Just bought a model of this aircraft and although I don't know much about it, I have to say from its appearance it doesn't look like it would have been a very imposing aircraft. Can anyone tell me otherwise???
Polikarpov I-16 Ishak (Rata) From the New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum Though it looked like a stumpy racer, the Polikarpov I-16 was very much a fighter, and the first in the world to go into service combining cantilever monoplane wings with retractable landing gear. It was also the greatest fighter of its day, but it was slightly marred by being tricky to fly and dangerous to an inexperienced pilot. By 1930, the Soviet Union was looking at increasing its number of fighter aircraft and, at the same time, investigating new forms of armament and aircraft designs. Almost all the world's fighters were bipanes but to many of the Soviet Design Bureaus the monoplane seemed to be potentially superior. The decision was made in 1931 to order new fighter monoplanes and the task was assigned to Mr A.N. Tupolev. With P.O. Sukhoi in charge, the I-14 (at that time the most modern fighter in the world) first flew in 1933. This was bad news for Nikolai Nikolayevich Polikarpov, who had designed almost all of the Soviet Unions smaller aircraft up until that time. Worse, he was in prison, along with his design team, but the success of his I-4 won his freedom in January 1933. He was full of ideas to improve his I-5 (which eventually became the I-15), but his immediate priority was to design a rival to the I-14. On the last day of 1933, his prototype flew under snow-leaden skies. The aircraft was seemingly inferior to the I-14, as it appeared that he had tried to make the aircraft as short as possible. The aircraft soon proved to be rather difficult to fly - it was almost unstable under all three axes, and had to be flown with ceaseless attention. On the plus side, its rolls and loops were so fast as to be quite startling. Despite problems with the design, it was judged potentially superior to the I-14 and in May 1934, production of the I-16 was organised at two factories. The outbreak of Civil War in Spain on the 18th July 1936 led to urgent pleas from the Republicans to Russia for fighter aircraft. After a suitable payment in gold, Stalin despatched a large number of I-16's for Republican service. Straight into action, the stubby monoplane mastered most opposition with ease. The I-16 survived in Spain until almost 1950. In 1937 more than 250 I-16's were supplied to China. These aircraft fought over China until 1943, finding the Mitsubishi A5M of the Imperial Japanese Navy a roughly equal opponent (all other Japanese types were easy opponents). In 1940, however, the Mitsubishi Zero-sen proved better in virtually all respects. Further large scale action took place in fighting between the Soviet Union and Japan in 1939. The I-16 had pretty much held its own up until this point, and also coped reasonably well in the Winter War against Finland. By 1941 the I-16 was still the most numerous Russian fighter. Hundreds were destroyed in the Luftwaffe's initial attacks on airfields, and from the start of the Great Patriotic War, it was obvious that the I-16 was no match for the Messerschmitt or Focke Wulf. Despite this, the need for fighters was so desperate production continued. Many were shot down in this swan song of the I-16. A total of 7,005 single seat and 1,639 two seaters were produced. [ 09. June 2003, 01:15 PM: Message edited by: KmPok ]
If you get to Galveston Texas in the future, visit the Lone Star Flight Museum. When I was there last year they had two I-16's and one I-15 on display. They are very small fighters compared to most WWII designs. I think they did very well in the Spanish Civil War against the Fiats but not too good against the Germans in WWII. You can look up the museums web page and see if they have pictures of the aircraft on their web page.
I was just on http://www.warbirds.co.nz/wow98htm and saw an I-16 with some big, bold Russian writing on the side. The model I recently bought has something of the same. Does anyone know what it says?
