Polikarpov I-16

what is it?

The Polikarpov I-16 (Russian: Поликарпов И-16) is a Soviet single-engine single-seat fighter aircraft. It is a low-wing cantilever monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear, and was the first such aircraft to attain operational squadron status. It "introduced a new vogue in fighter design".

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · low wing · 9 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 489 km/htop speed
• range 700 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 1passengers
• size 1,941 kgmax take-off weight
• built 8,644made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 93 years ago, in 1933.
• 🏎️Top speed is 3.8× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 9 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.1× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1933-12-30

introduced

1934

retired

1944

status

retired

number built

8,644

role

fighter

origin

🇷🇺 Soviet Union

makers

Novosibirsk, Nikolai Polikarpov, Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association, Rostvertol, Moscow Aviation Plant № 39, Sokol

engines

1× Shvetsov M-63 / Bristol Jupiter / Shvetsov M-25 / ASh-62 / R-1820

passengers

1

length

6.1 m

wingspan

9 m

height

3.3 m

max take-off weight

1,941 kg

top speed

489 km/h

range

700 km

ceiling

9,700 m

wings

low wing

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.