MiG-3 restoration by Aviarestoration (part 1)
Updated onOctober 25, 2005                                                   file name: rusavia.html
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The Aviarestoration company of Novosibirsk is reconstructing a MiG-3 from parts of many recovered wreckages; the work was commissioned by the Russian firm Rusavia.
That MiG-3 was found near Kandalaksha, Murmansk region in 2000. It kept safe a center-section, a chassis and some metallic fragments of tail.
The second MiG-3, whose parts are used in reconstruction, was found in Loukhi region, Karelia in 2001.
Morover, there are parts of four airplanes, which were found in various times.
Most of equipment is original, including the engine Mikulin AM-38 that is under recovering too; this is not the original AM-35A engine of MiG-3, but it is extremely similar in shape and size, and its installation on a MiG-3 was already experienced in 1941.
The airframe has about 40% of its original parts.
A new book has been published by "Rusavia" in 2003: "MiG-3 Fighter" by A. Medved, D. Khazanov, M. Maslov. (ISBN 5-900078-24-8).
Basically, the book is dedicated to combat usage of the aircraft and contains a lot of beautiful photos; it has a part dedicated to this restoration work too.

The first batch of photos are of Vseslav V. Dyakonov , shot in MAKS-2003 (the international aerospace show) on August 23, 2003; they are from the page
http://www.airforce.ru/aircraft/mikoyan/mig-3/rusavia/index.htm, where a gallery of 25 detail photos is shown.
The wooden rear fuselage was made by layered plywood, and hinged to the metallic tube strut of the central/aft fuselage by few bolts.
Here we see the internal side painted with the ALG-1 yellow putty.

The metallic structure of the rudder is visible too; it has to be covered by fabric. Note the trim surface and the wire for electric position light.

Here we see the tail wheel retraction pneumatic actuator and the tail wheel leg.
Two maintenance accesses, the tail wheel opening, the openings for moving elevators and for connecting the fixed tal surfaces are visible on the left side of this fuselage section.
The main undercarriage structure and its pneumatic actuators are visible here. 
Note the light blue paint of such details.
Here we see the central fuselage tube strut, supporting the aft fuselage fuel tank, the floor and the pilot seat.
Note the use of black, light blue and ALG-5 green metal primier.
Here is the Mikulin AM-38 engine under restoration. 
It is probably from an Il-2, not from a MiG-3 that used an AM-35A. The exhaust stacks look those of an Il-2, well different from those of a MiG-3.
The AM-38 is extremely similar to the AM-35A in shape and size, and its installation on a MiG-3 has been already experienced in 1941. 
The AM-38 is more powerful than AM-35 at low altitudes, while it is unapt to fly above some thousand meters altitude.
The AM-35A, instead, was optimized for altitudes above 6,000 m.
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