War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

I-16 type 5

2020-04-16T21:59:12Z

U1172832: /* History */ Corrected some spelling errors and change some of the structure to be more comprehensible.

{{Specs-Card|code=i-16_type5}}
{{About
| about = Russian fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = I-16 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_I-16type5.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Russian fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.43]].

The I-16 Type 5 is the earliest instalment of the Polikarpov I-16 family available in the game. A rather solid if somewhat temperamental pre-war fighter that, while extremely dangerous if used right against biplanes and other pre-war fighters, can get in quite a struggle to deal with later aircraft such as the [[Ki-43-I]] and the Hurricane, and being wholly overmatched by aircraft like the [[Spitfire Mk Ia]] and the [[Bf 109 E-1]].

====Vehicle characteristics====

The I-16 Type 5 is equipped with two wing-mounted ShKAS machine guns chambered with the 7.62 x 54R cartridge, a cyclic rate of fire of 1,800 rpm and with an ammo loadout of 900 rounds each.

Since both machine guns are mounted pretty far apart, they are more effective at convergence range which, being rifle calibre machine guns should be set to a relatively low distance (from 150 to 400 meters). The weapons have a rather standard firing time of 30 seconds and had a very high throw for a rifle calibre machine gun due to its very high rate of fire. This particular feature makes overheating a pretty big problem, so it is recommended to fire the weapons in short burst since the jamming of one of them would result in the loss of half of the aircraft's effective armament. It's also of note, particularly in Simulator Battles, that the I-16 Type 5 modelled in-game is fitted with the original-for-the-type enclosed cockpit and OP-1 telescopic sight which may prove problematic for players who are not fond of telescopic sights for aiming. The I-16 Type 5 low weight, high roll rate and somewhat unstable centre of gravity make it a slightly inaccurate gun platform, though its high roll rate and pressure of fire somewhat mitigates its effects.

As for the armament effectiveness it can be considered of moderate power against most fighter aircraft at its rank, it can be quite complicated to kill an enemy in a single glancing attack and sometimes it would take quite a bit of time to finish a particularly resilient foe, incendiary ammunition or Stealth belts can be very helpful for boosting the lethality of the planes armament. Against bombers however, the armament loses a lot of its effectiveness with only shots to the pilot's cockpit or the engines proving somewhat effective and even then normally taking several hundreds of bullets to bring them down.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 2,700 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| 429 || 415 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 15.9 || 16.6 || 14.6 || 14.6 || 210
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 2,700 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| 461 || 445 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 14.4 || 15.0 || 22.3 || 18.5 || 210
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps
! Take-off flaps
! Landing flaps
! Air brakes
! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! +
! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|constructions}} || {{Specs|destruction|chassis}} || 700 || ~14 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 300 || < 320 || < 320 || > 190
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 2,500 m || 730 hp || N/A
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.''

== Armaments ==
=== Offensive armament ===

{{main|ShKAS (7.62 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, wing-mounted (900 rpg = 1,800 total)

== Usage in battles ==

The I-16 Type 5's biggest asset is its versatility. This aircraft is considerably faster than most biplanes which allows it to use superior speed (both in level flight and in dives) and energy to engage them safely, while at the same time it can outmanoeuvre a lot of its faster opponents if not by turn rate at least by using its breakneck roll rate. It also has a significantly fast climb-rate of over 14 m/s to up to 3,000 meters which is only beaten at its battle rating by [[Bf 109 E-1]]/[[Bf 109 F-1|F-1's]], [[Spitfire Mk Ia|Spitfire Mk I's]] and by the [[Ki-27 otsu|Ki-27]]/[[Ki-43-I|43]]/[[Ki-44-I|44]]. As previously mentioned the plane has a phenomenal roll rate of up to 150°/s. On the other hand, the roll rate can under some circumstances cause the plane to lose control, particularly while performing high G pull ups after recovering on a dive which in some circumstances may prove fatal.

When confronting slower but more manoeuvrable planes, energy tactics are to be favoured over turning and burning, in contrast when facing faster monoplanes the use of horizontal manoeuvres, particularly the use of scissors due to the aircraft rapid roll rate in a combination of short vertical movements such as Immelmanns and chandelles. While the plane's light weight means that it is relatively slow at building up speed in a dive and also causes it to have lacklustre energy retention for a monoplane. Even though pairing this aircraft with a rather powerful engine helps to alleviate this shortfall, the aircraft can initially out-accelerate planes which otherwise outperform it in the speed department.

