| The German Luftwaffe in July and August of 1941 | | | | Many of the production MiG-3's had a .30 caliber |
| encountered for the first time a previously unknown | | | | machine gun mounted under each wing. This still did |
| Russian fighter with a long slender nose. It was | | | | not give the MiG-3 firepower parity with the Bf 109F, |
| obviously powered by an inline or "Vee" type engine, | | | | but it did give more firepower for ground attacks. |
| which was also surprising because all the Soviet | | | | Basic specs on the MiG-3 were: Maximum speed of |
| fighters up to that time were powered by radial | | | | 314 mph at sea level, 398 mph at 35, 590 feet. Its |
| engines and lacked the performance of the front line | | | | rate of climb was 10 mins to 26,000 feet and the |
| German fighters. The Luftwaffe pilots were taken | | | | service ceiling was 39,370 ft. It had a range of 512 |
| completely by surprise by the existence of this new | | | | miles at 342 mph, a maximum range of 743 miles. |
| fighter, because their information from Luftwaffe | | | | Empty weight of 5950 lbs and a take-off weight of |
| intelligence about the Soviet Air Force was practically | | | | 7739 with under-wing guns and a full fuel load. Its |
| non-existent. | | | | length was 27 ft, wingspan 33 feet, with a height of |
| Germany's top fighter at the time was the Bf 109F | | | | only 8 feet. |
| and the Luftwaffe pilots were equally surprised and | | | | On paper the MiG-3 and the Messerschmitt Bf 109F |
| disconcerted, to discover this new Soviet fighter | | | | were closely comparable fighters. In fact however, |
| could out maneuver at high altitude, fly faster and fly | | | | the 109 had the advantage of a better initial climb |
| longer, than the Messerschmitt. The MiG-3 had | | | | rate and better maneuverability at low to medium |
| arrived! | | | | speeds and at low to medium altitudes, where most |
| Because in the West at that time, the Bf 109F was | | | | of the dogfighting took place on the Eastern front. |
| considered to be the best, or at the very least one | | | | The MiG-3 had the advantage in level speed and in |
| of the best, air superiority fighters in the world, the | | | | range, many times the 109s had to break off |
| MiG-3 deserves to looked at more closely. The "MiG" | | | | because their fuel was running dangerously low. The |
| was the acronym of the Mikoyan-Gurevich | | | | MiG-3 also had the advantage of much better |
| Experimental Construction Bureau design team. | | | | performance over 30,000 feet but the Bf 109's |
| The first model was the MiG-1, a high altitude | | | | seldom flew that high. |
| interceptor powered by a V-12 Mikulin engine that | | | | The MiG-3 never got a chance to play the role it had |
| developed 1350 horsepower. It was a sleek, low | | | | been designed for: to combat high altitude bombers. |
| wing, cantilever monoplane armed with one 50 calibre | | | | The Luftwaffe did not build the four-engine bomber |
| machine gun and two 30 calibre machine guns, all | | | | that was meant for use over the Soviet industrial |
| three mounted in the nose and sychronized to fire | | | | areas. The Russians moved their factories east far |
| through the propeller arc. The first unarmed | | | | enough that they were out of range of the twin |
| prototype achieved a top speed of 403 mph, at | | | | engine bombers, so the MiG-3 was forced to fight in |
| 20,000 feet, which made it the fastest fighter in the | | | | a low altitude arena for which it was not designed. |
| world at that time. | | | | The Germans had one other crucial advantage, their |
| The flight testing program revealed that there were | | | | fighters were equipped with the modern reflector |
| flaws in the design, so modifications were | | | | gunsights. Most Soviet aircraft had simple gunsights, |
| incorporated and the MiG-3 was born. It was built | | | | sometimes a circle drawn on the windshield. It was |
| around a steel tube frame with duralumin skin which | | | | not until delivery of the P-39 and P-40 fighters that |
| strengthened the frame. Outwardly it still resembled | | | | they were finally able to install modern gunsights on |
| the MiG-1, but the engine had been moved forward | | | | their fighters. |
| four inches to change the centre of gravity, the | | | | In spite of such drawbacks, some Russian pilots |
| dihedral of the wing of the outer wing was increased | | | | were able to achieve some awesome kill figures. |
| by one degree, while the height of the rear fuselage | | | | Alexander Pokryskin scored 59 official victories, about |
| was reduced for better rear vision for the pilot. For | | | | forty in a MiG-3, the remainder in the P-39. He also |
| the engine compartment, the supercharger intakes | | | | destroyed an additional 13 German planes over |
| were enlarged and the radiator fairing moved | | | | enemy occupied territory , but these were not |
| forward. A 55-gallon fuselage fuel tank was added to | | | | officially counted as they were not shot down over |
| increase the range, more armor for the cockpit and | | | | Soviet controlled territory. According to Pravda, |
| finally, four hard-points were added to the wings. This | | | | Pokryshkin flew 650 missions, was involved in 156 |
| allowed for the installation of small bombs or 6 | | | | air-to-air battles and never lost a wingman. He |
| rockets. | | | | eventually became a Marshall of the Air Force during |
| Unfortunately, the production of the MiG-3 was | | | | the Cold War. |
| abruptly ended when Stalin ordered the Mikulin | | | | In the last years of the war, the Yak-9 became the |
| engines diverted to the IL-2 attack bomber. Total | | | | dominant fighter for the Soviets and probably |
| production amounted to 3120 aircraft with another 50 | | | | contributed more than any other Russian fighter |
| built from spare parts and through cannibalization of | | | | plane to the final defeat of the Luftwaffe. But the |
| wrecks. There was a later attempt to mate the | | | | first bright, shining star of the Soviet fighter elements |
| MiG-3 with a 14 cylinder air-cooled radial engine, but it | | | | was the MiG-3. |
| was not successful. | | | | |