Polikarpov I-16

The I-16 of Nikolai Polikarpov was ahead of its time: a short barrel-shaped fuselage, a cantilever wing and retractable landing gear gave speed and agility unheard of in 1933. Pilots nicknamed it the Ishak (little donkey) for its strict character: the fighter demanded precise flying, but in skilled hands it was exceptionally nimble. The I-16 fought in Spain and at Khalkhin Gol, and in June 1941 it was still the most numerous fighter of the Soviet air force. By then the design was already dated, yet many future aces opened their scores on the Ishak. The museum example carries the markings of a fighter regiment of the Leningrad Front and is fitted with an M-63 engine from the museum reserve.