Category Mig

The inadequacies of the 1-200 (as recorded in various factory and mili­tary test reports) led to an intensive research program, including full – scale tests in the new T-101 and T-104 TsAGI large wind tunnels. The modifications introduced as a result of this effort did not remedy all the aircraft’s faults—and could not have, given its time constraints. But they certainly counted as improvements in several areas:

— the dihedral of the outer wing panels was increased from 5 to 6 degrees to improve stability

— the engine was moved 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) forward to off­set a tail-heavy trimming

— a new 250-1 (66-US gallon) fuel tank was introduced beneath the pilot’s seat to increase the aircraft’s range

— the fuel system was protected from fire by transferring inert gases (cooled exhaust gases) in the fuel tanks

— a second oil tank was added

— the engine cooling system was improved

— a new VISh-GlSh propeller was installed, enhancing efficiency by increasing the pitch range to 35 degrees

—larger main gear wheels were used (650 x 200 tires), enabing the MiG-3 to operate from grass strips; the gear doors were conse­quently modified

— the wheel brakes were improved

— an 8-mm-thick armor plate (later made 9-mm thick) was added to the back of the pilot’s seat

— the fuselage decking behind the cockpit was modified and glazed to improve aft vision

— the PBP-1 gunsight was replaced by the more advanced PBP-1A model

— an RSI-3 single-channel receiver was installed (later replaced by an RSI-4)

— the external weapon load was increased: four store stations under the wings thus enabled the MiG-3 to carry mixed loads of 8- to 100- kg (18- to 220-pound) bombs up to a maximum of 220 kg (485 pounds), two VАР-6М/ZAP-6 chemical/incendiary spray contain­ers, or eight unguided RS-82 rockets

The built-in armament was similar to that of the MiG-1 but was sometimes complemented by two 12.7-mm BK machine guns in slipper pods beneath the wing. With five weapons, firepower more than dou­bled, the weight of a salvo per second increasing from 1.38 to 3 kg (49 to 106 ounces). But those supplementary weapons pushed the takeoff weight of the MiG-3 up to 3,510 kg (7,738 pounds), increasing the wing loading to 201.3 kg/m2 (41 pounds per square foot).

A few MiG-3s were equipped with two 12.7-mm UBS machine guns. Tests were also conducted with two 20-mm ShVAK. cannons, but this weapon was not retained. Other MiG-3s flew unarmed as photo-

reconnaissance aircraft above the front line. The first MiG-3s rolled out of Aviakhim factory no. 1 in December 1940. At the end of that month eleven aircraft had been built. The production rate rose quickly: no fewer than 140 aircraft left the assembly line in January 1941. In June, on the eve of Operation Barbarossa, the factory operated around the clock and produced twenty-five aircraft per day. The first MiG-3s and MiG-1 s reached the IAPs (fighter aviation regiments) in April 1941.

On 4 December 1940 ten MiG-3s were set aside for combat training missions. These flights took place partly in Katcha, Crimea, where there are more sunny days than in the Moscow area. On 13 March 1941 during one of these missions test pilot Yekato lost his life. An investiga­tion revealed that the supercharger compressor wheel had come loose, going right through the fire wall and the front fuel tank before fatally wounding the pilot.

Because of the volatile situation in Europe in early 1941, the first series of modern Soviet fighters (Yak-1, LaGG-3, MiG-1, and MiG-3) •vere sent first and foremost to the border zones of the western USSR, especially to the air bases of Kaunas, Lvov, Byelstok, Kishinev, Byeltsy (Moldavia), and Eupatoria. As of 1 June 1941, three weeks before the German invasion, thirteen fighter regiments were equipped entirely with MiG-3s, and another six regiments had received partial comple-

merits. On 22 June 1941, the first day of Operation Barbarossa, MiG-ls and MiG-3s represented only 37 percent of the total number of opera­tional fighters; the other 63 percent were 1-15s, I-15bis, 1-153s, and even a handful of obsolete I-5s still used in training centers. But 89.9 percent of the new fighters were MiG-3s distributed in fighter regiments of the WS (air force), the PVO (air defense units), and the VMF (navy).

