AM-35A engine images

Updated on 4 June 2023

  back to MiG-3 main

(Photo of Thomas Siepert)

Some images of this AM-35A engine are the base of our description, in spite of the lacking of some pieces. The most of the comments written on this page are only deductions obtained comparing images.
The AM-35A was a 12 cylinder 60° vee engine; the max power was of 1350 hp (993 kW); fuel consumption 330-360 g/hp for hour; the nominal rate was 2050 rpm, while the maximum rate was 2350 rpm..
Dimensions: lenght 2402 mm, width 866 mm, height 1089 mm; mass 830 kg.
This large engine was specifically projected for high altitude use by the chief designer Mikulin; it equipped both the single engined fighters MiG-1, MiG-3 and the four engined bomber Petlyakov Pe-8; besides it was used on some examples of the long range bomber Yermolaev Yer-2, as an alternative to the Diesel engines.
This engine was very similar to the AM-38F of the Il-2 Shturmovik, and built in the same plant (Kuybyshev, in late 1941); this was the reason of the end of its production, and of the consequent end of the MiG-3 program too.

Here are detailed drawings (from Scale Aircraft Modelling International) of the AM-35A engine. All the pipes and wires are omitted.
On the left side view, all the left cylinder bank is omitted.

Here are many detail photos, forthemost due to Kai Mecklin, Museum Director of the Central Finland Aviation Museum.
 

 

 These images from behind show the centrifugal supercharger. 
  1. the central intake should be connected with a twin duct beginning with the wing root air intakes, visible on the photo above but missing in this one.
  2. the steel support on the right seems to be for a box, probably a top pressure valve (see photo of AM-38 below); this valve should be connected with a thin pipe to the compressed air duct.
  3. a piece of duct, connecting the supercharger outlet with the longitudinal compressed air collector, is lacking. 
  4. note the asymmetrical connection of the supercharger outlet.

 

 On this image of the supercharger, from the top, we see:
  1. the oblique pipes visible between the supercharger and the engine block contain shafts to move the distribution shafts (two at the top of  each cilynder bank);
  2. besides, the shafts move the distributors placed behind them (not visible here);
  3. the clean silver plate (on both sides) could be the support for oil filters (absent).

    4.  

     
     
     
     
     

    This image, from the left, shows the same things as above.

 

 On this photo, taken from behind to thcylinder banks, we see:
  1. the ignitors, partially visible  on the sides (metallic, connected to silver wiring);
  2. the connection between the central compressed air collector (large pipe) and the inlet stacks (two for side, connected to three cilynders each); 
  3. between this collector and the stacks there are air flow control valves controlled by the throttle;
  4. the control levers for such valves;
  5. grey fuel pipes connected to the injectors (only two for each triple stack);
  6. metallic supports for the trasversal tubes supporting the gun barrels.

 

 This photo represents the right cilynders bank, taken from behind-left. We see:
  1. the holes here are for missing spark plugs (4 for each cilynder, two on the internal side of the bank, two on the external side); the wires should go to the ignitor, as those visible (from the external bank side spark plugs).
  2. a metallic support for trasversal tubes substaining the gun barrels is well visible on the upper right corner.

 

 Here we see the external left side of the engine. 
We recognize:
  1. the exhaust stacks (with a deformed outlet; it should be circular);
  2. the spark plugs (only one mounted for each cylinder; the hole for another one is void);
  3. the spark plug wires (only six; in a complete engine, other 6 should pass behind these; the small silver circles are probably the fixing points for other 6 wires);
  4. vertical Y-shaped pipes; the larger part is for a shaft connected with distributor shaft;
  5. a silver thin longitudinal cooling  pipe departing from a larger one connected on each engine side,probably for cooling water.

 

 This shows the engine from a frontal perspective. 
We recognize:
  1. the propeller shaft; 
  2. the conical reduction gear;
  3. a lubrification (?) pipe attack over it;
  4. a twin pipe connecting the reductor to the cylinder banks (for lubrification?);
  5. a connection to a pneumatic starter (?), missing on the photo;
  6. large holes on the cilynder banks front, perhaps to connect cooling pipes.

