The Lavochkin La-7 is a Soviet fighter aircraft developed during the Great Patriotic War by the Lavochkin Design Bureau. It was a refinement of the earlier Lavochkin La-5, with improved aerodynamics, lighter weight, and a more powerful engine. The La-7 could reach a top speed of 661 km/h and was armed with two or three 20 mm cannons. It was considered by its pilots to be one of the best fighters of the war, capable of facing most Allied designs front on.