood fighter that was nowhere near good enough for combat. Russian pilots nickamed it the "Guaranteed Varnished Coffin".
LaGG - Lakierovannyj Gvarantovanyj Grob
Varnished Guaranteed Grave
Yet the from the LaGG-3 eventually evolved the excellent La-5 and La-7. So the basic concept was sound, much better than the Caudron.
Pity about the engine.
Who els caught the little jab at the mosquito
This is what you get when you take a highly successful racing plane and convert the design to a fighter... not a purpose built fighter, but
This is one aircraft I'm not going to moan about being scrapped with few if any survivors. Says something that the Finns, who embraced the Brewster Buffalo, rejected this aircraft for combat.