 

 In this frontal view we recognize:
  1. the head of the cylindrical compressed air duct;
  2. the other extremity of the control levers  of the air inlet valves;
  3. the injectors;
  4. two green pipes attacks, probably for oil from the side radiators.

 

 This image from the rear shows the lubrification/cooling pump under the engine block. 
We see:
 
  1. on the rear, the connection for a coolant pipe to the ventral cooler;
  2. on the right, the connection for cooler inlet;
  3. the motion should reach the pump by an internal shaft.

 

 The same device seen from the left side. 
We see:
  1. a short oil pipe collecting oil from the engine;
  2. two outlets for pipes directed to the oil side coolers.

 

 The same device seen from the right side; we see:
  1. the connection for cooler inlet (?), 
  2. a short lubrification pipe from the engine block to the pump;
  3. another pipe for oil, probably directed to two oil filters on the engine sides (absent).
In front of the pump under the engine, there should be a cylindrical device connected to the pump by a small shaft, probably an electric generator. It should correspond to the larger bulge under the MiG-3 nose, and has an hole for air cooling.
This image shows the pneumatic starter from an AM-38F under restoration by Rusavia. 
It should be identical to the piece missing in the Central Finland Aviation Museum engine.
This image shows the AM-38F under restoration by Rusavia. 
The engine is turned upside down.
A green coolant pipe is visible. It should be present on AM-35A too, even if it doesn't appear on photos I have.
It is likely that coolant pipes were green, and oil pipes were orange brown on original AM-35A too.

Photo from Istrebitel MiG-3 by Medvedv, Hazanov, Maslov
This is the AM-38F under restoration by Rusavia. 
We see the small shafts inside two red y-shaped pipes; these were for moving the distribution shafts and distributors.
Probably these shafts functioned as oil pumps too.

Photo from Istrebitel MiG-3 by Medvedv, Hazanov, Maslov
This is an oil cooler, again from Rusavia.
It has to be installed into the tunnels on the side of the nose.

Photo from Istrebitel MiG-3 by Medvedv, Hazanov, Maslov

 

 

 This is a complete view of the AM-35A engine. 
(from MiG OKB)
We see some details absent on the example of Vesiiveehma Museum:
  1. supercharger inlet duct (closed with a light cover);
  2. max pressure valve;
  3. oil filters;
  4. spark plug wires;
  5. electric generator;
  6. pneumatic starter.

 

 Here we see the nearly identical AM-38F engine used on the Il-2; the visible differences between this and AM-35A are:
  • four holes for each side;
  • different oil filters (but such cilindrical filters could be found on other photos of AM-35A too);
  • different supercharger duct (see photo below).


(image from OKB MiG)
This AM-42 shows rear details; it is slightly different from the photo above; we see:
  • different exhaust stacks, for Il-10;
  • higher cylinder banks head, perhaps with one distribution shaft each;
  • different supercharger inlet duct;
  • different colors;
  • note the max pressure valve on the supercharger and the relative small pipe, probably similar to that of AM-35A.
 

 

Here is a cutaway of the forward fuselage, giving a good idea of the AM-35A engine mount.
 
This image shows some details of  I-200 no.02, and are representative of early MiG-3s too. 
Later MiG-3s had different engine paneling.
The image shows the gun barrels, enclosed within pipes to  protect them from thermal shocks and distorsion.
The guns are supported by two trasversal tubes, fixed to the engine. 
Just behind the propeller, one can see an oil tank (large, on the right)
and a glycol cooler tank (small, on the left).
The thin light pipes passing under the trasversal tubes are for fuel injectors.
This photo shows some details of an early type MiG-3.
The larger pipe should be for coolant from the cooler to the front head of both cylinders banks (it should be splitted).
Smaller pipes could be for the glycol and oil tanks.
A Venturi is visible; it should be in correspondance of a small air intake on the lower engine cowling panel; it should be for some vacuum line.
Note the shape of the plates mounted on the internal tube structure; the small holes are for Dzud locks, and were partially replaced by fast locks on late type MiG-3s.