Category Mig

1-711

The I-7U interceptor equipped with the Uragan-1 was developed once it became apparent that the I-3U would be grounded for lack of the right engine. The preliminary plans were completed in August 1956. The structure of the new aircraft was entirely reworked so that it could be powered by the Lyulka AL-7F turbojet, which delivered a dry thrust of 6,155 daN (6,240 kg st) and a reheated thrust of 9,035 daN (9,220 kg st). Except for a few standardized parts, the only piece of equipment common to both the I-3U and the I-7U was the Uragan-1 system Everything else was completely modified.

All of the main airframe assemblies were redesigned after recon­sideration of their basic principles. The fuselage diameter was increased, the wing sweepback С/4 was reduced to 55 degrees, and the gear kinematics were modified (the main gear retracted into the fuse­lage, their legs folding up inside the wing between the integral fuel tanks and the Fowler-type flaps). Many stamped panels were required for the wing and the tail unit The ailerons and other movable surfaces contained no ribs but rather a solid core. Armament comprised two NR-30 cannons located on either side of the fuselage alongside the wing root ribs and four optional automatic rocket pods under the wing with a total of sixty-four ARS-57M rockets.

The aircraft was moved to the test center on 26 January 1957 and on 17 April performed its first taxiing tests, during which the aircraft was lifted a few feet. The I-7U made its first flight on 22 April with G. K. Mosolov at the controls. On the thirteenth flight the landing gear on the right side collapsed as the aircraft landed, damaging the right wing. The aircraft was returned to the workshop for repairs and later made six more flights, the last one on 24 January 1958. On 12 February tests were canceled by the general designer. The aircraft was once more returned to the workshop; fitted with the AL-7F-1 engine, it became the 1-75F.

The tests had demonstrated the aircraft’s quick acceleration as well as its outstanding climb rate on either dry or reheated thrust, a distinc­tive feature of the 1-7U. On the other hand, the deflection travel of the stabilator proved to be sufficient at landing. When the aircraft reached Mach 1.6-1.65 it had a tendency to bank to the left, but its yaw stability remained satisfactory.

The resemblance between the 1-7U and the I-3U was quite superficial. The I-7U was in feet an entirely new machine.

The weapons system was the only common feature of the I-7U and I-3U The cone housing the Almaz ranging radar is centered on the I-7U.

Specifications

Span, 9.976 m (32 ft 8.7 in); overall length, 16.925 m (55 ft 6.3 in); fuse­lage length (except cone), 15.692 m (51 ft 5.8 in); wheel track, 3.242 m (10 ft 7.6 in); wheel base, 5.965 m (19 ft 6.9 in); wing area, 31.9 mz (343.4 sq ft); empty weight, 7,952 kg (17,525 lb); takeoff weight, 10,200 kg (22,480 lb); max takeoff weight, 11,540 kg (25,435 lb); fuel, 2,000 kg (4,410 lb); wing loading, 319.7-361.7 kg/m2 (65.5-74.1 lb/sq ft); max operating limit load factor, 9.

Performance

Recorded max speed with engine dry rating, 1,420 km/h (767 kt) (not recorded with reheated thrust because the Pitot-static probe readings were not corrected at high speeds; the max speeds that follow are design specifications); max speed with reheated thrust, 1,660 km/h at

5.0 m (896 kt at 16,400 ft); 2,200 km/h at 10,000 m (1,188 kt at 32,800 ft); 2,300 km/h at 11,000 m (1,242 kt at 36,080 ft); climb to

5.0 m (16,400 ft) in 0.6 min; to 10,000 m (32,800 ft) in 1.18 min; ser­vice ceiling, 19,100 m (62,650 ft); landing speed, 280-300 km/h (150-162 kt); endurance, 1 h 47 min; range, 1,505 km (935 mi); takeoff roll, 570 m (1,870 ft); landing roll, 990 m (3,250 ft).