In October 1941 the German breakthrough threatened the ОКБ and factory no. 1. They were hastily moved to Kuybyshev, a major port on the Volga River. Two months later, the fate of the MiG-3 was sealed. Its AM-35A engine was built in the same factory as the AM-38, which powered the Ilyushin 11-2 Shturmovik ground attack aircraft. This model now received priority so that the production rate of this aircraft could be accelerated. Without an engine, the MiG-3 was dead. Stalin had intervened personally. In a cable that became famous in the Soviet aircraft industry but was unknown in the West (until now), Stalin stern­ly accused two factory managers of slowing down production. On 23 December 1941 the MiG-3 program was terminated; however, all air­craft then on the assembly line were to be completed, the last one rolling out of the factory at the beginning of 1942. A total of 3,120 MiG – 3s had been delivered in just over one year. After the OKB and factory no. 1 returned to Khodinka in March 1942, fifty MiG-3s were assembled from components that had been hidden away at the time of the evacua­tion. These aircraft were allotted to the Moscow PVO.

Early in the war MiG-3s often operated in a less than optimal flight envelope. This high-altitude interceptor was used first as a "frontal fighter” for low- and medium-altitude interception and even for close – support missions below 5,000 m (16,400 feet), flight levels where Ger­man fighters were superior in terms of performance. But at that time the Soviets had to make the most of what they had. the German attacks on their airfields at daybreak on 22 June 1941 had had a devas­tating impact. But once mastered by its pilot the MiG-3 regained the

А гаге photograph, taken in 1942, shows a MiG-3 fitted with launch rails for RS-82 rockets. This aircraft belonged to the 12 IAP (12th fighter aviation regiment) of the Moscow PVO (air defense)

upper hand when operating above 5,000 m thanks to its outstanding speed and ceiling—but there the German fighters would not dare to cross swords with it. So MiG-3s were usually assigned to PVO units for high-altitude interception of bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. They even flew as night fighters. It was in a MiG-3 that A. I. Pokiyshkin, future air marshal, gained the first of his fifty-nine kills when he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109E. It was also in a MiG-3 that A. N. Katrisht, future general-colonel, distinguished himself dur­ing night missions.

To conclude, we ought to mention the surprising proposal made just after the German invasion by S. P. Suprun, the test pilot responsi­ble for the 1-200 state acceptance trials during the summer of 1940. Since Soviet fighter regiments had already sustained heavy losses on the ground (mostly) and in the air, Suprun suggested that two fighter regiments equipped with MiG-1 s and MiG-3s be staffed mostly by facto­ry test pilots, GosNII VYS (state scientific research institute of the air force) test pilots, and military pilots in charge of acceptance flights. Two regiments were formed as a result—Suprun’s 401 IAP, assigned to the western front near Smolensk, and the 402 IAP under the command of P. M. Stefanovskii, a test pilot of great skill, on the northwestern front.

Specifications

Span, 10.2 m (33 ft 5.6 in); length, 8.25 m (27 ft 0.8 in); height, 3.3 m (10 ft 9.9 in); wheel track, 2.78 m (9 ft 1.4 in); wing area, 17.44 m2 (187.72 sq ft); empty weight, 2,699 kg (5,950 lb); takeoff weight, 3,350 kg (7,385 lb); fuel, 385 kg (849 lb); oil, 55 kg (121 lb); wing loading, 92 kg/m2 (39.3 lb/sq ft).

Performance

Max speed, 640 km/h at 7,800 m (346 kt at 25,600 ft); max speed at sea level, 505 km/h (273 kt); climb to 8,000 m (26,250 ft) in 10.28 min; ser­vice ceiling, 12,000 m (39,400 ft); range at 550 km/h (297 kt) with 70% W and 10% fuel reserve, 820 km (510 mi); takeoff roll, rated power, no flaps, 305 m (1,000 ft); rated power, 15° flaps, 268 m (880 ft); full power, no flaps, 234 m (770 ft); landing roll, 400 m (1,310 ft).

