Detective - it, Unfortunately, an integral part of pre-war aircraft industry (and the post-war) time. the, that sometimes we got up our designers, worthy of a separate study, because I do not tell lies, when I say, that such undercover merrymaking, in the aviation industry, more we have never been.
But to this subject we shall return in a separate historical research, but now let's talk about, probably, the controversial aircraft of the USSR the pre-war period - MIG-3. Yakovlev plane, feeling, that our audience Yakovlev is not held in high esteem, I leave for dessert.
Detective early in life
The life of any aircraft starts with design. I-200, so long as we call it, because the current situation differently, plane apparently wore would be a different name.
so here, Preliminary design of the I-200 began in the walls of the Polikarpov OKB. AND, as evidenced by the many people and documents, long before the official date of. Polikarpov I could work at all "on the table", leading several projects in parallel.
The fate of the Polikarpov will talk specifically, here say, so that the second unjustly offended man in our aviation industry was not. repression, investigation, conclusion, death sentences ...
Yes, very hard hit by Polikarpov and Chkalov Baydukova venture with I-180.
In the meantime, the court 1939 year, in the Polikarpov OKB though gloomy, after the death of Chkalov, but go to work on I-200.
Aircraft (bold underline) I planned as a high-speed fighter. Neither of which altitudinal speech not even passed, because the designers were tasked to create an aircraft as opposed to the Me-109. Tactical fighter.
TO 8 December preliminary design of a fighter I-200 was prepared, and memo, signed in. A. Romodin, he was sent to the People's Commissar of Aviation Industry, heads UVVS, Research Institute of the Air Force and the 11th Main Directorate of NCAP.
Why only the second deputy Polikarpov Romodin, and not the Polikarpov signed documents?
It's simple. First Deputy Polikarpov, Dmitry Tomasevic, He was under investigation for the death of Chkalov. He was arrested immediately after the disaster. And the Polikarpov was in Germany ..., where he was sent to study German technology. So that all the processes were already without Polikarpov.
25 December 1939 g. It has been reviewed and approved by the plane layout, and the next day started the development and production of working drawings. The approved 2 January 1940 g. TsAGI conclusion on the conceptual design of the aircraft I-200 marked, that "aircraft project I-200 AM-37 in terms of aerodynamics is, certainly, a full-fledged ".
Collaboration factory number of specialists 1 with the design team to produce the JCE advanced aircraft designs I-200 with the simultaneous preparation for series production was approved 25 February 1940 g.
In fact, at the same time it began the rout Polikarpov OKB.
Taking advantage of the absence of Polikarpov, Director of the State Aviation Plant №1 Pavel Voronin and chief engineer Piotr Dementyev (future Minister of Aviation Industry) separated from the Polikarpov of the units and the best designers (including leading designer-200 Mikhail Gurevich) Experienced and organized a new design department, and in fact - a new KB, under the leadership of Artem Mikoyan.
It Was "in the affairs" Anastas Mikoyan, older brother Artem and People's Commissar for Foreign Trade, First Deputy Chairman of People's Commissars Molotov course ..., one more question.
Anastas Mikoyan, Joseph Stalin and Grigory Ordzhonikidze, 1924 year
Bonus Mikoyan went to and approved by the project of the new fighter I-200.
Polikarpov received consolation prize for the design of the fighter I-200 and remained at large. could, of course, for collaborating with the Germans and re-sentenced to anything.
But in the end Polikarpov left without experienced engineering staff, without their own premises and, especially, without the productive base.
At first it sheltered test hangar TsAGI. Then, under Polikarpov in the old hangar on the outskirts Khodynka created a new state factory number 51, who did not have no own production facilities and even a building to house KB. On the territory of the plant is currently bureau and pilot plant them. P. dry.
That's the Soviet visited thanks to the creation of the wings of Air Force. But, repeat, It could be worse.
Here, by the way, It lies the answer to a very interesting question: why until the end of the war, no Polikarpov, nor Mikoyan Gurevich with not created anything?
M. Gurevich and A. Mikoyan
I do not claim to historical objectivity, but my opinion is: Polikarpov not brought to mind any of their designs precisely because, he took away all. And Mikoyan was not Polikarpov.
Home flashes
After Polikarpov was thrown out on the side of life with vague prospects for the fourth time 4 years to build and plant yourself KB, winners began to build aircraft.
The first flying prototype I-200 was transferred to the factory test 31 Martha 1940 g. The tests lasted all summer and 13 September 1940 g. at a meeting of Technical Council of the Research Institute of the Air Force chief test pilot Stepan Suprun noted, that I-200 «is the adjusted plane when entering it on state tests, that prototype went well«.
I have already mentioned in about material LaGG fighter, that from our triad only I-200 high-grade and first time passed the state tests. And Yakovlevsky-26, and I-301 and Lavochkin Gorbunova take the exam "maturity" several times.