Two Tip 74 airframes, the Ye-6V/1 and Ye-6V/2, were modified to assess various positions for the tail chute container, to test several types of chutes, and to make jet-assisted takeoffs with solid propellant rockets. The Ye-6V had two tail chute canisters, one on the left side of the ventral fin and the other at the base of the tail fin. The latter posi­tion was retained on all MiG-2 Is starting with the PFM Both Ye-6V prototypes were also tested with wheel-ski compound gear Fedotov demonstrated jet-assisted takeoffs in the Ye-6V/2 at the Tushino air show on 9 July 1961.

During the second half of 1941, to improve the aircraft’s maximum speed at high altitude, the ОКБ engineers equipped a MiG-3 with a Mikulin AM-37, an engine then under development that was rated at

1,030 kW (1,400 ch) at 5,000 m (16,400 feet). Matching the new engine was no problem because both the AM-35A and the AM-37 had the same design dimensions and attachment points Test pilot A I Zhukov made a few flights with this reengined MiG-3. But in the end the whole program was canceled, development of the AM-37 having proved too difficult. In some ОКБ documents the MiG-3 with the AM – 37 engine is referred to as the MiG-7.

A few months before the start of World War II, at the dawn of the jet era, members of the MiG design department started to gather and test various ideas for future aircraft. For this purpose, they decided to build an experimental prototype: an unconventional canard, or tail-first, machine (canard is French for duck). This is how Mikoyan and Gurye­vich justified their enterprise in a note enclosed with the preliminary design:

The canard-tailed aircraft we have designed and that is now being built is an experimental machine intended to check the maneuverability and steadiness in flight of that type of aircraft and to verify the characteristics of highly swept wings. We have chosen the pusher-prop formula because it will enable us to check the low-speed handling with a wing that will not be blown by the propeller. This point is of special interest for aircraft pow­ered by jet engines. The Utka ["duck”] will be a useful tool with which to examine thoroughly all the problems of handling, taxi­ing, takeoff, and landing (including go-around and touch-and-go) without any propeller slipstream effects on control surfaces.

In conceptualizing the Utka or MiG-8, the ОКБ project engineers had in mind the installation of a jet engine on an airframe of the same layout so that its hot exhaust gases would keep away from all structural elements. The design was prepared in close cooperation with a team of TsAGI technicians. The MiG-8 had a high wing braced by V-shaped struts with a two-spar fabric-covered wooden structure that displayed a 12 percent constant thickness ratio. The wing’s forward sweep angle was 20 degrees at the leading edge with a 2-degree anhedral. The fuse­lage, fins, rudders, and canard surfaces were made of wood.

The Utka was fitted with a fixed tricycle landing gear (a first for a MiG aircraft). The cabin had room for three people, with the pilot in front. Lateral and forward visibility was excellent because of the high position of the wing and the fact that the engine was in the rear. The engine bay and the fuselage were aerodynamically well matched.

The elevator was controlled by a rod and a bellcrank, while the rudder and ailerons were controlled by cables. The two duralumin fuel tanks had a total capacity of 195 1 (51 US gallons) and were located in the center section of the wing. The 18-1 (4.7-US gallon) oil tank was located behind the cabin. The air-cooled Shvetsov-Okromeshko M-11F radial engine offered 81 kw (110 ch) and was entirely cowled with the

exception of the cylinder heads. The two-bladed, fixed-pitch propeller was made of wood and measured 2.36 m (7 feet, 8.9 inches) in diame­ter. Gear legs were constructed of welded metal with pneumatic shock absorbers; the front wheel (300 x 150 initially) had an oleo strut. The wheels of the main gear (500 x 150) were fitted with pneumatic brakes. Later, the wheel sizes were standardized at 500 x 150. The Utka was flown in 1945 for the first time by test pilot A. I. Grinchik. The two fins were then located at the wing tips, and the leading edge was fitted with protruding slots. The two fins were later moved to midspan. The rud­ders were fitted with balance weights, and the leading edge slots were removed. The ОКБ also tried out wing tips with a strong anhedral.

