1:32 Polikarpov I-16 Type 10

The real subject

The Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s and one of the first monoplanes built in series with a cantilever wing and retractable landing gear. You will recognize it at first glance: a short, stubby fuselage with a radial engine in the nose, a small span and landing gear that was retracted by hand. The Type 10 version had four machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber, two above the engine and two in the wing, and an open cockpit with a fixed windscreen. Machines of this type took part in the fighting in Spain and in China, and at the start of the German attack on the Soviet Union they made up a substantial part of the Soviet fighter units.

What the kit offers

It is a plastic kit in 1:32 scale, that is in a large scale, where the cockpit and the engine section come into their own on the finished model. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. How many parts the kit holds and which markings can be built are stated in the instructions enclosed by the maker.

• scale 1:32
• the real subject is the Polikarpov I-16 in the Type 10 version
• a plastic kit, supplied unassembled and unpainted
• an open cockpit, a radial engine, landing gear retracted by hand
• the extent of the kit is stated in the instructions of the maker

Building and painting tips

In a large scale it pays to start with the cockpit and to finish it before the fuselage is closed: with an open cockpit you can see into it across its whole area. Separate the parts with nippers and sand the rest of the gate down, so that the mating surfaces are nowhere in the way. The rounded fuselage will take only thin layers of paint, or the fine engraving will be lost. Keep the whole build divided into subassemblies and paint them separately while they are accessible.

Who it is for

For modelers who want a large model of an aircraft from the time before the Second World War. Paints, glue and tools are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.