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