The MiG-8 was remarkable for its outstanding stability, refusing to spin even when used at great angles of attack. Many OKB pilots such as A. N. Grinchik, A. I. Zhukov, A. N. Chernoburov, and chief engineer E. F. Nashchyekin spent a great deal of time at its controls. Because of its outstanding flying qualities, safety and ease of handling, and low man­ufacturing costs, the OKB tried to sell the aircraft to Aeroflot, hut the offer was not taken into account. The plane served as the design bureau’s liaison aircraft for several years.

Specifications

Span, 9.5 m (31 ft 1.9 in); span of the canard surfaces, 3.5 m (11 ft 5.8 in); length, 6.995 m (22 ft 11.4 in); wheel track, 2.5 m (8 ft 2.4 in); wheel base, 2.996 m (9 ft 10 in); wing area, 15 m2 (161.5 sq ft); empty weight, 642 kg (1,415 lh); takeoff weight, 997 kg (2,197 lb); max take­off weight, 1,150 kg (2,535 lb); fuel, 140 kg (309 lh); oil, 14 kg (31 lh), wing loading, 66.5/76.7 kg/m2 (13.6/15.72 lb/sq ft); aircraft balance, 8% MAC.

Performance

Max speed, 205 km/h (111 kt); landing speed, 77 km/h (42 kt), range, 500 km (310 mi).

In an attempt to correct the inadequacy of the MiG-3 at low and medi­um altitudes, the AM-35A was replaced by the AM-38, the only avail­able engine that could give the aircraft the means to stand up to the Messerschmitt Bf 109Fs first encountered in June 1941. Installing the AM-38 in the MiG-3 required few modifications, since the weight and overall dimensions of both engines were almost identical. The AM-38 afforded 1,178 kW (1,600 ch) at takeoff, and its maximum rating at

2,0 m (6,560 feet) was 1,141 kW (1,550 ch).

A production MiG-3 was reengined in this way and somewhat mod­ified by reshaping the exhaust pipes, removing the bomb racks, and suppressing the inert-gases transfer system. The aircraft was ready at the end of July 1941, and it went up for its maiden flight at the begin­ning of August with an LII pilot, Yu. K. Stankevich. The flight test pro­gram was carried out by Nil VVS pilots A. G. Kochetkov, A. G. Kubishkin, and A. M. Popyelnushenko as well as LII pilots such as G. M. Shiyanov and A. V. Yumashev Tests ended on 17 August. They showed that the reengined fighter was a sound machine if flown in ambient temperatures lower than 16-20° C (61-68° F), but the engine cooling system had to be modified for use in higher temperatures. The

test report concluded, "Below 4,000 m [13,100 feet], the АМ-38-engined MiG-3 offers new tactical possibilities and can successfully face the enemy fighters at low and medium altitudes." The time required for a 360-degree turn had dropped to between twenty and twenty-one sec­onds. Considering this laudatory appraisal, series production of the air­craft was recommended. But this plan too was thwarted by the unavail­ability of the AM-38 engine, which was still reserved for the 11-2 assem­bly lines. However, a repair workshop fitted a small number of MiG-3s with overhauled AM-38s because no more AM-35As could be found. Some of these MiG-3s were equipped with two synchronized 20-mm ShVAK cannons (100 rounds each) to fight in PVO units.

Specifications

Span, 10.2 m (33 ft 5.6 in); length, 8.25 m (27 ft 0.8 in); height in level flight position, 3.325 m (10 ft 10.9 in); wheel track, 2.78 m (9 ft 1.4 in); wing area, 17.44 m2 (187.72 sq ft); empty weight, 2,582 kg (5,692 lb); takeoff weight, 3,225 kg (7,110 lb); fuel, 463 kg (1,020 lb); oil, 45 kg (99 lb); wing loading, 185 kg/m2 (37.9 lb/sq ft).

Performance

Max speed, 587 km/h at 3,000 m (317 kt at 9,800 ft); 592 km/h at

4,0 m (320 kt at 13,000 ft); max speed at sea level, 547 km/h (295 kt); climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft) in 7.95 min; service ceiling, 9,500 m (31,200 ft); takeoff roll, 380 m (1,250 ft); landing roll, 400 m (1,310 ft).

