Lavochkin La-250

Destined to be the last aircraft produced by the Lavochkin design bureau, the La-250, known unofficially as the Anaconda, was designed to meet a very demanding 1954 requirement for an ultra long-range, high-altitude single-seat super interceptor armed exclusively with missiles. Featuring a 57° delta wing and an enormous fuselage of near-constant cross section, the La-250 was powered by two Lyulka AL-7F turbojets each rated at 6500kg which were later to be fitted with afterburners boosting thrust to 9000kg. All control surfaces were fully powered with duplex systems and without manual reversion. Intended to carry the 30km acquisition- range Uragan (Hurricane) radar, the La-250 had a planned armament of two large K-15 beam-riding missiles.

Although the La-250 was intended as a single-seater in operational form, prototypes were completed as two-seaters to provide accommodation for a test observer, and the first of three flying examples was completed in July 1956. The first flight was attempted on 16 July, but the test pilot, A G Kochetkov, encountered an unexpectedly rapid roll moment and lost control. Extensive testing of a systems rig followed before acceptable characteristics were attained and flight testing could be resumed. The second aircraft was lost in a landing accident on 28 November 1957, and the third aircraft also suffered a landing accident on 8 September 1958. The flight test programme suffered continual delays as a result of poor engine reliability and the full testing had not been completed when the programme was cancelled.

FACTS AND FIGURES

© The third La-250 had its nose lowered by six degrees to give better visibility on landing, the poor view forward having been determined as a factor in the second crash.

© Intended as a single-seater, the prototypes had a second seat for a flight test engineer.

© Intended armament was a pair of K-15 missiles that rode the beam of the Uragan radar, which had a range of 30km.

© The missiles were cancelled and the radar never made it into an aircraft before the development was cut short.

3-View

A three-view drawing (1648 x 1073)