the Fighter La-5 first took to the air in 1942, the Luftwaffe quickly appreciated the car. The plane had to do some fighting at Stalingrad, but the main baptism for him was Kursk. It was there, driving a La-5, his first German plane was shot down by Ivan Kozhedub. The La-5 was flying and Alexei Maresyev. No wonder this machine is of great interest to fans of military history.
But the problem is that to restore the planes with wooden fuselages and wings very difficult. Almost all Soviet and many foreign aircraft in the prewar years was based on the combined scheme is used, and metal, and wood. Aluminium was saving.
Novosibirsk craftsmen began to work with wood when he received a large order for the restoration of nine planes from new Zealand collector Tim Wallis. They were fighters Polikarpov – six-16 and three biplane I-153 “Chaika”.
– the project wanted to join the British, who believed that Russia has no aircraft of wood and a suitable adhesive that we have lost aircraft technology of that era – says the head of the company “Aviarestavratsiya” Vladimir burns. – The British insisted that all wood gave them. Argued that this is suitable only canadian white spruce, the so-called “spruce”. We decided to test whether this is so.
Against the internationally recognized spruce exhibited the Siberian pine, ordered in one of the Novosibirsk enterprises. Tests have shown that the characteristics of Russian timber not worse.
– And then we tested the glue – continues Vladimir burns. – Recognized restorers all over the world Aerodux-500 we contrasted glue K-153, developed at the Novosibirsk plant named after Lenin. In the official report it is recorded that the characteristics of our glue is better at 37 percent.
All nine cars have been recreated, and each of them is able to fly. But then it was about the individual wooden parts, and the fighter La-5 made of metal – only landing gear, powerplant and weapons.
so far for the restoration of the La-5 were not taken by anybody. The customer model has become the Museum of military equipment in Verkhnyaya Pyshma, garabato Novosibirsk craftsmen will be able to rate anyone. Restorers believe that is possible for them to create a flying model of a jet fighter Lavochkin design Bureau.
Meanwhile
Now the wizard is ready to proceed to the restoration of the two dive-bombers Tu-2. This aircraft took to the skies in the first year of the great Patriotic war. Both samples of Soviet bombers (or rather, what was left of them) were purchased in the United States.