1-300 / r

At the end of World War II several OKBs —including MiG—were assigned to design fighters powered by a turbojet engine MiG had the advantage of experience with its 1-250 But above 900 km/h (486 kt) it

was obvious that the technology of this aircraft’s combined power plant was completely outdated. And at that time there was not a single homemade jet engine available in the USSR, since all research pro­grams in this field were postponed because of the war. The Soviets had to make do with the few jets recovered either in eastern Prussia or in Germany itself. Near the end of the war one of the factories that made BMW 003 and Junkers Jumo 004 jet engines fell into the hands of Sovi­et troops. It was then decided to mass-produce them in the USSR. After a close examination of each type the OKB engineers chose the BMW 003, which delivered 784 daN (800 kg st) and 1,568 daN (1,600 kg st) in a twin-jet configuration. A. G. Brunov was named the chief project engineer. In the first preliminary design the future F fighter had two underwing engines like the Messerschmitt Me-262, the Gloster Meteor, and the Sukhoi Su-9, which complied with the same specifications and was first flown in August 1946.

One of Mikoyan’s students, the well-known aeronautical expert A. V. Minayev, wrote in Aircraft of the USSR:

When Mikoyan started working on his fighter project, a lot of spadework had already been done as regards high-speed aerody­namics, aircraft aerodynamic configurations, and aeroelasticity. The more I go into this period, the more I am amazed at discov­ering the huge amount of R&D conducted during the war. No Soviet jet aircraft could have flown in 1946 without all this research work, which was all the more valuable to us because it was original and homemade.

The preliminary designs for the project were highlighted by an innovative proposal made by Mikoyan: to place both jets side by side into the fuselage. With such an arrangement the wing remained aero – dynamically clean, drag was reduced, and maneuverability improved, particularly in the event of engine failure. The preliminary design was approved in the late fall of 1945. A full-scale mock-up was built, and manufacture of the parts and systems was launched. After approval of the mock-up in January 1946 the Narkomaviaprom issued decree no. 157, assigning to the MiG OKB the task of building and flight-testing the aircraft.

The 1-300, coded F at the OKB, was an all-metal midwing single- seater with a front air intake to feed the two jet engines. The two-spar straight wing had a TsAGI-1 series profile, a constant thickness ratio of 9 percent, slotted flaps, and Frise ailerons. The lower part of the rear fuselage was protected against the high-temperature exhaust gases by a heat shield (a 15-mm-thic. k air-gap sandwich of stainless steel plates with a corrugated core). The cantilever horizontal tail was set high on the fin to stay dear of the exhaust flow. Flying controls were standard; the stick rod-operated, the rudder pedals cable-operated. The cockpit was not pressurized.

The fuel system comprised four fuselage and six wing tanks having a total capacity of 1,635 1 (432 US gallons). The engines ran on T-2 kerosene—a fuel commonly used in tractor engines—because aviation kerosene was not yet available. Each BMW 003 was fitted with a Ridel

combustion starter that ran on aviation gasoline. The armament of the prototype consisted of one 57-mm N-57 (100P) cannon in the air intake splitting wall and two 23-mm NS-23 (115Р) cannons with 80 rpg at the bottom of the air intake. This arrangement was to prove somewhat troublesome, as will be explained later. The N-57 was eventually replaced with a 37-mm N-37 with forty rounds.

For the first time, a Soviet fighter was fitted with a tricycle landing gear. The legs and wheels of the main gear retracted outward into wing wells. The castor front wheel retracted backward into the fuselage and was fitted with a hydraulic shimmy-damper. All of the landing gear had levered suspension with lower arms trailing the wheel.

On 6 March 1946 the prototype was rolled out and entrusted to the care of the factory flight-testing team. All systems were checked, the aircraft was weighed without and with fuel, and its engines were run up. No one actually knew the BMW 003’s time between overhauls, so a hypothetical ten-hour TBO was adopted. On 23 March the aircraft was

moved to the Ramenskoye airfield. Meanwhile, several airframes were stressed during static tests; they were progressively overloaded until they ruptured in order to determine their strength.