It is also worth noting, that during the factory and state tests did not lose a single aircraft and no pilot. It could be considered, that I-200 is more than paid off for the loss, incurred in the establishment of I-180.
So to speak, MiG-1 I received a residence permit in the Air Force. Military tests of the new aircraft took place in the Kachin Military Pilot School in the period from December 1940 g. to February 1941. Supervised tests all the same Stepan Suprun.
just 1940 g. Was built 100 MiG-1. Aircraft began to act even in the part, but then there was a change. The team worked for CB errors and omissions, identified during tests, and he was born the MiG-3, who succeeded in the end 1940 , the MiG-1 in the production of.
Fighter. Highrise or front?
And generally speaking, where suddenly took, that the MiG - altitude fighter? After all, no one ordered, ordered plain front.
The paradox, which many people know, was that, that at the height of the MiG just felt luxurious. Aerodynamics (and it was planned as a high-speed fighter) It was at the height of, and motor ...
And with the engine it was not as usual. The motor was. Wise man originally Polikarpov began designing the aircraft is not a mythical Klimov engines based on the "Hispano-Suiza", and I took another, though less convenient motor Mikulin.
Aircraft engine AM-35
Mikulinsky AM-35 was not a masterpiece. But it was though not mod (I began to be developed already in 1928 year), but it has been tried and tested time AM-34 engine, which began its march on the modernization.
Engine cooling water 34 AM, 12-cylinder, V-shaped, nevysotny, with a nominal capacity 760 HP. It was put into production in 1934 year. It is in this engine flew TB-3 and R-5. It is this engine has allowed to carry out flights of Chkalov and Gromov to America via the North Pole.
We are interested in the modernization of the AM-35A. In general, I must confess, until recently, it has been a mystery to me, why so strange figures were MiG-3 in terms of height and speed. It was necessary to seek the advice of a former specialist VASO, and now the officer videoconferencing, Nikolai Zubkov, for which he had special thanks.
AM-35 also did not differ altitude. meanwhile, it was another candidate - Pe-8 / TB-7. But the long-range bomber must have for the proper performance of its tasks, the corresponding altitude! long-range bomber, crawling at a height 5-6 thousands of meters - is not very clever.
And there was AM-35A, equipped with a centrifugal supercharger. Hence the answer to the question, why the MiG-3 at a height 7-8 thousands felt just fine. Because the high supercharged supercharger (1040 mmHg) quite safely provided those aircraft specifications, that he had.
Experienced (licked and varnished) a copy of the I-200 reached a speed of flight 656 km / h at an altitude of 7000 m. But the serial MiG-3 at this height simply betrayed 610-620 kmh.
But I had to pay for speed. As you can see from the photo, the collapse of the gun cylinder place was unreal. However, and this has provided Polikarpov. Only it turned out to impose the entire engine firing. So, by the way, and it was on the I-185.
Hard to tell, As a mechanic had to serve engines, because in this set there, where neither open the hood - a machine gun, or ammunition.
The armament consisted of three machine guns synchronized: ShKAS two machine guns of 7.62 mm (ʙoezapas 1500 rounds) and one gun BS 12.7 mm (ʙoezapas 300 rounds).
ShKAS installed in / on the cylinder blocks on the carriages, and BS was fixed to the fuselage farm.
fire control all the machine guns - two pneumatic gashetok (one on ShKAS, the other for BS), in the case of failure of the pneumatic system there was an emergency - Mechanical.
On the wings were installed 4 bomb racks. They can be suspended 4 bombs 50 kg or two pourer device VAP-6M capacity of 50 liters. Besides, can be placed under each wing for 4 guides for starting missiles ROS-822.
Reservation been the standard for the time Soviet fighters, i.e, 8-mm bronespinka. Aircraft Equipment was also standard, i.e, RSI-3 radio (i.e, no radio) and an oxygen unit CPS-3bis.
How and why there was the MiG-3
I have already mentioned about the sudden order Shakhurin and Smushkevich relative distance fighter flight. Though the new Bureau Chief Designer and was Mikoyan, apparently, not save. And, distance in 1000 km had to be provided solely by the internal tanks, no suspension!
And the plane had to redo, adding another fuel tank 250 l. I had to quickly lengthen the already long nose of the aircraft, extending the engine mount and remove the engine to compensate for the weight of fuel on 100 mm forward.
Besides, It had to be moved to the center section of the bottom cover, closing the chassis, put larger wheels, strengthen the landing gear. At the same time zaprotektirovali and all fuel tanks.
As a result of all these improvements flight weight of the aircraft increased from 3100 kg 3355 kg with all the ensuing consequences. true, as is the case with LAGG, MiG speed at a height of not lost, it still remained at a level 630-640 kmh. true, to be expected, slipped climb and become slightly heavier to maneuver.
