The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 was a World War II Soviet fighter which entered service in May 1941. By the time of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, there were about only 100 MiG-3s in service from a total of 3,422 produced during the war. Although it had been designed for a high-altitude role, combats on the Eastern Front took place below 6000 m (19,685 ft), where the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 had a clear performance advantage over the MiG-3. As a result, attrition was high and many Russian fighter aircraft were shot down by German pilots who would become aces.
The MiG-3 was a single-seat, low-winged monoplane developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich. It had a sliding cockpit canopy and retractable landing gear and was powered by a Mikulin AM-35 A V-12 piston engine that produced 1,350 hp. The MiG-3 was armed with one 12.7mm(.50) Beresin BS and two 7.62mm (.30) ShKAS nose-mounted machine-guns (later increased by two 12.7mm (.50) underwing guns), plus provision for six 8.2-cm (3.23-in) underwing rockets or two 100-kg (220-lb) bombs.
Specifications
Type: fighter aircraft
Country of origin: Soviet Union (Russia)
Manufacturer: Mikoyan-Gurevich
Power plante: one 1,350hp, Mikulin AM-35 A V-12 piston engine
Maximum speed: 640 km/h (398 mph) at 7000 m
Range: 1250 km (777 miles)
Service ceiling: 12000 m (39,370 ft)
Weapons: one 12.7mm (.50) machine gun; two 7.62mm machine guns; plus up to two 100 kg bombs
Wing span: 10.30 m (33 ft 9.5 in)
Wing area: 17.44 m2 (187.7 sq ft)
Length: 8.15 m (26 ft 9 in)
Crew: 1