An experienced LII pilot, Aleksei Nikolayevich Grinchik (nick­named Lesha), was put in charge of the flight tests of the 1-300 (F). In 1941-42 he flew sixty-two missions in a MiG-3 (later he flew an LaGG-3) and fought on the Kalinin front. He was wounded in the leg during a dogfight and forced to make a pancake landing. When he was released from the hospital he was appointed deputy director of flight tests at the LII. In the spring of 1946 there were no more than eleven first-class test pilots in the USSR; Grinchik was the youngest but probably the most experienced. Before the war he was a student at the Moscow Avi­ation Institute (MAI). When the war ended he joined the TsAGI to add to his knowledge. The flight-test team also included chief engineer A. Karyev and two field mechanics, V V. Pimyenov and G Bushtinov.

On 12 April 1946 Grinchik made the first ground rolls, and three days later he lifted it a few feet into the air. At more than 900 m (2,950 feet), the takeoff roll proved to be longer than expected. On 19 April the F climbed to 4 m (about 13 feet), and on 24 April it made its true first flight, which lasted twenty minutes. The first Soviet jet aircraft had flown. Three hours later the Yak-15 went up for its maiden flight.[1] The USSR’s jet era was under way.

The second flight took place on 7 May 1946, and the third flight on the eleventh. Not until the eighth flight was severe buffet noticed around the engines. The next three flights failed to identify their cause and eliminate them. On 5 June an emergency meeting was called in Mikoyan’s office to analyze the problem. After listening to the pilot and examining the flight-test data, well-known scientist M. V. Keldish pro­posed that the present layout of the aircraft be abandoned and the engines relocated either above or underneath the wings. He thought that the vibrations were caused by the stepping of the fuselage behind the engines. But during the twelfth flight on 7 July, after the heat shield was strengthened, the vibrations vanished inexplicably and test flights were finally resumed. Tragically, during the nineteenth flight four days later Grinchik was fatally wounded while giving a flight demonstration for a group of WS officers. The wing-to-body fairing broke off in flight, smashing the horizontal tail to pieces, and the aircraft crashed. This first 1-300, the F-l, had spent a total of six hours and twenty-three min­utes in the air.

Two more prototypes, the F-2 and F-3, were assembled quickly in the experimental workshop The F-3 was flown for the first time by LII pilot M. L. Gallai on 9 August 1946, and the F-2 followed with G M. Shiyanov at the controls two days later. On 18 August Shiyanov led a flyover in this prototype during the air force day cele­brations at Tushino.

By 28 October all of the following GK Nil WS pilots had flown the 1-300: A. G. Proshakov, A. M. Kripkov, A. G. Kubishkin, Yu. A. Antipov, and G A. Sedov (who is today chief constructor at the MiG OKB). The aircraft’s joint tests (factory tests plus state acceptance trials) got under way on 26 October, leading to certification During the state trials, over two hundred aerobatics were performed—including the first spin ever attempted by a jet aircraft—without a single engine failure. The certifi­cation document contained the following statement: "Its handling char­acteristics have made this aircraft, on the whole, easy and pleasant to fly. Its controls are not binding and it is not hard to get accustomed to this machine.” Mass production was consequently recommended and launched immediately. The aircraft entered service in the WS with the service designation of MiG-9.

Specifications

Span, 10 m (32 ft 9 7 in); length, 9.75 m (31 ft 11 8 in); height, 3.225 m (10 ft 6.7 in); wheel track, 1.95 m (6 ft 4.8 in); wheel base, 3.072 m (10 ft 0.9 in); wing area, 18 2 m2 (195 9 sq ft); empty weight, 3,283 kg (7,236 lb); takeoff weight, 4,860 kg (10,710 lb); fuel, 1,334 kg (2,940 lb); oil, 35 kg (77 lb); wing loading, 267 kg/m2 (54 .7 lb/sq ft); max operat­ing limit load factor, 6.

Performance

Max speed, 910 km/h at 4,500 m (491 kt at 14,760 ft), max speed at sea level, 864 km/h (467 kt), climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft) in 4.5 min; to 10,000 m (32,800 ft) in 14.3 min; service ceiling, 13,000 m (42,640 ft); landing speed, 170 km/h (92 kt); range, 800 km (497 mi); takeoff roll, 910 m (2,985 ft); landing roll, 735 m (2,410 ft); rate of turn, 9.73°/sec.

