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Polikarpov I-16 Type 28 Soviet Fighter 1:48


Mike

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Polikarpov I-16 Type 28 Soviet Fighter

1:48 ICM

 

boxtop.jpg

 

The diminutive I-16 Rata was a ground-breaking design when first introduced, and served the Soviet Air Force well until the middle of WWII when its relatively light armament and manoeuvrability was outmatched by the Bf.109 and FW.190s.  It's enclosed cockpit and fully retracting wheels gave it the edge initially, as did the reliable air-cooled engine and its nimble flying characteristics, and it was initially surprisingly successful against the earlier Luftwaffe fighter variants.

 

The Type 28 was an evolution that along the way had already picked up a more powerful engine, additional fuel in wing-mounted tanks, proper flaps, to which was added a complement of two synchronised ShKAS 7.62mm machine guns on the upper cowling, and two more ShVAK 20mm auto-cannons on the wing leading edge for destructive power, without having to synchronise through the prop.  Following the 28, came two more variants that adjusted armament and engine power, but this was pretty much the end of the line for the design.

 

 

The Kit

Originally tooled in 2016 by ICM, this boxing uses essentially the same plastic, but uses different parts than the Type 24 that came before it.  Inside the double-lidded top-opening box that ICM favour are two sprues of grey styrene, one of clear parts, a small decal sheet and the instructions.  It is a simple aircraft, which is reflected by the relatively uncrowded box.  Ostensibly the same build method is used for this variant, beginning with the wings and their separate ailerons, moving on to the cockpit that is constructed within the port fuselage half, and has good detail throughout, even aft of the cockpit frame where the next section can be dimly seen.  The instrument panel is nicely moulded, and the various controls attached to the sidewalls are included as small parts.  A bulkhead is inserted at around the firewall position, and the fuselage is then closed up, inserting the separate rudder as you do so.  The cowling around the nose machine guns is inserted, and the twin access doors are added to the fuselage sides, although you could pose one of them down if you choose. 

 

sprue1.jpg

 

sprue2.jpg

 

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The wing assembly fits in the lower fuselage, and the well-detailed radial engine is depicted with its collector ring, piston bank and mount, plus ancillary equipment, most of which will be hidden behind the front cowling that stopped the howling wind from freezing the engine solid at speed.  There is the option of leaving the cowling panels off, as they are supplied as three separate parts plus the front section, into which the baffles and the prop are inserted, the latter being able to left free to spin if you are careful with the glue.  Adding the windscreen and gunsight is closely followed by the installation of the landing gear with its complex (for the time) bay covers captive to the legs.  The wheels are each two piece, and have smooth tyres with slightly domed hub caps.

 

The final act is the installation of the larger cannons in the wing leading-edge, leaving the smaller machine guns on the sprues.

 

 

Markings

If you like your Ratas Russian Green with blue undersides, you're in luck.  There are two options in this scheme, one with a yellow 15 and a white lightning bolt on the tail, the other a white 51 on the fuselage.  From the box you can build one of the following:

 

  • 45th Aviation Division, Southern Front, Odessa Area, Late June 1941
  • 72nd Mixed Regiment of the Northern Fleet Aviation, August 1941

 

decals.jpg

 

The decals are well printed with vibrant colours, and registration is excellent.  The majority are a rich red, but the white and yellow decals look opaque, with a fractional over-printing of the yellow around the white under-printing that will disappear on the green.

 

 

Conclusion

It's a nice, workmanlike kit of a workmanlike little aircraft that took on the Luftwaffe during the early days of Operation Barbarossa.  Detail is excellent, and there's a lot to like about the kit.

 

Review sample courtesy of

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Nice review of a nice looking kit Mike. If I hadn't just bought and Eduard one I would be seriously tempted.

Actually, I still am seriously tempted. 

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13 hours ago, Gerrardandrews said:

when Revell issue this kit, nice decals, good instructions and maybe good price, we all be Tempted, bit of Advice, use that fantastic box art from your 60s, 1/72kit, Revell.

There is nothing wrong with ethier the decals, or instructions from ICM.

 

As for price point they come in £5 to £7 less than the Eduard kits at a full price online retailer.

 

A good package all round I think.

 

Julien

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13 hours ago, Gerrardandrews said:

good instructions

 

We'll have to agree to differ there, as I find old Revell instructions horribly busy, and the newer ones only marginally better.  The ICM instructions however are clear, concise, in colour, and in English as well as Cyrillic in case you can read Cyrillic. :)  There's also nowt wrong with the decals or the price.  :shrug:

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I agree with the last three posts. ICM kits used to be a bit :wall:but the new ones are good - and certainly nothing wrong with the price. 

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ICM have come on in leaps & bounds over the last couple of years.  I've been more and more impressed with each release :)

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One of my favourite aviation subjects.

I'm normally a 1/72 person, due to lack of space. 

 

However, the I-16 doesn't take a lot of space in 1:48.

 

Time for my Hobby Craft kit to go, this one to take its place :thumbsup2: 

 

TonyT

 

 

 

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I have the 1/48 Eduard kit, and old Revell 1/72, So will be looking forward to this kit.

Always liked Revell decals and the instructions are miles better now, not keen on the boxes, flimsy.

ICM, issuing some great subjects, long may it continue 😊

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49 minutes ago, Gerrardandrews said:

I have the 1/48 Eduard kit, and old Revell 1/72, So will be looking forward to this kit.

Always liked Revell decals and the instructions are miles better now, not keen on the boxes, flimsy.

ICM, issuing some great subjects, long may it continue 😊

ICM kits now come in a fully closing cardbox with a hinged lid, a flimsy outer covering goes on top of this. The new boxes are really sturdy.

 

As said with kits, boxes, decals, instructions they are well ahead of where they were.

 

Julien

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On 2017-6-23 at 9:08 AM, Threadbear said:

I found the Eduard kit really fiddly and as I think ICM kits are great, I am seriously tempted by this kit. 

The exhausts were particilarly fiddly to fit.

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This looks like a superb redention of an I-16 in plastic.

 

Having completed one from Eduard several years ago, I find this one quite superior.

The doors can be posed open, the engine (which is barely visible anyway) looks more detailed. The wing edges gotta be sharper than Eduard's and there are more details (such as openings for better visibility of instruments etc...).

About the only thing worth investing in this kit are seat belts, a crosshair sight in PE and a bit of ressearch about more interesting markings.

 

I'll definitely buy one!

 

Josip

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