[CaptainDoggles]

I don't understand your point. You were saying test data was often different from what was used operationally. I was outlining many ways by which that condition could occur. Who gives a XXXX how they come out of the factory?

First of all I don't subscribe to the belief that a majority of soviet aircraft were of awful quality. I am sure the early Soviet designs had workmanship problems but I believe the extent to which those flaws pervaded has been overstated/exaggerated. I suspect that is a Germanic superiority myth started during the war and perpetuated in the West during the Cold War. What really matters in terms of a long conflict is serviceability rates and if you look at the winter of 42/43 the Soviets actually had better serviceability rates than the Germans. That tells me they didn't have wings falling off left right and center.

Secondly if we're going to be receiving La 5's as per some other threads I've seen then we're in the mid war, by which point the Soviet production issues were largely corrected. Therefore your entire argument is moot and I see no point in continuing the discussion.