Chaos and Innovation: Russian Aircraft in the Civil War and Early Soviet Era The early Soviet era was defined by technical chaos and radical innovation. Starting in 1923 with the Polikarpov I-1, the USSR’s first indigenous monoplane fighter, Russia began moving away from surplus WWI designs like the R-1. By 1930, the rugged I-5 biplane reached top speeds of 173 mph, becoming the backbone of the Red Air Force. Despite using makeshift fuels like kerosene during the Civil War, these pioneers establ

From Ashes to Air Power: The Birth of Soviet Fighters and Bombers The Soviet Union’s rise to air power began in the 1930s with rapid industrialization. Key designs included the Polikarpov I-16, first flown in 1933, which was a revolutionary monoplane reaching speeds of 280 mph. It saw intense action in the Spanish Civil War. Simultaneously, heavy bombers like the massive four-engine Tupolev TB-3, built in 1930, reached 130 mph and pioneered strategic bombing concepts. These interwar machines tra

Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today, we’re visiting the world’s first low-wing monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear that entered operational service, the Polikarpov I-16. This Soviet aircraft was a revolutionary design that saw combat in the Spanish Civil War, in China, and WWII. To purchase the Coloring Book - WWII Planes, please visit https://palmspringsairmuseum.org/product/coloring-book-wwii-planes/?utm-source=facebook-warbird-wednesday | Palm Springs Air Museum

8.6K views · 121 reactions | Here's a very quick clip of a Polikarpov I-15 at Flying Legends 2010 Stream 14 years of Flying Legends Airshow Films and much more at WingsTV.co.uk | Wings TV Channel | Facebook

300K views · 8.9K reactions | The Polikarpov I-16 was a revolutionary...