Militaria i Fakty MiG-1/MiG-3 Book

[John Thompson]

Massimo -

I was very interested by your review of Miliaria i Fakty 28 - Migi Stalina, and I'd like to buy a copy. Can you tell us where it can be purchased? Thank you!

John Thompson

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi John,
I am embarassed, but I don't know. I received a copy as a gift from a Polish correspondant. Sorry.
Massimo
P.S. could you post some scans of the decals sheets of the La-5 kits you have, please? I would be very interested in this.

[lancemaria]

Massimo -

I was very interested by your review of Miliaria i Fakty 28 - Migi Stalina, and I'd like to buy a copy. Can you tell us where it can be purchased? Thank you!

John Thompson

I think that is available at some military store...

[Marcin Widomski]

There goes a citation of my post from past:

Massimo I have mixed feeling about this Polish book. It's great that it appeared but...
The main text is based mainly on Russian "Istriebitiel MiG-3", it contains some editors mistakes.
I found also some strange thesis in this book - ie. armored (curved) windscreen in late version. Where the only armoured glass I saw was the straight plate inside the cockpit - picture is on your site and in "Nieizviestnaya bitva v nebe Moskvy" by Khazanov.
The authors wrote also that MiG-3s were painted with AMT (AMT-7 & AMT -4) in 1941...
More over - the profiles were created much earlier than the text and do not match it Wink. The artists shows red upper wings surfaces on 12 GIAP 02 MiG with the special annotation near the profile, but the authors wrote (in the main text) that it probably was green and red is wrong - according to the latests research..
Regards

I think that buying the original Russian book is a better undertaking.
But if one is anxious:
http://historyton.pl/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=74&products_id=3304
http://ajaks.home.pl/ - ordering: http://ajaks.home.pl/howto.htm

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Marcin,
how do you do?
You're right, that book has some things that should be discussed.
About AMT colors: "Colors of the falcons" of Jiri Hornat quotes the use of AMT colors to 1941. I am not in condition to confirm  or deny this, but most MiG-3s seem to show low-contrast camouflage, much less contrasted than other types.
Massimo

[Marcin Widomski]

Massimo
I'm not very fine but thanks .
Basing on E. Pilawski's book I have some doubts about AMT on MiGs (decision of introduction in fall of 1941, the first deliveries winter 1942). But I also can't confirm or deny it. The Polish book doesn't contain bibliography so I can't find any resources of this info. The author wrote that all MiGs had AMT-4 (wooden parts) and A 24 m (metal parts)/AMT-6 (A 26 m.) and AMT-7 camouflage - with possibility of Blue A II.

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Marcin,
I wonder if this can explain the difference in the shade of green on wooden and metal parts. Observing photos of wrecks, I've the idea that new planes didn't show great difference, and the contrast increased with the ageing of color.
This is not detectable on camouflaged MiGs, but I don't know if this is masked by the disruptive effect of black bands or if the green has been changed.
Another thing: the shade of blue of the rear fuselage appears darker in photos. This difference is not detectable between the metal and wooden part of wing undersurfaces. Who knows if they utilized a darker shade with full intention?
Massimo

[Marcin Widomski]

The precise knowledge about the date of introduction of AMT into aviation industry would solve this mystery.

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi, 
For Lavochkins, it should be in 1942. Finnish reports write about a change to darker and more camouflaging green on LaGG wrecks.
I don't remember the person that described this in a post of some forum.
Massimo

[Marcin Widomski]

So it matches the date of introduction AMT to aviation industry given by Pilawski. But at this time MiGs were out of line...

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi,
yes; besides the same strange shades of early MiGs appear on Yak 2/4 built in 1939/40 in the same factory. I think that the green looked uniform when the plane was new, and then faded to light on metalic parts, and perhaps to dark on wooden parts.
Massimo

[Marcin Widomski]

Hi
It may be also connected to the primers used on metal and wooden parts.

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi,
yes, A reaction with the primier is a possible explanation.
I think that there is yellow nitro putty on the fabric covering wooden parts.
About metal parts... I don't know if there is a primier, or what color it is.

Massimo

[Marcin Widomski]

Metal primers:
ALG-1 - yellow
ALG-5 grey-green

[jkiker]

Hi all,

As a newcomer with little knowledge beyond what I have found on the internet, I find the discussion of primers intersting but also confusing.  I am working on a MiG-3 just now, so my confusion is more than as a casual observer.

Information and models I have seen lead me to believe that the "Wood Aehrolak" primer AE-10 was used on at lest some early MiG-3's on the inside of the rear fuselage section, with "Industrial Metal Primer" being used at least some of the time on the cockpit areas.  My subject is early MiG-3 Yellow/blue 9, active in the spring and summer of 1941 on the Moscow front.

My supposition was, then, that the external wood surfaces would also have received the wood primer, while the metal areas would have gotten a coat of the light blue-green industrial primer shade.  At least that seems to be a likely combination in the cockpit and interior of the rear of the plane.

Now I have two new metal primer colors introduced, plus the yellow wood putty Massimo mentioned.  I had thought I would do a thin coat of a light brown shade (for wood) on the wooden bits and silver on the metal, at least on the leading edges.  I want to follow that with a thin coat of primer (for wood or metal as appropriate), then the paint shades.  When I weather the plane and smooth off the paint on the leading edges, you will see paint, primer, and natural surface if I do the preparation well.  Only now, I do not know what shades to use, beyond the silver for bare metal and a "wood" color.  What should I do?  Which of these colors is correct, or most likely correct?  All is confusion now!

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Cheers, Jim