First license-built Soviet plane?

[GuerraCivil]

As far as I know or understand, the production of Polikarpov I-15 "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 very first Soviet (and Russian designed) plane built also outside of Soviet Union?

[Pilot]

Ilusin SB-2 was license built by Avia.

[GuerraCivil]

Yes, seems that the Czech SB 2 was called B-71 - wiki states that there were about 66 manufactured. The dates of Czech SB-2/B-71 production are not known to me. If it started before July 1937 or later?

The Spanish I-15 license production started on July 1937 - about 300 airframes were built, of which 231 were delivered to Spanish Republican Air Force. If not the very first Soviet plane license-built abroad, I-15 was probably the first Soviet fighter plane manufactured outside of Soviet Union.

Spanish Republicans had also plans to license-build 100 I-16 (type 10?) and they actually built four "Moscas" (CH 001-004) which were delivered to Spanish Republican Air Force but all four were destroyed in air combat. Probably further ten "Hispano-Moscas" were built before the end of Civil War, but they were not delivered to Republican Air Force.

[Pilot]

Some data are here, year stated is 1937

http://www.cs-letectvi.cz/letadla/avia-b-71

[Stig Jarlevik]

All

There is nothing called Tupolev SB 2
Either you have to call it Tupolev SB OR SB 2 followed by your choice of engines.

The digit 2 ONLY refers to the engines and it does NOT refer to any second SB type.

Cheers
Stig

[GuerraCivil]

Well, SB-2 is common mistake made by many professional aviation historians and it has been established in many publications. Maybe we ordinary aviation aficionados can be forgiven to use such, but thanks for correction. I try to remember from now on only SB - although there are people who know well what is SB 2, but may be confused with SB.

Also Polikarpov I-152 is often used to mean I-15 bis, although it originally was intended to another prototype than I-15 bis - it was almost the same aircraft, but had different exhaustion pipes and a three-panel windscreen. The whole I-152 designation was used only a short while and I-15 bis should be called I-15 bis and nothing else.

However, the designation I-152 has been used by many historians. Strictly speaking it meant I-15, version 2. The I-153 was I-15, version 3. All I-15, I-15bis and I-153 are called sometimes as "Chaika". In reality there are even visible differences between the three planes (different engines and front nose, strutted wing of I-15 bis, retractable landing gears of I-153 etc) . I-15 was not the same plane as I-15 bis, although the latter is often called also as a I-15.

There are of course a question of the different versions of same plane:
SB 2 M 100 - is this the Czech VB 7? - or is this: SB 2 M 103 etc.

I-16: are we talking of type 5, type 18 or type 29? - there were big differences between different types of I-16 when it came to technical performance and armament. The later series of I-16 were far away from the type 5 although the basic look of plane was superficially same. Also with type 5 there is some confusion: sometimes type 5 with open cockpit is called type 6. That is incorrect, it should be called I-16 later type 5. Also all colourplates showing I-16 type 5 with closed cockpit show rather theoretical situation - pilots almost always opened the cockpit and flew with the opened cockpit.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Well Guerra

Since I don't want to expand on this theme, let me just confirm that the use of SB-2 was a mistake made by Western journalists who at the time did not understand what was ment by Tupolev and the designation in question. As far as I know the SB is the only type where the engine version is part of the full designation. That is most probably why so many fell into the trap. By using the type designation SB you don't have to be concerned about which version you are looking at and as such you will never be wrong....

Also if you buy a modern fact book about Russian aircraft during this period you will also get a pretty good answer to your other problems regarding the Polikarpov fighters. Not sure about the Internet/Google here, but you can try that as well.

Cheers
Stig

[GuerraCivil]

Thanks, I have one book of Mikhail Maslov. He is quite good in technical matters, although the combat history details are not his strongest point.

The main question of this thread is probably which started first - the license-building of I-15 in Spain or the manufacturing of Czech built SB=VB 71? These to my knowledge are the first two Soviet/Russian designed planes built in abroad. Both started in 1937 - Spanish I-15 on July 1937, VB 71 earlier or later?

Or maybe there is some Soviet or Russian designed plane license-built abroad earlier than 1937?