Polikarpov I-15

[GuerraCivil]

For me Polikarpov I-15 Chato (Curtiss) has been one of the classical biplanes of the Spanish Civil War - it was as important as I-16 for the Republicans, although the more advanced monoplane got more fame. Although quite well known plane, the history of I-15 is not dealt in covering detail in those aviation history books, which I have read. Many questions remain.

IIRC, the production of "Chato" was halted in Soviet Union already by 1935/1936, but it continued to be built by license by Spanish Republicans up to 1938/1939. To my knowledge "Chato" was the only Polikarpov plane, which was built outside of Soviet Union. Maybe it was also the first Soviet plane built outside of Soviet Union?

Republicans employed Chato as a combat fighter up to the bitter end (1939), but was "the original Chaika" - Polikarpov I-15 withdrawn from Soviet fighter units earlier? Does anyone know - and where did the remaining I-15´s go? To training units?

The I-15 bis (I-152) is in my opinion different plane as I-15 and it should not be called "Chaika" (does not have the seagull wing configuration). The same goes even more reason for I-153, although it was also called as a "Chaika" and had the same seagull upper wing as I-15.

One funny detail: Germans called I-15 in Spain as "Curtiss" because they erroneusly thought it to be just a copy of American Curtiss fighter. They continued to repeat this error also in 1941, and thus also I-153 became "Curtiss", but the difference between two "Curtiss" was big.

Going back to original I-15, does anyone know if it was employed in combat service during the Nomonhan Incident/Winter War/Great Patriotic War? I have seen a Soviet film on Nomonhan war and it featured the original I-15, but to my knowledge I-15 was not used in conflict (although both I-15 bis/I-152 and I-153 took part).

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Not right place for this post!

I-15 was soon wihdrawn form line units to the training duites, also some of them stay in the same units (2-5 or more?), when I-16 typ 5, 10 or I-15bis or I-153 were introduced (1936-1940). It was not produced in large amount, as later models.

I-15bis or-152 is only without the nickname, next model I-153 (introduced into service in Mongolia in July 1939) had nickname "Czajka". I-153 was mass produced 1939-1941 over 3400 examples by Zavod 1 in Moscow.

No I-15 were in combat in Chałchi-Goł, only I-15bis, I-153, I-16 typ 5,10, 17 and 18. A few of them could be there but only as a trainer not as a combat planes, too old plane and too much used to be valuable for combat.

SB was also build in Czechoslowakia under Soviet licence in 1938. In China were also build some Soviet planes too, if right remember.

mw

[GuerraCivil]

Thanks for the info. However, I have read that during the late summer of 1941 Soviet Army Air Force used even old I-5 trainers as ground attack planes against Germans. At that point the situation was so desperate and so many planes had been lost, that probably everything that flew was sent to stop Germans. This may have included some I-15´s as well although it may be very difficult to find info about them.

To my knowledge old I-15´s were not used in Winter War against Finland, although Finns regularly reported on encounters with I-15 - most probably they were all I-15 bis.

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Russian used as a assult plane also training UT-1 (over Odessa in 1941 or Sevastopol in1942? If I am right?), I-5 to, also U-2 (very popular). They used all what could fly. I-15 could be also, if survived up to 1941, no matter?

mw

BTW Russain after witdrowing I-15 from first line units and introduced next I-15bis, shortedned the name of plane and I-15bis was nicknamed as a I-15. It was not much different planes indeed

Yes I-15 was not used in Winter War, too old plane and useless in air fight. They used: I-15bis, I-153, I-16 type 5, 10, 17, 18, 19 (3 examp.), 24 (in marach 1940, almost not in combat, but were - 28) and the last type 27 .

[GuerraCivil]

I took a look on what Mikhail Maslov has to say about the family of I-15 fighters. The most controversial is "I-152" which actually was not the same as I-15 bis, although it is widely used in English/American literature. The I-152 was a modified version of I-15 bis and it did not go to mass production. The I-152 was a kind of I-15 bis with retractable landing gears (but not with seagull upper wing), if I have understood Maslov right. The I-153 was a "I-15, third version" and thus become I-153 when it went to mass production.

Some of the technical solutions remain unclear for me. If the seagull wing was considered so bad reducing visibility in I-15 ("I-151"?), why did Polikarpov return to it in I-153 and why pilots accepted it in the new plane? As far as I know, the Spanish Republican pilots had no problem with seagull wing.