I'm trying to find out what an item in the radio tray area of a Mig-3 might be. In the photos below, in front of the radio set is a curved plate with holes (looks like brass in the color photo). The Trumpeter instructions just show a featureless box. Apparently they don't know either as whatever it is has a curved bottom and so is not box shaped. Does anyone have any idea what actually goes there?



Okay, that didn't work, guess I need to figure out how to add photos. If you goto the gallery, you can see the photos.

Another try at the photo. Finally. So what went in the tray with round holes in front of the radio?

Thanks!

From what I can see on period and restoration photos on the internet it looks to be for a rolled cover sheet or similar, not a bottle/tank.

With its location and being between the pilots headrest and the radio’s. My guess would be some fore of tie down tarp or insulation blanket to cover the radio’s them selfs from snow / rain damage for when the cockpit is left open.

Or it could even be part of the crew survival equipment like. A small survival raft or.

Something about the size of a tightly rolled heavy jacket.

Thanks Chris,

It sounds like I can safely leave it off (since I don't know what it looks like) without destroying the integrity of the radio set. However, now I want to know what it is out of sheer curiosity, so I will keep looking!

For those that want to know what the outcome, I found a cockpit drawing with it identified as a tool kit. One of those roll up tool kits in leather or cloth would fit the bill with what Chris described as a tarp or tightly rolled jacket.

Good research, guys!

Any chance you could upload the photo you located?

Unfortunately not a photo. On this webpage https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/mig3/cockpi.html

You will see the item on the drawing, and if you scroll down the description "a cockpit tool case on its support behind the headrest". Obviously not something needed in flight since it would be inaccessible to the pilot while flying....

I would love to see a photo, but haven't found one yet.