Misfit MiGs: The MiG-1 and 3

by Jason Long

Shortly after a German high-altitude Ju 86P reconnaissance plane crashed in Belorussia near Vinnitsa in the early spring of 1941, the Germans were surprised to receive an invitation to tour Zavod (Factory) Nr. 1 that produced the MiG-3, the most modern Soviet fighter then in service. Stalin's intent was to show the Germans that the Soviet Union would be a formidable opponent and force Hitler to back off. This was rather forcibly conveyed by chief designer Artem Mikoyan, who said "We have now shown you everything that we have and what we can do, and who ever attacks us, we will destroy!" Hitler, upon reading the report of the Luftwaffe mission, commented, "Well, you can see how far they have already progressed. We must begin immediately!"

Mikoyan's words would come true, but not through the medium of the fighter that he so proudly showed the Germans. The MiG-3 was the end product of a VVS (Soviet Air Force) requirement for a high-altitude interceptor issued in 1938. The Polikarpov Design Bureau was assigned to develop a prototype, but this was soon taken over by the newly-formed Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau as Polikarpov still believed in the future of the biplane. They decided to design the aircraft around the most powerful engine available, the AM-37, but this ran into extensive development problems and the AM-35A was soon substituted. It was very powerful, some 1350 hp at take-off, but much heavier than any foreign equivalent. This dictated much of the design as the designers were forced to compensate in every way possible for the heavy engine. This was compounded by the extensive use of wood caused by the shortage of steel and light alloys.

The first prototype flew on 30 March 1940 and was quite likely the fastest fighter in the world at the time with a speed of 405 mph (651 kph). This speed came at a price as the handling was "totally unacceptable". The aircraft was deemed unacceptable for all but the most experienced of pilots as longitudinal stability was "hopeless" from the abbreviated rear fuselage. Range was also deemed much less than desirable. However, an order for 100 armed aircraft, as the MiG-1, was placed even before the first prototype was completed to follow on from the last of the I-153s produced at Zavod Nr. 1.

The MiG-1 was armed with one 12.7mm UBS and two 7.62mm ShKAS machine-guns as well as racks under each wing that could carry up to 220 lbs (110 kg) each and had some minor changes from the prototype, but were otherwise pretty much identical.

MiG was forced to redesign the MiG-1 to eliminate the handling problems and to extend its range. Much use was made of brand new wind tunnels to fine-tune its aerodynamics, but the designers were unable to eradicate the problems entirely in the time allotted.

The reworked design was a quantum improvement over its predecessor and entered production on 5 December 1940 as the MiG-3. The MiG-1's aerodynamics had been cleaned up enough so that the MiG-3 was now merely tricky to fly rather than nearly impossible for an experienced pilot. Seat-back armor had been added and the fuel tanks were now protected by cool inert exhaust gases. An extra fuel tank was incorporated under the cockpit and attachments added for eight 82mm RS-82 rockets under the wings. This was to be the only real increase in firepower as the admittedly inadequate armament could not increased without compounding its weight problems.

Zavod Nr. 1 was the most modern aircraft factory in the USSR and it was quickly able to increase production to a very high rate, 25 aircraft a day by June 1941, but the VVS wasn't able to absorb the new fighters nearly as quickly.

The first MiG-1 and MiG-3 fighters were issued to combat units in April 1941. By 1 June thirteen regiments were completely equipped with them and six more were partially equipped. Another idea of the furious rate of production can be gathered from the fact that the MiGs comprised almost 90% of the modern fighters (Yak-1, LaGG-3, etc.) in service when the Germans invaded.

The AM-35A engine was optimized for an altitude of 6000 meters (18,300 ft.) and most air combat took place well under that height and placed the MiGs at a severe disadvantage. Its already poor maneuverability was exacerbated at low altitudes and they suffered heavy losses as the units that to use it as a low-altitude "frontal" fighter found out. For this role they were sometimes fitted with additional 12.7mm machine-guns for strafing attacks, but these compounded their maneuverability problems and were generally unsuccessful.

At altitudes over 5000 meters (16,400 ft.) the MiG-3 was a very dangerous opponent for the Me 109 as a number of German pilots discovered. As production of fighters better suited to the frontal role mounted, the MiGs were often assigned to reconnaissance and PVO air defense units.

The German advance forced Zavod Nr. 1 to evacuate to Kuibyshev in October 1941, but that was the least of the MiG's problems. Its engine and the AM-38 of the Il-2 were closely related and were built in the same factory. When Stalin gave absolute priority to the latter aircraft over the MiG in December, its fate was sealed as the AM-35A production line was converted to AM-38s. Production ceased on 23 December 1941 after 3120 were completed. This decision aborted a number of projects to improve the MiG.

One was to replace the AM-35 with a AM-38 to optimize the MiG for the frontal, low-level role. A MiG-3 was reengined during the summer and performed quite well, not least because of the slightly lighter engine. It was recommended that production switch over, but all AM-38 production was reserved for the Il-2 and the existing production lines could not be interfered with. None the less, some MiG-3s were reengined with overhauled AM-38s in 1942 as stocks of AM-35s were exhausted.

A more systemic series of improvements was planned for the MiG-3U, most notably the substitution of two 20mm ShVAK cannon for the existing armament, much use of metal in lieu of wood, and a more powerful AM-39. But the AM-39 was not yet ready and the usual AM-35 was used, but the cancellation of AM-35 production delayed its first flight until August 1942 as the I-230. It proved to be even faster at all altitudes than the MiG-3, but all existing production facilities were in use for other aircraft and none could be spared. An improved version of the I-230 flew as the I-231 with the AM-39 in February 1943. It reached 707 kph at 7100 meters (439 mph at 23,300 ft.), but the usual lack of factory space prevented it from entering production.

Like most other Soviet fighters the MiG-3 was modified for a M-82A radial engine. The first attempt, the I-210, was a hasty lash-up and performed poorly. Mikoyan and Gurevich tried again with a total redesign of the fuselage on the I-211. The prototype flew in December 1942 and proved to be able to out perform all contemporary Soviet fighters with a top speed of 670 kph at 7000 meters (416 mph at 23,000 ft.). As usual production was out of the question lest it interrupt the steady flow of Lavochkins and Yaks, but elements of the design were passed to Lavochkin for use in the La-5FN.

The MiG fighters would have been in their element if the Germans had conducted a high-altitude strategic air campaign during 1941 like that conducted by the Allies from 1943. But the Germans mostly flew low-level tactical interdiction or ground support missions during the initial phases of the Great Patriotic War where the MiGs simply weren't as effective as their rivals that were designed for the frontal combat role.

Stalin may have erred in ending production of the MiG-3 in favor of the Il-2 rather than adapting it to the latter's AM-38 engine, but perhaps not. But his decision to phase out AM-35 production in favor of the low-level AM-38 was correct given the tactical environment in the East. Under the circumstances the AM-35A was a luxury that the Soviets couldn't afford with their backs to the wall. However if war had not occurred in 1941 the MiG-3U would have undoubtedly entered production in late 1941 or early 1942. At any rate, Stalin's decision rendered production of the potentially great descendants of the MiG-3 equipped with the M-82FN radial engine impossible unless significant disruption of existing production lines could be tolerated and that was never to be the case.

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