In early 1944 the GKO (state committee for defense) “gave comrades Yakovlev, Lavochkin, Mikoyan, and Sukhoi the responsibility to build jet aircraft.” During the meeting held in Mikoyan’s office to discuss this project, all the department managers (who knew very well that the USSR did not have a jet engine in production) decided to power their new fighter with a package unit consisting of a piston engine—a 1,214- kw (1,650-ch) VK-107A—and a special booster nozzle designed at the central institute for aeroengine construction (TsIAM) by a team led by Professor К. V. Kholshchyevnikov. In this rather odd assembly, the power delivered by the piston engine was shared between two “con­sumers": a propeller 3.1 m (10 feet, 2 inches) in diameter, and a com­pressor intended to feed a combustion chamber. This assembly was known as a VRDK (Vozdushno-Reaktivmy-Dopolnitelniy Kompressor: jet – propelled auxiliary compressor) or booster. For takeoff and cruise situ­ations, the main consumer was the propeller. During these flight modes the compressor (driven by a reduction gear) ran at idle, and no fuel was pumped into the seven burners of the combustion chamber When dash speed was needed fuel was injected into the burners and ignited by spark plugs. The compressor was then clutched at its maxi­mum speed, and the revolution speed of the propeller was reduced. This power package offered a total of 2,061 kW (2,500 ch) at 7,000 m (22,960 feet) that is, 1,067 kW (1,450 ch) from the VK-107A at rated power and 994 kW (1,350 ch) from the VRDK equivalent.

It was also possible to regulate the VRDK power by means of the adjustable nozzle at the rear of the combustion chamber. This nozzle was fitted with two eyelids controlled by hydraulic jacks. The VRDK was cooled by a water-vapor system that protected the fuselage struc­ture and the cockpit against overheating. The water tank had a capacity of 78 1 (20.6 US gallons). The VRDK and the VK-107Aboth ran on gaso­line. The VRDK operated like the compressor’s second stage of a super­charged piston engine, increasing the aircraft’s ceiling.

The wing had a trapezoidal planform and a thin profile. The fuel system was made up of three self-sealing bladder tanks, one in the fuselage in front of the cockpit (412 1 [109 US gallons]) and two in the center section of the wing (100 1 [26 US gallons] each). The main gear

The first 1-250 prototype or N-l was rolled out on 26 February 1945 just eleven months after the project received the go-ahead.

The 1-250 combined power unit (J) Oil cooler (2) Engine exhaust pipe (3) VK-107A piston engine (4) Fuel tanks of 412 and 200 1 (5) Engine supercharger air-bleed. (6) Reduction gearbox (7) Compressor drive shaft (8) Compressor (9) Water jacket. (JO) Fuel injectors (JJ) Combustion chamber. (J2) Adjustable-area nozzle.

was of the levered-suspension type with lower arms leading the leg. The most original features here were the doors, which permanently closed the wheel wells except at the very moment of the gear retrac­tion or extension (a first in the USSR).

The N-l prototype was armed with three 20-mm ShVAK (G-20) cannons—one mounted between the cylinder blocks and bring through the propeller hub, the others flanking the engine. Each of these weapons could Are 100 rounds, a flgure eventually improved to 160.

The preliminary design of the 1-250 was approved on 28 March 1944. At the same time, Sukhoi set to work on a similar aircraft, the Su-5 (1-107), which also had a combination power plant. But its performance was disappointing, and flight tests of the Su-5 were stopped on 15 July 1945. On 26 October 1944 the full-scale 1-250 mock – up was examined in great detail and endorsed; on 30 November almost all the sets of drawings were complete. As the war continued into 1945, OKB officials elected to build not an experimental prototype but instead an operational combat fighter.

Deputy chief engineer M. I. Guryevich had this to say in the OKB house newsletter:

We are now starting work on the N, an entirely new type of air­craft that greatly departs from our previous designs. We are going to reach speeds never achieved before. We are going to use new formulas, new materials. We shall have to create new systems. There is not a single sector, a single department of our OKB that will escape the difficult problems we shall have to face. We must give up all of the old configurations and all of the systems we are

used to and create new ones. We are forging ahead in a new way, the only one enabling us to achieve levels that have never before been attained and that we could hardly have dreamed possible.

The N-l was rolled out on 26 February 1945, less than one year after the project received the go-ahead, and the N-2 followed three months later. The initial prototype was first flown on 3 March 1945 by A. P. Deyev, and the VRDK was fired as early as the third flight. The

increase in speed proved to be significant: it was about 100 km/b (54 kt) faster than the best piston-engine fighter flying at the time. The only modification made involved a slight increase of the fin area.

