MiG-1 and MiG-3 detail colors
updated on December 15, 2003                                                    file name: colordet.html
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Notes on details colors

Usually the undercarriage legs, bays and doors were painted with a light color, probably the same light blue of the undersurfaces;  wheel disks were usually painted with emerald green, with an unpainted hub.
Sometimes the undercarriage struts and doors look all painted with a dark color which could be A-14 dark grey.
Flaps inner side looks painted light blue too.

The colors of the cockpit interior seems to be not fully standardized: different combinations look possible.
The instrument panel is seen both light (light blue-green?) and dark (black or dark grey A-14) on different examples; the tubes structure and the seat look dark, probably dark grey A-14, while the internal face of the fuselage panels in correspondance to the cockpit, the pavement and the cloche are light, probably light blue-green as on the side panel conserved in the Finnish Museum.
Probably some boxes were green.
The plates on which the side panels are hinged appear bare metal when the panels are removed.
Note that the MiG-3 under reconstruction by Rusavia has different colors; if they are real, they are well different from what can be seen on bw photos.

The engine is forthemost painted gloss black, with some unpainted details; lubrification pipes should be brown. Inner face of engine compartment panels is painted dark, probably dark grey A-14 or AII green as the external surfaces.

The propeller blades are usually bare alluminum with the rear part partially painted black, as factory standard.
Other configuartions are:

A thin metallic stripe, covering the gap between spinner and engine cowling, is sometimes unpainted and appears natural alluminium.


Notes on painting and wearing

The demarcation line between the uppersurface color is usually sharp and straight on metallic parts (nose, central wing section, horizontal tail surfaces) and soften on the wood and fabric surfaces (fuselage side, rudder); additionally, often the demarcation line shows small steps between metallic and wooden parts, as if they were painted separately.
Sometimes we find soft lines on the nose sides too; this is probably due to field repainting.
The camouflage blotches usually show continuity on these points, as if they were painted after a reassembly of the parts.
The demarcation line between upper camo colors is usually soft, with few exceptions.
The color peels offs quickly on the wing roots due to crew boot abrasion; the remaining parts of the aircraft show no significant peeling off, apart the propeller blades.


Stenciling

There is sometimes a writing, probably red, on the right side of the nose, near the propeller; it is the reduction gear rate 0902 (which means 0.902) or 0732 (0.732).
A black line is sometimes on each side of the fuselage, under the leading edge of the horizontal tail planes, perhaps to show a lifting point.
 
 
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