1:32 Polikarpov I-16 typ 10

Polikarpov I-16 type 10 (1:32, Azur)

An injection-molded plastic kit of the Soviet Polikarpov I-16 type 10 fighter in 1:32 scale from Azur. It is a short-run kit completed with multimedia parts, usually resin elements and photo-etched parts, including the glazing. This technology calls for more careful preparation of the parts, so the model is intended rather for more experienced builders. In the large scale the characteristic stubby fuselage of the aircraft stands out.

The real subject

The Polikarpov I-16 was a pioneering Soviet monoplane of the 1930s, one of the first production fighters with retractable landing gear and a cantilever low-wing layout. It was marked by a short barrel-shaped fuselage with a radial engine and it was agile, though demanding to fly. The type 10 had an armament of four machine guns and proved itself in combat in the Spanish Civil War, where it was given nicknames such as Rata and Mosca, and later in the fighting in the Far East and at the beginning of the war with Germany.

Building and painting tips

First clean up the parts; with a short-run kit count on adjusting the mating surfaces and on some filling. Wash the resin parts free of mold release agent and glue them with cyanoacrylate glue, and use liquid cement for plastic on the plastic joints. Protect the glazing with masks. Spray a primer as the base and then the camouflage scheme, accentuate the panels with a wash and suggest wear with dry-brushing.

Who the model is for

• More experienced modelers used to short-run kits and multimedia parts
• Collectors of Soviet and interwar aircraft
• Anyone interested in the machines of the Spanish Civil War
• Lovers of unconventional subjects in a large scale

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.