Gudkov GU-82

Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter

Soviet Union | 1943

"The short-lived Gudkov GU-82 was nothing more than an experimental derivative of the LaGG-3 fighter with the M-82 radial engine installed."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/28/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Lavochkin-Gorbuniv-Gudkov (LaGG) went on to design, develop, and produce the effective LaGG-3 single-seat, single-engine monoplane fighter for the Soviet Union during the World War 2 years (1939-1945). The inline-engined LaGG-3 was a further evolution of the earlier LaGG-1, this aircraft existing in only 100 completed examples, setting the framework for the subsequent LaGG-3, La-5, and La-7 fighter series to follow. For its part in the war, the LaGG-3 was completed in 6,528 examples and served the Soviet Air Force well. Introduced in the early part of 1941, it was retired as soon as 1944 while production spanned those very same war years.

In 1941, as soon as the LaGG-3 was rooting itself as a player in the wide-reaching war, thought turned to an offshoot of this gunnery platform, one to fit an air-cooled radial unit instead of the more fragile inline system currently in play. This led Gudkov to develop the "Gu-82" which intended to carry the Shvetsov M-82, a 14-cylinder radial of 1,540 horsepower output. The three-bladed propeller unit, with its large spinner, would be retained and armament was to mimic that of the original LaGG-3 (1 x 20mm autocannon in the propeller hub and 2 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns). Much of the form and function of the original remained.

The M-82 engine was a carry-over from the Sukhoi Su-4 project which intended to mate the Su-4 airframe with the Urmin M-90 engine of 2,100 horsepower. When this intention fell through, the M-82 was to be substituted to create a "wooden-winged attacker" armed through 2 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns. A single prototype of this aircraft was tested but the product was not selected for production.

Regardless, the M-82 was to be installed in the LaGG-3 airframe to produce the Gu-82 in an attempt to extract better performance and improved economy over that of the original while also increasing survivability through use of an air-cooled radial. The project was heavily delayed by the German invasion of the Soviet union in June of 1941 (Operation Barbarossa) as resources were directed toward the ultimate defense of the Soviet Motherland. To make matters worse for the program, the facility was under threat of being overrun by the enemy, forcing the factory to be relocated eastwards in October of that year. By this time, just one of the two contracted-for prototypes was available and this example did not begin flight-testing until the middle of 1942.

During this time, advancement on a LaGG-3 successor, becoming the La-5 by Lavochkin, eventually overtook the Gu-82 program which was no longer needed. As such, the Gu-82 aircraft's development was abandoned shortly thereafter. The resulting La-5, however, went on to have an excellent wartime and post-war career, seeing production each nearly 10,000 units with a few select global operators in the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Mongolia, and Poland.

Some performance specifications of the Gu-82 on this page have been estimated on the part of the author based on the existing LaGG-3 production fighter.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Gudkov GU-82 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter.

1 x M-82 air-cooled radial piston engine developing 1,330 horsepower and driving a three-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

357 mph
575 kph | 310 kts
Max Speed

32,808 ft
10,000 m | 6 miles
Service Ceiling

621 miles
1,000 km | 540 nm
Operational Range

3,000 ft/min
914 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Gudkov GU-82 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

28.7 ft
8.75 m
O/A Length

32.2 ft
(9.80 m)
O/A Width

4,872 lb
(2,210 kg)
Empty Weight

8,818 lb
(4,000 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Gudkov GU-82 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter .

PROPOSED:
2 x 12.7mm Berezin UB Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs) in upper engine cowling.
1 x 20mm ShVAK automatic cannon firing through the propeller hub.

Assumed support for conventional drop bombs and aerial rockets as mission dictated.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Gudkov GU-82 family line.

Gu-82 - Base Series Designation; three prototypes worked on before project's end.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Gudkov GU-82. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 3 Units
Contractor(s): Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov (LaGG) - Soviet Union

[ Soviet Union (abandoned) ]

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The Gudkov GU-82 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter appears in the following collections:

HOME

AVIATION INDEX

AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)