MiG-3
| Country | Russia |
| Manufacturer | Mikoyan-Gurevich |
| Primary Role | Fighter |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseMiG-3 fighters were the result of the attempt to rid the MiG-1 design of its inherent handling problems. The first of the new aircraft, with longer nose and doubled wing dihedral, rolled off the production lines by Mar 1941. By the time Germany turned on the Soviet Union in Jun 1942, over 1,200 were in service. Like their predecessors, the MiG-3 fighters were excellent high altitude interceptors, but they soon found that the majority of German aircraft operate at lower altitudes, where MiG-3s did not perform well.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia
Last Major Revision: Sep 2006
MiG-3 Timeline
| 1 Jul 1941 | Soviet Naval Air Unit 401 IAP went into action with its new MiG-3 fighters and destroyed four German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters on its first operation. This unit was commanded by a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, Lieutenant-Colonel Stepan Suprun (who was already an ace with fifteen Civil War victories), Hero of the Soviet Union. Many of Suprun's pilots were pre-war test pilots and therefore highly experienced airmen. During the next two days the 401st IAP destroyed eight enemy aircraft for no loss. |
| 3 Jul 1941 | Soviet Naval Air unit 402 IAL, based at Idritsa in Russia and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel P. Stefanovsky, went into action with its new MiG-3 fighters and destroyed six enemy aircraft, followed by a similar number on the next day. The unit's primary task was close support and low level fighter reconnaissance, and its pilots had orders to avoid combat if possible. The unit's adjutant, Major K. A. Gruzdev however was an aerobatic champion and soon devised a tactic to bring the enemy to battle. This involved making a steep spiral climb to between 15,000 and 18,000 feet where the MiG-3 fighters enjoyed a performance advantage over the German fighters. The German pilots almost always followed the climb, believing they were chasing a novice pilot, only to realise their mistake when Gruzdev suddenly stall-turned and shot them down. By the end of the year this talented pilot had no less than nineteen confirmed victories top, his credit. |
SPECIFICATIONS
MiG-3
| Machinery | One Mikulin AM-35A liquid-cooled V-12 engine rated at 1,350 hp |
| Armament | 1x12.7mm BS machine gun, 2x7.62mm ShKAS machine guns, 2x100kg bombs or 6x82mm RS-82 rockets |
| Crew | 1 |
| Span | 10.20 m |
| Length | 8.25 m |
| Height | 3.50 m |
| Wing Area | 17.50 m² |
| Weight, Empty | 2,699 kg |
| Weight, Loaded | 3,350 kg |
| Weight, Maximum | 3,490 kg |
| Speed, Maximum | 640 km/h |
| Service Ceiling | 12,000 m |
| Range, Normal | 1,250 km |
Photographs
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Visitor Submitted Comments
15 Feb 2018 10:33:45 AM
please fix "the time germany attacked russia in 1942" now appears inaccurate please fix year and if you want also adjust governments-name "the time nazi attacked soviet in summer of 1941"
C. Peter Chen says:16 Feb 2018 08:01:27 AM
Thanks, anonymous of 15 Feb 2018. The typographical error has been corrected.
All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.
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5 Mar 2009 05:37:51 PM
Info above photo: Mig-3 of the 34IAP operating from Vnukovko in the defence of Moscow in the winter of 1941/42 on the fuselage, it looks like "For the Fatherland" the most potent of Soviet slogans.