Polikarpov I-16
 Polikarpov I-16 flying over Cuatro Vientos airfield at the exhibition. Photo: Angelmersaenz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Polikarpov |
|---|---|
| Model | Polikarpov I-16 |
| Type | Fighter |
| Country |  Soviet Union
|
| First flight | 30 December 1933 (TsKB-12) |
| Built | November 1933 – 1942 |
| Number built | 10,292 (6,848 fighters and 3,444 trainers) |
| Registered in the US | 3 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | One |
| Engine | Shvetsov M-63, 1100 hp
|
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Polikarpov I-16 is a small, stubby Soviet fighter of the 1930s, and the first low-wing monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear to reach squadron service.[1] It was the backbone of the Soviet air force when World War II began, and 10,292 were built, 6,848 fighters and 3,444 trainers.[1] In the U.S. there are 3 with a valid registration.[2]
History
Nikolai Polikarpov began the design while working on his I-15 biplane. It had retractable landing gear, a fully enclosed cockpit, a short, stubby fuselage and a radial engine in a smooth NACA cowling.[1] It was small, light and simple to build. The airplane was accepted for production on November 22, 1933, a month before the TsKB-12 prototype first flew on December 30, 1933.[1]
Many names
Soviet pilots called it Ishak, "donkey".[1] In the Spanish Civil War, Nationalists called it Rata ("rat") and Republicans called it Mosca ("fly"). The Finns called it Siipiorava, "flying squirrel".[1] It fought in Spain, in China against Japan, at Khalkhin Gol, in the Winter War and in World War II, and Spain's air force flew it until 1953.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 3 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| I-16 TYPE 24 | 3 |
Specifications (I-16 Type 24)
| Item | I-16 Type 24 |
|---|---|
| Crew | One |
| Length | 6.13 m |
| Wingspan | 9 m |
| Height | 3.25 m |
| Engine | Shvetsov M-63, 1100 hp (9-cylinder supercharged air-cooled radial engine) |
| Propeller | variable-pitch propeller |
| Maximum speed | 489 km/h |
| Range | 700 km |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Polikarpov UTI-4, two seater training version of I-16 Soviet fighter. Photo: Balcer, CC BY 2.5 -
Polikarpov I-16. Photo: Mike1979 Russia, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Polikarpov I-16. Photo: Andrea from Turin, Italy, CC BY 2.0 -
Polikarpov I-16. Photo: The original uploader was DCTT at English Wikipedia., Public domain -
Polikarpov I-16. Photo: D. Miller, CC BY 2.0 -
Polikarpov I-16 (China Aviation Museum). Photo: Flavio Mucia (AMB Brescia), CC BY 2.0 -
Polikarpov I-16. Photo: Elchuso, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Polikarpov I-16. Photo: Bunnystar211, CC BY-SA 4.0
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Polikarpov I-16
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Wikipedia, "Polikarpov I-16", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.