MiG-3 n.1 of 62 IAP VVS ChF
image from Aerokosmicheskoe obozreniye
Two images of an aircraft of 32 IAP VVS ChF (Black Sea fleet).
Left, over: image from Aerokosmicheskoe obozreniye
Left, below: screenshot of the same plane from the left side.
Its characteristic seem to be:
- it is a late type aircraft, with slats;
- green/black camouflage and light blue undersurfaces;
- black repaintings on nose (perhaps on its lower surface too), spinner; some small fresh black repaintings on fuselage; the aft cone of the spinner could be either green or red;
- the wingroot fairing and the panel in front of the windshield are all green, and the camouflage don't continues on them;
- tail wheel doors of early type, with slot for the protruding wheel;
- no radio box visible under the rear glazing.
MiG-3 n.5 of 8 IAP ChF, 1942
This photo shows a green and black camouflaged aircraft belonging to
8 IAP VVS Chf, Black Sea 1942.
Note the rare starter attachment on the spinner.
Its characteristics look to be:
- late type, with slats;
- with radio equipment and mast;
- with starter tooth on the spinner;
- standard green/black camouflage, repainted with black;
- all-black propeller blades;
- wearing traces visible on the spinner, engine cowling and wing root;
- on the spinner there is a blotch possibly of background green color;
- hand-painted white 5 digit, slightly narrow on the base.
MiG-3s n. 21 and 28 of 7 IAP VVS ChF, 1943
The unit was created in September 1941 on the Anapa airfield from squadrons of 8 IAP and 9 IAP, equipped with I-15bis and I-16, and introduced into the 62 Fighter Air Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet in October. In December it was rearmed with MiG-3s, and older planes were transferred to other units. In January, the 2nd Squadron with MiG-3s passed to 8 IAP ChF.
The first known victory of the unit was obtained by F.P. Egorov that shot down a Ju-88 on Novorossysk naval base on 9 January 1942.
On 31 July 1942, the unit had 9 MiG-3, 5 Yak-1 and 4 LaGG-3 and 1 I-15bis; on 18 August, it transferred 3 Yak-1 and 1 LaGG-3 to 62 IAP ChF, while the remaining 7 MiG-3s were transferred on the rear airfield of Abasha, in Georgia. Later it received a mix of Yaks and LaGG-3s; on March 1943, the unit still had 9 MiG-3s; they remained in the unnit at least up to December 1943, in hardly serviceable conditions, while the unit was equipped mainly with P-40s..
Photos of a line of MiG-3s of 7 IAP ChF, presumably in fall 1943, Gelendzhik airfield.
5 MiG-3s are visible: n 23 (or 25 or 27 ?); n.28; n.21; hidden nunber; n.30 (?).
The light conditions are not ideal to spot a camouflage, but some darker longitudinal bands can be seen on the wings of plane 25(?), so one can think that all the planes were camouflaged, although the image doesn't allow to be sure of this.
There is a man close to the number 21; his shadow makes the number to look darker than those of the other planes, but it is likely that all numbers are white.
Its characteristics look to be:
- late model, probably with slats;
- with radio and radio mast, but no radio box visible through the rear glazing;
- with inert gas pipe on the left exhaust stacks;
- tail wheels without doors, locked in extracted position; their wells looks closed, probably with a flush tissue cover;
- probably camouflaged with green and black, with light blue undersurfaces;
- white numbers with variable fonts;
- red stars on six positions, with large white outlines probably added in August 1943;
- spinners with aft cones painted white;
- probably black propeller blades.
