Wwii soviet fighter
i-16 the world's first high-speed fighter and the most numerous soviet aircraft in mid 30s-early 40s period. The cantilever monoplane with retractable chassis i-16 has designed by n. N. Polikarpov in 1933.
the modification i-16 type 18 with m-62 engine entered service in summer 1939 and took part in soviet-japan conflict on khalhin-gol river, and then in soviet-finnish winter war 1939-1940.
from the end of 1939 it were produced i-16 type 24 with m-63 engine and with cannon armament.
in the initial stage of soviet-german war i-16 types 18, 24, 28 were the most expanded fighters in service and stood the main weight of heavy air battles