Trumpeter 02230 1/32 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3
The MiG design bureau was established in the late 1930s and is actually the initials of the two chief designers: Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich (M and G in Russian is MiG). Their first design was for a high-altitude fighter, the first prototype being the I-61, which first flew in April 1940. This first design would (of course) become the MiG-1.
The MiG-3 was essentially the MiG-1 with additional engineering improvements learned from early MiG-1 operations. Unlike the MiG-1, the MiG-3 featured a fully enclosed cockpit (which was later retrofitted to many of the MiG-1s. Powered by the 1,200 horsepower AM-35A engine, the MiG-3 had a maximum level speed of almost 400 mph and a range of nearly 800 miles. The aircraft was armed with one 12.7mm and two 7.7mm machine guns mounted in the nose.
The MiG-1 and MiG-3 were both in service with the Soviet Air Force when the Germans invaded the USSR. In combat, the MiG-3 was an excellent fighter at high altitudes, but was found lacking at lower altitudes. As a result, production was quickly terminated, after about 2,100 examples were built, to find a better solution against the Luftwaffe.
Markings are provided for two examples:
- A white over gray scheme (featured on the box art) with a red arrow down the forward fuselage
- A green over gray scheme for White 5
