recce 9
Updated on September 8, 2017                    file name: yellow9.html
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This damaged aircraft (n.8 or n.9) belonged to 38 PAE (Air Recognition  Separate Squadron) from PVO (Home Air Defence) of Moscow in 1941.


image from MiG-3 Istrebitel

This aircraft was at first interpreted as having a "warm" camouflage with sand and dark green blotches, with yellow number.
After having known that it is from a recce unit, I am prone to think to a "cold" camouflage with light grey and light blue number. This because many countries prefer grey/blue shades (es. PRU blue...) for reconaissance aircraft.
Trying to analize the photo, I think that large light grey patches were overposed to an original overall green paint, and the darker blotches (thinned black and/or dark green) were added later to restore the ground camo effect, too ruined by an excess of light grey. This could explain why some light spots are so thin when close to the dark blotches.
However, the older interpretation remains possible too.
The photo shows many white rectangles on the rear fuselage: they could be pieces of fabric glued to repair projectile holes before the definitive knocking-out of this aircraft, or due to peeling of the fabric layer by German souvenir hunters. .
Noteworty is the red star on the rudder, with a forward slant, the forward part of the spinner, possibly of the same color of the number, and the camouflaged propeller blades.
Image from Barbarossa's victims		 A second photo of the aircraft shows camouflaged propeller blades too.
The sliding part of the canopy and the radio mast and wires appear absent on the photos; it's impossible to know by sure if they were present when the aircraft was operative; due to the recce use, it's likely that the canopy was not installed during flights to allow a good visibility; besides, radio was rare on early built MiG-3s.

 
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