Polikarpov I-15bis – the USSR fighter

In 1936 work began on the modernization of the I-15 fighter. They took place at factory No. 84 in Khimki near Moscow. A team of constructors worked on them, led by the aircraft constructor Nikolai Polikarpov himself. The work progressed very quickly and in January 1937 the initial project was submitted for acceptance. Despite all the efforts, it was not possible to install a closed cockpit on the aircraft. Test pilots and military pilots did not accept such a cockpit, so the cockpit of this aircraft remained open, covered only by a windshield from the front. Serial production of the fighter began at Factory No. 1 in Moscow. The first aircraft was ready for flight in April 1937. State tests of the I-15bis took place in August-October 1937 and showed, that the aircraft was completely unsuitable for fighter functions. But the aircraft continued to be produced. About 100 aircraft were produced in 1937, and further work on improving the fighter was carried out during production. The aim was to reduce its weight, but this did not improve the opinion of military pilots about the aircraft at all. They considered this fighter inferior to the I-15. The aircraft had great difficulty performing aerobatic maneuvers, and the propeller cook was very vulnerable to the slightest impacts. The cockpit was more spacious, than the I-15, but the windshield remained the same width and was too narrow and greatly limited visibility. Increased engine vibrations were also noted. After eliminating most of the shortcomings, the aircraft was recognized as suitable for serial production and use in military units. Serial production officially began in 1938. Fighters, manufactured in 1937, were included in the 1938 production. In 1939 the I-15bis was produced in parallel with the I-153 fighter, which was being launched in serial production. Their production was discontinued in 1939. But in 1940 several more copies were produced from the remaining parts. A total of 2,408 aircraft of this type were produced. The fighter was operated by the USSR, the air forces of both sides fighting in the Spanish Civil War, China, Mongolia, Finland, and single exemplars in the German and Japanese AF.

A small model of a small airplane, well designed and richly detailed, simple model of a fighter, that served on the side of the Spanish Republicans. The model is suitable for modelers of any experience. Only beginners and modelers with little experience should work under the supervision of a more experienced colleague, do not rush. The model perfectly reproduces all visible external details, landing gear, cockpit equipment. There are no color stocks, the textual instruction in Polish is small and only describes the general methods of the model gluing process, but it perfectly complements the not very large, but quite informative and easy-to-read graphical instruction.