MiG-1/MiG-3

The book is in a 9” x 6 ½” soft-cover format. This is the usual size that MMP uses for this series of aircraft books. The book is 160 pages in length.

This new book by Mushroom Model Publications (MMP) is the illustrated story of the MiG-1 and 3 – the first designs to bear the “signature” of Artem Ivanovich Mikoyan and Mikhail Iossipovich Gurevich, who made MiG a worldwide name. Even today, after the death of both men, the designation MiG is used for the quintessential Russian fighters.

The name “MiG” is synonymous with Soviet/Russian fighter aircraft, and this latest book from MMP describes the first fighter developed by the MiG Bureau. Designed as a fast, high-altitude interceptor, the MiG-1 (and the MiG-3 developed from it) was the first of the new “Frontal Fighters” to be delivered to the Soviet Air Force. As with other Soviet aircraft, production was rapidly moved east of the Urals in 1941 after the German attack on Russia, but in the case of the MiG-3 production it soon ceased, due to the demand for IL-2 “Shturmoviks” which used a similar engine. Often written off as a failure, the MiG-3 was actually a very effective warplane, and survived in service until as late as 1944.

In the book, the design and development of the MiG-1 and –3 is described in detail, including descriptions and illustrations of subsequent MiG designs based on the MiG-3. The color illustrations cover many camouflage variations seen in service on all fronts, plus illustrations of captured MiGs in Luftwaffe and Romanian colors.

In 1940, the MiG-1 was an innovative and ground-breaking radical aircraft: a small, slim, low-wing monoplane with a powerful but heavy engine. It was difficult to fly, but it was the foundation upon which the MiG Bureau made their first steps into designing the best Soviet Fighters.

The book contains the MiG-3’s full history, covering the initial problems which had to be overcome, and how, from 1941 to 1943, the fighter fulfilled its potential in combat, being equal to all adversaries.

This work on the first new Soviet fighter of WWII features: scale plans as 1/72nd line drawings (9 of them), 5 smaller scale line drawings, drawings from technical manuals and walk around black and white photos of different parts of the MiG-1 and 3 (74 in all), superb color illustrations of camouflage and markings (87 of these, some are 2-views),walk-around photos of surviving aircraft in museums, rare black and white photos from WWII (123 of these).

This is highly detailed look at an overlooked and underestimated WWII aircraft. It will be of interest to historians, aircraft enthusiasts and modelers.

I want to thank Dr. Roger M. Wallsgrove, Editor-in-Chief of MMP for this generous review sample.