1/72 IXO Models (DDIJ00023) Polikarpov I-16 (11) "For Stalin" flown by Boris Feoktistovich Safonov , Murmansk 1941, 72nd FAP, U.S.S.R. Air Force (Limited Edition)

Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. The I-16 was introduced in the mid-1930s and formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of World War II. The diminutive fighter prominently featured in the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Spanish Civil War where it was called the Rata (Nationalists) or Mosca (Republicans), and the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. The Finnish nickname for I-16 was Siipiorava ("Flying Squirrel").

Polikarpov I-16

Known primarily for its role in the Spanish Civil War, this advanced monoplane fighter first flew in December of 1933. Featuring revolutionary innovations such as retractable landing gear and a fully enclosed cockpit, by the beginning of World War II the Polikarpov I-16 comprised the heart of the Soviet Air Force. Light and easy to build, the I-16 was both practical and exceptional. Early variants were known for their aerobatic capabilities, including a 1.5 second barrel roll, and later versions lay claim to the title of   production fighter, with superior climb rates and a top speed of 282 mph.

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