When series production of the MiG-3 stopped in December 1941 for lack of engines, the Perm power plant factory was producing the M – 82A, a 14-cylinder, double-row, air-cooled radial engine. Its power out­put was high at takeoff—1,251 kW (1,700 ch)—but it lost power rapidly with altitude. At 6,500 m (21,300 feet) its rating dropped to only 979 kW (1,330 ch)

Despite this shortcoming the MiG OKB redesigned the MiG-3 with an M-82 engine in a risky attempt to prolong the aircraft’s life. Chief engineer I. G. Lazarev tried to match the engine with the front fuselage structure with a minimum of modifications and designed an engine cowling to minimize load losses resulting from its internal turbulent flow.

The cockpit canopy was enlarged and deepened to improve rear and lateral visibility. The fin area was increased slightly to improve yaw stability, and the wing was fitted with leading-edge slats tested on a production MiG-3. The three 12.7-mm UBS machine guns (one on top of the engine cowling and one on each side of it) were controlled by a single trigger.

Five I-210s were completed in November-December 1941, and the first flight took place in December with Nil WS pilot V. Ye. Golofastov in the cockpit. From the very beginning of the test flights, strong vibra­tions occurred in the tail unit, and the aircraft’s maneuverability

proved to be rather scanty. The size of the engine master cross section and the poor airtightness of the engine cowling generated vortex flows that increased the drag significantly. Despite the high power of the M – 82, the maximum speed of the 1-210 was less than that of the MiG-3 with an AM-35A engine

The aircraft was tested in a TsAGI full-scale wind tunnel and returned to the OKB for modifications. The wind tunnel tests con­firmed the decisive effect of the lack of cowling airtightness on the air­craft’s aerodynamic drag. They led at last to the design of a new aircraft code-named Ye and powered by a M-82F, which was not completed before the end of 1942. Despite its poor performance, the 1-210 was combat-proven on thb Kalinin front. Two 7.62-mm ShKAS synchro­nized machine guns were added to the basic armament.

In some OKB documents the 1-210 is referred to as the MiG-9 (the first of many).

Specifications

Span, 10.2 m (33 ft 5.6 in); length, 8.078 m (26 ft 6 in); wheel track, 2.78 m (9 ft 1.4 in); wheel base, 5.022 m (16 ft 5.7 in); wing area, 17.44 m2 (187.7 sq ft); empty weight, 2,720 kg (5,995 lb); takeoff weight, 3,382 kg (7,454 lb), fuel + oil, 360 kg (795 lb); wing loading, 193 9 kg/m2 (39.71 Ib/sq ft)

Performance

Max speed, 565 km/h at 6,150 m (305 kt at 20,170 ft); max speed at sea level, 475 km/h (257 kt); landing speed, 146 km/h (79 kt); climb to

5,0 m (16,400 ft) in 6.7 min; range, 1,070 km (665 mi); takeoff roll, 410 m (1,345 ft); landing roll, 535 m (1,755 ft).

The aims of this program were not very different from those of the previous designs—that is, improving the aerodynamics, handling quali­ties, and production processes of the MiG-3 even though its assembly lines were now closed. The motivation of this new attempt was to give the MiG-3 a successor without departing too much from the original design.

Compared to the MiG-3, the 1-230’s fuselage was 370 mm (14 57 inches) longer. The main landing gear was modified and equipped with more efficient and reliable shock absorbers, and the pilot’s view was greatly improved. Aware of the scarcity of light alloys in 1942, the designers called for the fuselage to be made entirely of wood except at the engine mounting

At the time of the preliminary design, the utmost was done so that the 1-230 might be manufactured on the same assembly lines as the MiG-3, with the same production tooling and methods. The quality of the skin finishing and the aerodynamic cleanness of the airframe were superb The aircraft was really a beauty.

