pilots because of its easy handling and reliability, and its pressurized cockpit was an advantage at high altitude. Nevertheless, official enthusiasm for the La-15 was mild, largely because it was a complex design that required complicated and expensive production tooling. Only 235 La-15s were built, serving with the Soviet Air Force until 1953. Operational history The La-15 was tested operationally by the 192nd Fighter Wing, based at Kubinka from 19 March 1949, and began appearing in front-line combat units later the same year. One unit was seemingly the 196th Fighter Aviation Regiment. Introduction was accompanied by numerous accidents, but the competing MiG-15 design fared little better. However, although the La-15 had a number of technical advantages over the MiG-15, a combination of easier manufacture and lower costs led to the MiG-15 being favoured. The Soviet authorities decided to produce only one fighter, and they chose the MiG-15bis. The remaining La-15s in service were disarmed by 1953, and their engines reused on the KS-1 Komet air-to-surface missile. The aircraft were expended as targets at various nuclear bomb tests. Variants Aircraft 174 Rolls-Royce Derwent powered first prototype of La-15. Crashed due to structural vibrations caused by sympathetic resonant frequencies of tailplane and rear fuselage. Aircraft 174D (Dooblyor-second)- Second prototype with modifications shown to be required from Aircraft 174's flight tests. Aircraft 180 A two-seat trainer version was also developed as Aircraft 180 and was to be put into production as the UTI La-15 or La-15UTI, but as official interest in the La-15 waned, the trainer was cancelled before mass production began and only two were made. Operators Soviet Air Force Survivors An La-15 is on display at the Central Air Force Museum at Monino, outside of Moscow, Russia. Specifications (La-15) See also References Citations Bibliography Gordon,Yefim. Lavochkin's Last Jets. Midland Publishing. Hinkley. 2007. Further reading Gunston, Bill. The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875-1995. London:Osprey, 1995. . La-15 1940s Soviet fighter aircraft Single-engined jet aircraft High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1948