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View Full Version : WGS Eastern Front 1941-42 - 1/200 Air 200 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-3 (VVS/PVO)



Carl_Brisgamer
04-19-2013, 08:27
My WGS Project #12 for 2013 is another couple of Air 200 miniatures 'donated' to my WGS fleet by Zoe Brain at Cancon - thanks Zoe! This fighting pair are Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-3s in the colours of the 401st IAP, VVS (Soviet Air Force), autumn 1941. An improved version of the MiG-1 and the first 'modern' mass produced Soviet fighter, the MiG-3 was intended as a high altitude interceptor. It was fast at high altitude (640kph) but was more than 120kph slower at low level, where most of the fighting took place over the Eastern Front. It was less maneuverable than the Messerschmitt Bf 109 due to its high wing loading, and also suffered a poor climb rate. It also proved to be unstable at high speeds making accurate fire difficult, another characteristic made worse by poor quality gun sights and its weak armament of a single 12.7mm UBS machine gun and a pair of 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns. Some variants (including these miniatures) were fitted with extra 7.62mm machine guns in underwing pods, but these also slowed the aircraft by 20kph.

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MiG-3s were delivered to front-line fighter regiments beginning in the spring of 1941 and proved to be a handful for pilots accustomed to the lower-performance and docile Polikarpov I-152 and I-153 biplanes and the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane. Even after the extensive modifications made to the MiG-3 in comparison to the MiG-1 it was still tricky and demanding to fly. Although it proved effective in shooting down high altitude Luftwaffe reconaissance aircraft, many MiG-3s were lost during the first six months of the Great Patriotic War. In those desparate days of 1941 the MiG-3 was even pushed into the ground attack role. By the middle of 1942 all remaining examples of the type had been transferred from the VVS to the PVO (Air Defense Troops) or Naval Aviation units.

'White 36' was flown by First Lieutenant Alexey Georgievich Kubyshkin of the 401st IAP in July 1941. During the first two months of the war Kubyshkin flew 70 recce, patrol, and escort sorties. He fought in 32 aerial actions and claimed 5 victories (3 Bf 109 and 2 Do 215) plus 6 in group (2 Bf 109, 2 Hs 126 and 2 Fw 200). His wingman is 'White 40', another aircraft assigned to the 401st IAP, pilot unknown.

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These aircraft are a couple more I completed back in March 2010 representing MiG-3s of the 120th IAP, PVO assigned to the defence of Moscow in the winter of 1941-42. I really like the winter scheme with the striking red wing panels.

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My WGS statistics for the MiG-3 with underwing gun pods are as follows:

Manouver Deck: G
Damage Points: 17
Firepower: Short - AB, Long - A
Climb Rate: 4 (13 m/s)
Top Altitude: 14 (12,000 metres)

I almost gave the upgunned MiG-3 a long range firepower of B, but I found this quote on Wiki by MiG-3 pilot Alexander E. Shvarev "The third weakness was its gunsights, which were inaccurate: that's why we closed in as much as we could and fired point blank."

Nightbomber
04-19-2013, 09:30
Fantastic planes and genious paintjob, Carl. Suitable for many EF scenarios.:thumbsub:

Carl_Brisgamer
04-19-2013, 16:29
Fantastic planes and genious paintjob, Carl. Suitable for many EF scenarios.:thumbsub:

Thanks Andrzej. I have a few options for Eastern Front battles.

My Soviet Air Force now has six Yak-1s, four MiG-3s, two Hurricanes, two I-16s and two Pe-2s.

Zoe Brain
04-19-2013, 19:22
Again, a wonderful paint job that has made a p*ss-poor casting look excellent. I wish I had your talent!

Of the Air200 minis, the only ones that I'd say are "acceptable" are the P-38 and the LAGG-5. The P-38 is indistinguisable from the AIM P-38, the LAGG-5 is marginal due to over-thick and slightly undersized rudder, but has the right "sit". Neither requires a master-class paint job to hide the faults.

You've made some very, very ordinary castings look utterly brilliant, and I'm really glad I gave them to you. In my hands, they would have been wasted.

gully_raker
04-19-2013, 19:32
:thumbsup: Nice work again Carl!
Just how many WW2 birds do you have now.:confused: (:eek: I think I am afraid to ask!)

FrankJamison
04-19-2013, 20:48
Great paint jobs. I specially love the green ones. :thumbsup:

Carl_Brisgamer
04-19-2013, 20:48
:thumbsup: Nice work again Carl!
Just how many WW2 birds do you have now.:confused: (:eek: I think I am afraid to ask!)