Then again started to improve. clear, that at the beginning of the war 1 large-BS and two strekotalki ShKAS - it's about nothing.
FROM 20 February 1941 g. GAZ №1 produced aircraft with five gun emplacements. The wing root, out of the plane, swept screw, established 2 BC gun (Berezin-wing). Ammunition each gun was 145 rounds. But there were two problems.
First - it is plus more than a hundred kilos, which adversely affected the flight characteristics.
The second - the plants do not have time with the release of machine guns. Therefore, the gas released №1 821 aircraft, and in the future with all of the outstanding fighter machine guns were removed BK.
Information can be found at Pokryshkina, He flew on this plane. AND, by the way, resent started only when the BC removed. Prior to that, the MiG-3 Alexander Ivanovich all arranged.
Furthermore, were cases, when for the sake of improving the speed and maneuverability characteristics, at the request of pilots art removed underwing wing and BS. And almost immediately put them back.
Engineering armament 15th garden on the major Baghdasaryan assessed the MiG weapons. Engineer Major paid attention and defects, but the most interesting is the following conclusion Baghdasaryan:
«Five-point variant arms preferably MIG-3. It pilots more confidently and boldly lead the fight, considering heavy machine guns the main weapon, and ShKAS - secondary… Need a good optical sight, and if he is not, you must have at least an additional ring sight».
We can not say, that Mikoyan and company did not work on improving weapons. No, worked all the time and tirelessly. The list of MiG-3 weapons options I will give at the end. We even managed to fit two synchronous ShVAK guns into the hood. but alas, everything was in vain.
Who killed the MiG-3?
MiG-3 killed circumstances. Quick on top, but rather awkward at the ground, And besides, with the weakest at the moment 1942 years of armament, MiG-3 just became unnecessary.
But the reason for the withdrawal from production of the aircraft was not the success of the Yak-1 and LaGG-2, and the need for Il-2 attack aircraft. It seems that we had fighters, plus finally started help from allies, but there was nothing to replace IL-2.
In addition, the motor AM-38, which was installed on the IL-2 - this is just the next step in the development of AM-35A, who were still having problems. Moreover, AM-35A, and AM-38 produced the same plant.
Stalin decided, that IL-2 is more important, and after the historical telegram of Stalin from 23 December 1941 g. MiG-3 release was discontinued. GAZ Plant No. 1 switched to the production of IL-2.
Already in evacuation, at the factory number 30, factory workers, from ready-made car kits, managed to release 22 MiG-3, moreover, already armed with two synchronous cannons of ShVAK.
Returning from evacuation to Moscow, at the pilot plant No. 155 (OKB-155), who headed A. AND. Mikoyan, collected more 30 MiG-3 aircraft, also armed with ShVAK guns.
just 1940-1942 G. G. GAZ plant number 1 and the pilot plant number 155 was built 3172 MiG-3 fighters.
The plane was tenacious, strong and maintainable. MiG served for a long time, until the end of the war, being in the air defense units, Where, basically, MiG itself was the place. And our technicians, according to the recollections, they could easily assemble one of several seemingly completely unusable aircraft, it is suitable not just for flights, and to fight.
Not surprising, the last MiG-3 were written off depreciation at the end of the war.
weapons modification MiG-3 issues 1940 — 1942 gg.:
1. Two machine guns ShKAS (7,62-mm), one BS machine gun (12,7-mm) – 1976 PC.
2. Two machine guns ShKAS (7,62-mm), one BS machine gun (12,7-mm), two machine guns BK (12,7-mm) – 821 PC.
3. Two BS machine guns (12,7-mm), one ShKAS machine gun (7,62-mm) – 3 PC.
4. Two BS machine guns (12,7-mm) – 100 PC.
5. Two BS machine guns (12,7-mm), two batteries ZROB-82 for firing RS-82 - 215 PC.
6. Two machine guns ShKAS (7,62-mm), one BS machine gun (12,7-mm), two batteries ZROB-82 - 2 PC.
7. Two SHVAK rifles (20 mm) – 52 PC.
In combat use ... Probably, easier to send to Pokryshkin. Yes, he was able. If in brief and in the form of a result - everything was squeezed out of the plane. Probably, MiG-3 with two ShVAKs could become quite a normal fighter of an air defense system, but the situation with the motors was unsolvable in a different way.
unbelievable, but the most promising and seemingly thought out aircraft, calmly passed state tests, It was the first descended from a distance. completely.
And here, by the way, undercover games and sabotage can not explain. mystique? maybe. Mikoyan and Gurevich until the end of the war no longer issued in series or a single plane.
Regret? to be honest, not so, like in LaGG, but he still had a second life. MiG-3 put on the wing a lot of good pilots, so that, of course, thank him for the service.
And very sorry, what happened to Polikarpov.
/Roman Skomorokhov, topwar.ru/
