And the above-mentioned MiG-3 was not intended for maneuverable combat. The order was for a high-speed high-altitude interceptor. Which was built. But do not forget that he also showed himself very well as a fighter.
Initially the I-200 (the correct reading is "I-20-0", the future MiG-1/3) was conceived by Polikarpov as a high-speed multi-purpose fighter with the primary role as an interceptor,
the order was for high-speed fighter only - the official technical description from 1940 contains no mention that the I-200 should operate primarily at high altitudes. Altitude was not a priority - it became an additional bonus simply because of the engine choice (very limited). The only powerful liquid-cooled V12 engine available at that time was Mikulin's M-35A (an even more powerful M-37 was planned, but Mikulin failed in its completion).
The I-200 was the unloved child of Polikarpov, who was against its mass production as proposed by OKB-155 (MiG). Polikarpov insisted on reducing wing area and using more effective flaps to reduce landing speed.
The armament of the I-200 was absolutely inadequate, the aircraft had no advantage even over the I-301 (LaGG) up to 4000 meters. Only experienced pilots could use the airplane effectively, piloting was rather difficult. The I-200 was easily flammable and earned the nickname "iron" for its poor maneuverability at low altitudes. And at high altitudes, where its characteristics were somewhat better, air combat was practically never carried out. In addition, the gasoline supply system had serious design flaws and complicated management - the pilot had to switch the supply from different tanks in time, the gasoline from the tanks could not be exhausted completely that results in crashes. Evidently, mass production of the I-200 was a serious mistake.
Generally, the whole story of the I-200 looks absolutely disgusting from the point of view of morality, but that was the mores in the USSR. Polikarpov was a victim of Soviet voluntarism - he lost his best employees and manufacturing facilities to build prototype airplanes, which were transferred to Artyom Mikoyan, whose only merit at the time was his kinship with the influential official Anastas Mikoyan.
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