Updated on August 15, 2005
file name:ruman2a.html
A Ukrainian defector flew this MiG-3 to Melitopol airfield on 3 December
1941, surrounding to Rumanian troops. 
The aircraft was repainted in Rumanian markings and flown at Brasov
by ARR's top ace Cpt 'Bazu' Cantacuzino, and used as an "aggressor" for
training purposes.
Soviet troops seized this aircraft from the Rumanians during September
of 1944, after the Rumania has broken its alliance with Germany and established
a new one with the Soviet Union.
The caracteristcs are:
-
short nosed, without slats;
-
it has thin metal triangles on the oil coolers outlets, as the later long-nosed
MiGs, that is unusual for early short-nosed ones;
-
it has the radio mast, but radio wires an their attachment on the tail
don't appear on the photos;
-
there is a thin metallic stripe to cover the gap behind the spinner, as
on late MiG-3s;
-
there are four added cooling slots on the fuselage sides;
-
the demarcation between light blue and upper colors is conserved nearly
everywhere, as the fading off on wingroots; this probably means that the
light blue and green were the original Russian colors; the green surfaces
were partially repainted with Rumanian green; in a second time, more camouflage
mottles look to have been added.
-
-
the white E.19 on the vertical stabilizer referred to Escadrila 19 observatie
(19th Spotting Squadron) based at Melitopol during 1941. Below it there
is a large white "2". On the rudder there were the 3 colors of the Romanian
flag. It had the Micheal's cross followed by the yellow line between
the cockpit and the tail.
-
the wingtip were yellow for recognition and to cover the wing stars, both
on the uppersurfaces and on the undersurfaces;
-
there are probably Michael's crosses on the wings in four positions, on
the green/light blue surfaces.
photos from Aeromagazin Romania, various issues 2002