earlylate

Differences between early and late variants

This section explains how to modify these kits into the early version.

later version, long-nosed

early version, short-nosed.

To build the early variant, we have to:

modify the long fairings over the gun barrels, on the nose;

engrave two small grilles on the sides of the nose, and some other panels;
delete all the 16 fasteners of the engine cowlings;
delete a metal strip on the nose, covering upward the space between nose and spinner;

for the 1/72 kits, delete the coverings of the first couple of exhausts, reshaping them, or rebuild entirely the exhausts, using the pieces of a Toko/Eastern Express LaGG-3 kit, cut from their common base and rejoined in a more appropriate position; (the Toko kit has 3 alternative sets of exhausts, so it is not sacrificed)
the 1/48 ICM pipes don't require any modification, but you have to remove and modify their cowling on the kit nose.

delete the thin triangular plates beside the oil radiator exhausts, on the engine cowling sides;
rebuild or modify the tail wheel doors;

fill the slat lines, rebuild the pitot tube on the wing inlet (and not under the wing) and add a rectangular panel for underwing gun pods below each wing (if present).

Be careful: because of the gradual introduction of these modifications on the line, and because of the mixing of pieces of different aircraft, the long-nosed fuselage does not necessarily mean that the wings are without slats and the tail wheel doors are bulged.
With some more work, the model could be converted into a MiG-1; series MiG-1 differs from early MiG-3 for smaller radiator cowling and different undercarriage doors.
If possible, look carefully to the photo of the single aircraft to see if these details are recognizable.

This example is the only MiG-3 fitted with the AM-38 engine in August 1941. This engine gave higher power but less altitude capability than the AM-35A. The aircraft had a significant improvement in its low-altitude performance, and outclassed even the Bf-109F. The trials showed the necessity to redesign the oil and water radiators because of the higher heat generation of the new engine, and as well, the Il-2 program was prioritary for the use of the AM-38 engine. Because of these factors, the program was halted.

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