The German Air Force in July and August of 1941 met for the first time unknown Russian fighter with a long thin nose. It was evident from the engine to a line or "V" type, which is also surprising, because all the fighters were Russians by this time driven by radial engines, and had the power of work in front of German fighters. The Air Force pilots have been completely surprised by the presence of this new fighters abandoned because their informationAir Force intelligence on Soviet aviation was virtually nonexistent.
Germany's top fighter at the time was 109 F, BF and Air Force pilots were equally surprised and confused, unable to see this new Soviet fighters to maneuver at high altitude, flies and fly faster than the Messerschmitt. The MiG-3 had arrived!
Why in the West at that time was the Bf 109 F to be the best, or at least one of the best air superiorityFighters in the world deserves the MiG-3 for a thorough examination. The "MiG" was the short form of the Mikoyan-Gurevich design team Experimental Office Building.
The first model was the MiG-1, driven by a high-altitude interceptor with a V-12 engine that develops 1,350 hp Mikulin. E 'is a sleek, low wing, cantilever monoplane with a 50 caliber machine gun and two 30 caliber machine guns, tanks, all three mounted in the nose and synchronized through the propeller arc fire.The first prototype has reached a top speed of 403 km disarmed / h, at 20,000 feet, which was the fastest fighter in the world at that time.
The program of flight tests showed that there were deficiencies in the design, the changes introduced and the MiG-3 was born. It 'was a steel tube frame with duralumin skin that has built the enhanced framework. Outwardly, it resembled more the MiG-1, but the engine has been moved four inches, to change the focus,dihedral angle of the wing outer wing was increased by one degree, while the height of the rear fuselage for improved rear visibility has been reduced to the pilot. For the engine room, filled with aspirations increases and moves the front radiator. A 55-gallon fuselage tank was added to the range, more armor for the cockpit and, finally, four discs were added to the wings to increase. This allows the incorporation of small bombs or missiles 6.
Unfortunately, theThe production of the MiG-3 was stopped abruptly when Stalin Mikulin redirected engines on IL-2 bomber attack ordered. The total production amounted to 3120 aircraft with 50 more construction of replacement parts through cannibalization of the wrecks. It 'was a belated attempt to mate with the Mig-3 with a 14-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine, but failed.
Many of the production of the MiG-3, a 0.30 caliber machine gun was mounted under the wings. This still does not give the firepower MiG-3Parity with the Bf 109 F, but has more firepower provide for ground attacks.
Key data on the MiG-3 were: the maximum speed of 314 mph at sea level, 398 mph at 35, 590 feet. Its rate of climb was 10 minutes to 26,000 feet and service fee was 39 370 ft. It had a range of 512 miles to 342 km / h, a range of 743 miles. Curb weight of 5950 pounds and a takeoff weight of 7,739 with wings under the guns and a complete nuclear fuel. Its length was 27 m, range of 33 meters and a height of only 8Feet.
On paper, the MiG-3 and the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F, were closely comparable fighters. But in fact the 109 had the advantage of a better rate first climb and better maneuverability at low speed to medium and low to medium altitudes, where most of the dogs, instead of fighting on the Eastern Front. The MiG-3 advantage in range of height and speed, several times had to cancel the 109, because their fuel was running dangerously low. The MiG-3 had the advantagemuch better performance than 30,000 feet, but the Bf 109 flew rarely higher.
The MiG-3 has never had a chance, the role is designed to play: to combat high-altitude bombers. The Luftwaffe did not build the four-engine bomber, which is designed for use on Soviet industrial areas. The Russians moved their factories in the Far East that they had enough of the range twin-engine bomber, so the MiG-3 was forced to fight in an arena at low altitude, for which nodesigned.
The Germans had another decisive advantage of their fighters have been equipped with modern purpose reflector. The majority of the aircraft were simply Soviet areas, sometimes drawing a circle on the windshield. It was not until the delivery of P-39 and P-40 fighters to finally be able to modern telescope on their fighters have been installed.
Despite these drawbacks, some Russian pilots were able to kill to get some impressive numbers. Alexander Pokryskin received 59 official victories,forty in a MiG-3, the rest of the P-39. He also destroyed 13 more German aircraft on enemy occupied territory, but these were not officially counted because they are not shot down over Soviet-controlled territory. According to Pravda, Pokryshkin flew 650 missions, 156 air-air combat was involved and never lost a wingman. He became a sergeant of the Air Force during the Cold War.
In the last years of the war, was the Yak-9 fighter for dominancethe Soviets and probably contributed more than any other Russian fighter plane in the final defeat of the Luftwaffe. But the first bright star shining elements of Soviet fighter was the MiG-3.