The ventral radiator bath underneath the wing center section was moved forward and made much smaller. A slightly bigger wing was used on an experimental basis to increase the aircraft’s ceiling by 500 m (1,640 feet). But this was not considered enough of an improvement to justify acceptance of the new wing.

The team in charge of this program ran into an old snag. The AM- 35A, the only suitable engine for this type of aircraft, was no longer being produced. The AM-38F was certainly not the ideal engine for a fighter—and besides, its entire production run was reserved for the 11-2. Consequently, the 1-230 was fitted with a salvaged AM-35A. The flight reports filed by MiG-3 pilots were taken into account: firepower was increased by mounting two synchronized 20-mm ShVAK (SP-20) can­nons on top of the engine (150 rpg) The 1-230 became the first single­engine MiG equipped with cannons.

The aircraft was first flown and flight-tested in August 1942. Even though the results were positive, there was uncertainty in 1943 over whether series production could he launched. After the prototype roll­out, five preproduction aircraft were completed in the ОКБ workshop and delivered to the 1 GvIAP (1st Guards fighter aviation regiment) for

combat proving on the Kalinin front, where they performed with dis­tinction. Nonetheless, the chaotic circumstances of most engine manu­facturers in this period (evacuation of production factories, establish­ment of new production facilities in distant places, and difficulties in managerial staff recruitment) made it impossible to resume production of the AM-35A. Despite all its good qualities, the 1-230 did not succeed the MiG-3.

The 1-230 is sometimes called the MiG-3 D (Dalnostniy, long range) or MiG-3U (Ulushchenniy, improved).

Specifications

Span, 10.2 m (33 ft 5.6 in); 1-230 no. 02 span, 11m (36 ft 1 in); length, 8.62 m (28 ft 3.4 in); wheel track, 2.78 m (9 ft 1.4 in); wheel base, 5.426 m (17 ft 9.6 in); wing area, 17.44 m2 (187.7 sq ft); 1-230 no. 02 wing area, 18 m2 (193.75 sq ft); empty weight, 2,612 kg (5,757 lb); takeoff weight, 3,285 kg (7,240 lb); fuel, 324 kg (714 lb); oil, 56 kg (123 lb); wing loading, 188.4/182.5 kg/m2 (38.57/37.36 lb/sq ft); max operating limit load factor, 8.

Performance

Max speed, 660 km/h at 6,000 m (356 kt at 19,680 ft); max speed at sea level, 560 km/h (302 kt); climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft) in 6.2 min; ser­vice ceiling, 11,500 m (37,700 ft); 1-230 no. 02 service ceiling, 12,000 m (39,360 ft); range, 1,350 km (840 mi).

OKB engineers were desperately tiying to find a successor to the MiG – 3. In 1943 they thought they had hit on something when a new engine, the AM-39 A, became available Its takeoff power reached 1,325 kW (1,800 ch), and it was rated at 1,104 kW (1,500 ch) at 5,850 m (19,190 feet). The engine was installed in an airframe almost similar to that of the 1-230 with the same armament (two 20-mm ShVAK cannons above the engine with 160 rpg).

The 1-231 prototype was completed and test-flown in 1943 with Yu A. Antipov and later P. M. Stefanovskiy at the controls, but it was destroyed as a result of a mislanding. It could have been a chance mishap, the aircraft having shown great capabilities justifying its mass production. But once more a shortage of engines put an end to what would be the final attempt to extend the life of the MiG-3: series pro­duction of the AM-39 had to be stopped a short time after it began. Also, no production unit had the capacity to manufacture the 1-231 They were all busy, day and night, turning out Yakovlev and Lav­ochkin fighters.