In mid-May 1945 Deyev was killed during a flight test. The struc­tural load factor was somehow exceeded, and the tailplane disintegrat­ed at an altitude far too low for the pilot to bail out. The N-2 trials were conducted by a pilot from the LII, A. P. Yakimov, and later by two young ОКБ pilots, A. N. Chemoburov and I T Ivashchenko. During the first stages of the factory tests, the N-2 remained unarmed Flight tests showed that, at top speed, the plane’s yaw stability was inade­quate. The fin area was increased accordingly. Takeoff roll was limited to 400 m (1,310 feet) with the VRDK in operation; but otherwise it took far too long to become airborne owing to the propeller’s small diame­ter. The N-2 was destroyed during a crash landing, with Chernoburov at the controls.

In June 1945 the production factory was instructed to build ten I- 250s in time for a Red Square flyover on 7 November in celebration of the twenty-ninth anniversary of the October Revolution. ОКБ test pilot I. T. Ivashchenko organized an accelerated training program for a batch of air force pilots under the command of Col. P. F. Chupikov. Nine I-250s were completed in time; unfortunately, the weather was so bad in Moscow on 7 November that the flyover had to be canceled.

Sixteen I-250s were delivered in record time to Baltic fleet aviation units at Skultye, near Riga. The first production I-250s had saber­shaped propeller blades; they were replaced later on by conventional

The N-2 the second 1-250 prototype, was rolled out in 1945 The fin was modified once more, and the tail wheel no longer retracts This aircraft was painted dark blue and embellished with a yellow streak.

This photograph of the N-2 shows the adjustable-area nozzle, two eyelids controlled by hydraulic jacks.

The production version of the 1-250 is sometimes referred to as the MiG-13. In fact, only sixteen aircraft of the type were delivered to the Baltic fleet aviation units.

The air intake duct for both the engine supercharger and the VRDK is visible below the engine mount of the MiG-13 Note also the saber-shaped blades of the propeller.

blades. The production 1-250 with serial number 3810102 (381 = facto­ry number, 01 = first series, and 02 = second machine in the series) passed its factory tests in July 1947. Its acceptance trials were carried out at the Nil WS test center between 9 October 1947 and 8 April 1948 with I. M. Sukhomlin at the controls.

All production I-250s—referred to as MiG-13s in some ОКБ docu­ments—were withdrawn from service in May 1948.

The following details refer to the 1-250 N-l.

Specifications

Span, 9.5 m (31 ft 1.9 in); length, 8.185 m (26 ft 10.2 in); wheel track, 2.75 m (9 ft 0.3 in); wheel base, 4.995 m (16 ft 4.6 in); wing area, 15 m2 (161 5 sq ft); empty weight, 2,587 kg (5,702 lb); takeoff weight, 3,680 kg (8,110 lb); fuel, 450 kg (992 lb); oil, 80 kg (176 lb); water, 78 kg (172 lb), wing loading, 245 kg/m2 (50.2 lb/sq ft); max operating limit load factor, 6.5.

Performance

Max speed, 825 km/h at 7,000 m (446 kt at 22,960 ft), max speed at sea level, 620 km/h (335 kt); climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft) with VRDK in 3 9 min, without VRDK in 4.6 min; service ceiling with VRDK, 11,960 m (39,230 ft), without VRDK 10,500 m (34,440 ft); landing speed, 150 km/h (81 kt); range with VRDK, 920 km (570 mi), without VRDK 1,380 km (857 mi); takeoff roll with VRDK, 400 m (1,310 ft); landing roll, 515 m (1,690 ft).

The following details refer to the production 1-250 (MiG-13)

Specifications

Span, 9.5 m (31 ft 1.9 in); length, 8.185 m (26 ft 10.2 in); wheel track, 2.75 m (9 ft 0.3 in), wheel base, 4 995 m (16 ft 4.6 in); wing area, 15 m2 (161.5 sq ft); empty weight, 3,028 kg (6,674 lb); takeoff weight, 3,931 kg (8,664 lb); fuel, 590 kg (1,300 lb); oil, 80 kg (176 lb); water, 78 kg (172 lb); wing loading, 262.1 kg/m2 (53.7 lb/sq ft).

Performance

Max speed not recorded; unstick speed, 200 km/h (108 kt); landing speed, 190-195 km/h (103-105 kt).

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).