You had to ask didn't you Barry! The following list is from my post on the 'How many miniatures ....' poll, which I update to keep track myself. 90% are painted and ready to fly.

WGS (98)

Series I (22)
6 x Messerschmitt Bf 109E
5 x Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I/II
6 x Mitsubishi A6M2 ‘Zeke’
5 x Grumman F4F/Martlet

Series II (23)
5 x Hawker Hurricane Mk.I/II
9 x Junkers Ju 87B/R Stuka
6 x Dewoitine D.520C.1
3 x Aichi D3A1 ‘Val’

Series III (11)
2 x Reggiane Re.2001
3 x Curtiss P-40E
4 x Kawasaki Ki-61 ‘Tony’
2 x Yakolev Yak-1B

DOW Deluxe Set (4)
1 x Messerschmitt Bf 109E
1 x Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
1 x Mitsubishi A6M2 ‘Zeke’
1 x Grumman F4F

WGS Starter Set (8)
2 x Reggiane Re.2001
2 x Curtiss P-40E
2 x Kawasaki Ki-61 ‘Tony’
2 x Yakolev Yak-1B

WGS Bombers (10)
6 x Heinkel He 111H
4 x North American B-25

Series IV (20)
7 x Fiat CR.42 Falco
5 x Gloster Gladiator
5 x Messerschmitt Bf 110C
3 x Bristol Beaufighter Mk.IC

AIM (51)
4 x Curtiss P-40B/C Tomahawk Mk.I
3 x Douglas SBD Dauntless
2 x Brewster Buffalo Mk.I
3 x Mitsubishi G4M2 ‘Betty’
3 x Kawasaki Ki-48 ‘Lily’
3 x Nakajima Ki-43 ‘Oscar’
3 x Nakajima Ki-27 ‘Nate’
3 x Dornier Do 17Z
2 x Messerschmitt Bf 109E
2 x Douglas DB-7B Boston Mk.III
4 x Polikarpov I-16 'Rata'
2 x Petlyakov Pe-2 'Peshka'
4 x Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk Mk.IA
2 x Tupolev SB-2 'Katyushka'
2 x Consolidated B-24D Liberator
3 x Savoia Marchetti SM.79
3 x Macchi MC.200
3 x Fiat G.50

Air200 (26)
2 x Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk Mk.IA
2 x Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
2 x Macchi MC.202
6 x Messerschmitt Bf 109F
2 x Yakolev Yak-1B
2 x Bell P-39 Airacobra
2 x Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik
2 x Gloster Gladiator Mk.II
4 x Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-3
2 x Focke-Wulf Fw 190A

Skytrex (18)
2 x Messerschmitt Bf 110C
3 x Junkers Ju 87B
3 x Junkers Ju 88A
3 x Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
4 x Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB
1 x Bristol Blenheim Mk.I
2 x Bristol Beaufighter Mk.IC

Helmet (11)
3 x Morane Saulnier M.S.406C.1
3 x Fairey Battle Mk.II
3 x Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV
1 x Dornier Do 17P
1 x Lockheed Hudson Mk.I(IV)

Furuta (2)
1 x Messerschmitt Bf 110E
1 x Mitsubishi Ki46-III 'Dinah'

Shapeways (9)
2 x Glenn Martin Model 167F
1 x Boeing P-26 Peashooter
2 x Heinkel He 51
2 x Fiat CR.32
2 x Polikarpov I-15bis

Petersplanes (1)
1 x Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV

Hobby Master (3)
3 x Junkers Ju 52/3m

Zvezda (1)
1 x Junkers Ju 52/3m

WW2 (1/200) total = 220

Carl_Brisgamer
04-19-2013, 21:05
Great paint jobs. I specially love the green ones. :thumbsup:

Thanks Frank, much appreciated. I was considering doing them all winter scheme, but I'm also doing some summer Bf 109Fs so I'm going to need some opposition.

Marechallannes
04-19-2013, 23:21
Great paintjob, Carl. :thumbsup:

The Soviets look fantastic.

Flying Officer Kyte
04-21-2013, 01:19
Not very up on Soviet aircraft yet Carl, but those would do credit to any Airforce.
As Zoe says, What a cracking job you have made of them.
Rob.

Blackronin
12-21-2013, 10:56
Richard, can we see photos of the following planes:

Shapeways (9)
2 x Glenn Martin Model 167F
1 x Boeing P-26 Peashooter
2 x Heinkel He 51
2 x Fiat CR.32
2 x Polikarpov I-15bis

Thanks.