Specifications

Span, 10 2 m (33 ft 5 6 in); length, 8.62 m (28 ft 3.4 in); height in level flight position, 3.275 m (10 ft 8 9 in); wheel track, 2.78 m (9 ft 1.4 in); wheel base, 5.426 m (17 ft 9.6 in); wing area, 17.44 m2 (187.7 sq ft); empty weight, 2,583 kg (5,693 lb); takeoff weight, 3,287 kg (7,245 lb); fuel, 333 kg (734 lb); oil, 34 kg (75 lb), wing loading, 188.5 kg/m2 (38 6 Ib/sq ft); max operating limit load factor, 8

Performance

Max speed, 707 km/h at 7,100 m (382 kt at 23,290 ft); climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft) in 4.5 min, service ceiling, 11,400 m (37,400 ft)

As mentioned earlier, this program was a direct result of the 1-210 tests in one of the full-scale TsAGI wind tunnels. The goal was still to pro­long the MiG-3 series with an updated product. But to improve the level and climbing speeds of the aircraft, it was necessary to find a more powerful engine than the M-82A and to reduce its takeoff weight significantly. The only available engine alternative was the M-82F, delivering 1,362 kW (1,850 ch) at takeoff and 979 kW (1,330 ch) at

The 1-211 marked a new attempt to match a radial engine with the MiG-3 airframe. This time it was a complete success. But, strangely enough, the project was not pur­sued, and Lavochkin inherited most of the technical innovations tested with this machine.

5,400 m (17,700 feet). The 1-211 differed from the 1-210 in several other respects as well. The front fuselage cross section was increased to make the junction of the engine cowling and the fuselage smoother, and the adjustable flaps of the engine exhaust outlet were moved to the sides of the fuselage. The cockpit was moved 245 mm (9.64 inches) back and the fin chord was extended forward, increasing its area and improving the aircraft’s yaw stability. The oil cooler air inlets were moved into the wing root fairings. The shape of the engine cowling was carefully designed to cope with the problem of airtightness and to achieve the best junction possible with the fuselage. All of these modi­fications resulted in an outstanding increase in the aircraft’s speed. In 1942 most of these technical innovations (engine cowling design and airtightness, proper positioning of the engine itself, and the 1-210 wing leading edge slats) were passed on—at the order of the Narkomavprom (state commissariat of the aviation industry)—to the Lavochkin OKB, which adapted them successfully to the La-5, a mass-produced fighter.

The armament was also modified: the 1-210’s machine guns were replaced by two synchronized 20-mm ShVAK cannons at the bottom of engine cowling. Assembly of the 1-211 begai in December 1942 and finished in August 1943. Golofastov was the first pilot to fly it. Two pro­totypes were built, followed by eight preproduction aircraft. The short­comings of the first 1-210 and its engine became nothing more than a bad memory, and the 1-211 proved to be the best Russian fighter of the time. Compared with the 1942 version of the La-5, its level speed was 40 to 166 km/h (21 to 90 kt) higher, depending on the altitude. Com­pared with the 1942 version of the Yak-9, it was 65 to 73 km/h (35 to 39 kt) faster. To climb to 5,000 m (16,400 feet), the La-5 took 1.4 to 2.2 minutes longer, and the Yak-9 0.9 to 1.5 minutes longer. After the pro­totypes passed the factory flight tests, ten preproduction 1-21 Is were delivered to the VVS to prove themselves in combat. They engaged successfully in air battles over the northwestern front near Kalinin. Air force pilots and Nil WS test pilots spoke out in favor of adding the 1-211 to the WS fleet. But in spite of their recommendations and the aircraft’s remarkable flying qualities, the GKO (defense state commit­tee) gave up mass-producing the aircraft because two factories were already building the La-5FN (an La-5 with an ASh-82FN engine)

Specifications

Span, 10.2 m (33 ft 5.6 in); length, 7.954 m (26 ft 1.1 in); height, 3.63 m (11 ft 10.9 in); wheel track, 2.78 m (9 ft 1.4 in); wheel base, 5 015 m (16 ft 5.4 in); wing area, 17.44 m2 (187.7 sq ft); empty weight, 2,528 kg (5,572 lb); takeoff weight, 3,100 kg (6,830 lb); fuel + oil, 385 kg (848 lb); wing loading, 177.75 kg/m2 (36.38 lb/sq ft).

Performance

Max speed, 670 krn/h at 7,000 m (362 kt at 22,960 ft); climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft) in 4 min; service ceiling, 11,300 m (37,065 ft); range, 1,140 km (710 mi).