Re: the Highest Scored Soviet I-16 and I-15 Pilot?
As far as I was able to read and understand from the book "Все асы Сталина 1936–1953" by Mihail Bykov (in my opinion the most reliable and accurate study on the subect), B.Safonov was Polikarpov I-16 top ace with official 14+5 victories. However, two of individual victories were in fact claimed as probable, even if this type of claim was not used and referred to by VVS. Second ranking is I. Pidtykan with 12+10.
Flavio
|