Polikarpov I-16 Specifications
The Soviet Union is said to have sent more than 500 Polikarpov I-16s to Spain
during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39. In combat, the I-16 was
clearly superior to the German Heinkel He 51 and Italian Fiat CR-32
biplanes. In China and Manchuria, their opponents were mono-planes, the
Japanese Mitsubishi A5M Claude (the Zero's predecessor) and the
Nakajima Type 97 Nate.
Although neither of these aircraft had
retractable landing gear, they were more maneuverable, and thus more
closely competitive. During the Soviet Union's bitter 1939-1940 Winter
War with Finland, the Polikarpov I-16 was less successful against the
American-built Brewster Buffalos and German-built Fokker D XXIs.
When
the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the Ishak (Little
Donkey) was semi-obsolescent but still comprised almost two-thirds the
total strength of the Red fighter force. Many were shot down. But in
the hands of a capable pilot, the I-16 could still surprise even an
experienced Luftwaffe flier.
German analysis of the actions of the Red
Air Force revealed that Soviet training was deficient and that the
Stalinist purges had drained the initiative from all but the most
dedicated pilots. But those fliers were fierce and some adopted the
Taran, or ramming attack, diving their I-16s directly into enemy
aircraft, with no hope of survival.
Like most Soviet aircraft of
the period, the Polikarpov I-16 was of mixed construction, with a fabric-covered
metal wing and a plywood-covered fuselage of steel-tube construction.
The first aircraft to reach squadron service were equipped with an
imported 710-horsepower Wright engine that provided a 272 miles per
hour top speed in 1934, far faster than any other fighter in any other
air force. Later, a massive 1,100-horsepower M-63 engine was installed,
giving the I-16 a top speed of more than 326 mph -- and even trickier
handling.
As with all aircraft, pilots who mastered the I-16
became very fond of it, not least because its rugged construction
allowed it to take massive battle damage and still get home -- the aim of
all pilots in the end, no matter how reckless their talk at the bar.
Length: 19 ft. 9-3/4 in. Height: 7 ft. 10-3/4 in. Empty Weight: 3,252 lbs Gross Weight: 4,542 lbs Top Speed: 326 mph Service Ceiling: 31,070 ft. Range: 375 miles Engine/Horsepower: M-63/1,100 Armament: Four 7.62-mm ShKas machine guns; 441lbs of bombs under the wings |
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