Some stuff from Il-2 Sturmovik game... I-16 (type 18), model 1939 The aircraft was launched into large-scale production in 1934 and underwent numerous modifications. Each new version brought with it higher speed, ceiling and stronger armament. The I-16 took part in military operations in Spain, China and Mongolia as well as the initial stage of the Second World war. Overall, some 6,555 units of all variations were produced. The I-16 type 18 version was a deep modification of I-16 type 10. There were many changes in construction of the airframe. But the main innovation was the installation of the new more powerful M-62 engine and the propeller with variable pitch. The last series of I-16 type 18 had the same propeller as the I-16 type 24 with M-63 engine. Advantages: Serial front-line fighter with excellent performance characteristics. High maneuverability. Good armament for the time. Disadvantages: Excessive sensitivity of aircraft controls peculiar to all Polikarpov fighters. Type: Fighter Weight: Empty: 1433kg Take-off: 1830 kg Length: 6.074 m Wingspan: 9.0 m Wing Area: 15.54 sq m Engine: M-62 Power: Indicated: 800HP (at 4000m) Speed: Sea level: 413 km/h At 6360m: 461km/h Turn time at 1,000m: 17-18sec Climb to 5,000m: 5.4min Range: 485 km Service ceiling: 9700m Armament: 4x7.62mm MG (ShKAS) I-16 (type 24), model 1939 The I-16 fighter was developed in 1933 in the design office of N.N. Polikarpov. The first flight of the I-16 prototype (Central Design Office-12) was conducted by V.P. Chkalov on December 31, 1933. The I-16 ("I" for “istrebitel” - fighter) was created as a high-speed fighter, which at the same time pursued the aim to achieve maximum maneuverability in air combats. This fighter distinguished itself via small dimensions resulting in minimum inertia while performing aerobatic maneuvers. In actual fact, the I-16 became quite unstable and required more attention from the pilot since it reacted to the slightest handling. Nevertheless, the I-16 boasted an excellent airspeed. The aircraft was launched into large-scale production in 1934 and underwent numerous modifications. Each new version brought with it higher speed, ceiling and stronger armament. The I-16 took part in military operations in Spain, China and Mongolia as well as during the initial stage of the Second World war. Overall, some 6,555 units of all variations were produced. Advantages: Serial front-line fighter with excellent performance characteristics. High maneuverability. Strong armament (for Type 24). Disadvantages: Excessive sensitivity of aircraft controls peculiar to all Polikarpov fighters. Type: Fighter Weight: Empty: 1,382.50 kg; Take-off: 1,882 kg. Length: 6.13m. Wingspan: 9.00m. Wing area: 15.54 Sq. M. Engine: M-63. Power: 900 HP Speed: Sea level: 410 km/h; At 6,360m: 462 km/h. Turn time at 1,000m: 17-18 sec. Climb to 3,000m: 6min. Service ceiling: 9,700m. Range: 440 km. Armament: 2x7.62mm MG (ShKAS). 2x20mm cannon (ShVAK)
Some nice pics of restored, flyable aircraft in New Zealand. Priced at only around US$350,000... http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/i16.html And here: http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/aircraft/i16.htm From: http://www.airventure.org/2003/news/polikarpov.html "Flying the Polikarpov I-16 Dave Morss, Polikarpov pilot. Dave Morss, three-time Sport Class Gold winner at Reno and freelance test pilot, has this to say about flying the rare Polikarpov I-16, which he will do at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2003: "It's very quirky. I bet they lost more in training and flying than they did in combat." The 1930s-era Russian front-line fighter was crude and effective. Designed to operate from big Siberian fields, not runways, it took off and landed into the wind. "If you look at the geometry of the landing gear and the narrow little wheels, it's obvious it was made for mud and dirt, and not for runways, so right off the bat we're doing something it was never really designed to do," Morss explained. Originally designed with a canopy, the I-16 had test pilots complaining that being enclosed restricted their movement. Fine, but an open cockpit for Siberia flying? "It's brutal inside. I can't believe that in Siberia these guys didn't want a canopy," he said. Once Morss actually flew the airplane and discovered its severely limited visibility, the airplane, sans canopy, made more sense. Part of the problem is visibility, Morss said. "It is so blind. You absolutely cannot see." He learned that Russian pilots would position themselves way above the cockpit to land, a maneuver that would be impossible with a canopy. "In the pilot handbook, it even says that when you come in to land, you must circle before you flare, you can't come straight in. And also-it actually says this-open the cockpit side doors and lean out to find where you are! So when you are trying to land on a runway, it's even more daunting because it's a finite proposition. You have edges. It's pretty interesting." The only modification to the original aircraft, designed in 1933, is a radio. Otherwise, the airplane is as it was when it rolled off the Gorky assembly line in 1939, authentic Russian gauges and all. "It's really a time machine," Morss indicated. "You get in the thing and you're going back in time. It's pretty funky." That makes it an aircraft not only for the die-hard warbird enthusiast, but for everyone. "I think everybody will enjoy seeing this airplane. It's just so ugly, it's cute," Morss said. He had never seen one himself until attending the 2001 Confederate (now Commemorative) Air Force air show at Midland, Texas. "Because of the airplane's logistics, it's never going to be seen anywhere else because you can't fly it anywhere," Morss explained. "It only has 30 minutes of fuel and you need runways that are into the wind-it does not like crosswinds. It's just not practical to ever take it anywhere, and that's why I was so glad when I was authorized to truck it up to Oshkosh. It's not an airplane that's going to be on the air show circuit." Plans are to transport the airplane on a flatbed trailer. The wings come off-about a half-hour process-and the tail stays on. Then it will be reassembled at the Kermit Weeks Hangar in Oshkosh. "Seems like a lot of work for one or two flights, but even if the winds and weather were such that we didn't fly at all, I think it will be worthwhile for people to see it because it's a unique airplane." The airplane will be on display at AeroShell Square throughout EAA AirVenture." Dave Morss has also writtenn furhter at: http://www.ksql.com/myriad/warbirds_poly.htm