Your biggest threat when flying the I-16 Type 5 comes from aircraft with a significant top speed advantage (like the previously mentioned [[Spitfire Mk Ia]] and [[Bf 109 E-1]]) as well as from low rank Japanese monoplanes. Against the former your best chance is to use defensive tactics and hope that they make a mistake or an ally comes to your aid, rolling scissors and sudden changes of direction through rolling the plane axis are the most effective evasive manoeuvres for this particular plane. Against the latter, the tactic would depend on the specific model you encounter. When flying against the Ki-27, the use of rolls is the most desired if not a nigh obligatory form of evasion. There is minimal chance to turn out or outrun the Ki-27, but you can out-roll it, particularly at high speeds. On the other hand, zoom climbs are a bit of a mixed bag. While the Type 5 sometimes can get away with it through its superior power-to-weight ratio, the Ki-27 has a much lower stall speed which sometimes allows it to stay all the way through the zoom climb with early I-16's (later, heavier variants of the plane are more effective at using this tactic). Against the Ki-43 things become quite complicated since the Ki-43-I and the Type 5 are pretty well matched in roll rate (where the latter has a slight advantage) and turn rate (where the former has a slight edge), a combination of turns and rolls is the best way to evade the Ki-43's though it has to be done carefully in order to be effective, the latter Ki-43-II with its considerably higher top speed but reduced manoeuvrability is confronted more effectively by use of horizontal manoeuvres while trying to prevent it from reaching high rates that would allow it to use energy tactics against you.

The I-16 Type 5 is not a very effective interceptor, not being much faster than most monoplane bombers in its rank while having both a rather weak armament and protection.

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil
! Water
! Type
|-
| Controllable || rowspan="2" | Not controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Separate || rowspan="2" | Not controllable 1 gear || rowspan="2" | Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="1" | Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! colspan="1" | Survivability
! colspan="1" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 7 mm
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
|
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| New 7 mm MGs
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Small target
* Great manoeuvrability
* High max altitude
* Good low attitude climb-rate

'''Cons:'''

* Slow, some bombers in the same rank fly faster
* No external payloads
* Can quickly stall in high angles of climb at low altitude
* Loses speed very quickly

== History ==

Development which started from the early I-16 Type 4, the I-16 Type 5 was the first version of the I-16 to incorporate the M-25 engine (which produced 700 HP in contrast with the previous M-22 engine that produced just 480 HP) and receiving ShKAS machine guns in place of Type 4's slower firing PV-1's. Testing of the new power-plant in the I-16 airframe started in October 1935 with serial production of the aircraft starting in early 1936 and continued up to late 1937. Throughout its production, several changes were done to the production model based on feedback obtained by the operational and combat experience through 1936-1937, most notably the removal of the sliding canopy in favour of an open cockpit and the addition of the PAK-1 reflector sight in place of the older OP-1 telescopic sight. It was substituted in production by the I-16 Type 10 and by that time over 2,000 units were produced.

By mid 1936 the I-16 Type 5 had just begun to be put into service with several units of the VVS when the Spanish Civil War broke out. After receiving an economic loan from the Spanish Republican government, the Soviet Union started to supply the government forces with war equipment and resources to oppose the fascist supported Nationalist. The first batch of I-16 Type 5's were deployed in November 1936. The I-16 Type 5 would soon prove to be a formidable aircraft being easily able to intercept the Ju-52 utility/bomber aircraft while proving superior to the German He-51's deployed by the Condor Legion. At the time only the Italian built Cr.32 stood a chance against the Soviet monoplane fighter due to its superior armament, maneuvrability and its excellent dive performance and stability for biplane standards, the Republican Air Force would soon start to refer to them as "Moscas" (Fly, though the nickname may actually had derived from Москва, the spelling of Moscow in cyrillic script) while the Nationalists nicknamed it the "Rata" (Rat). The I-16 Type 5 did however show some issues including limited cockpit visibility, unreliable armament and a tendency to suffer structural damage when flying at high speeds. While some of this issues were ironed out later on, the I-16 would remain a rather challenging aircraft to fly due to its relatively high take-off and landing speed and its subpar stability, making the aircraft quite prone to stalls and flat spins.

By 1937 the Condor Legion started to deploy the first models of Jumo powered Bf 109's as well as the first variants of high-performance levels bombers including the Ju-86, He-111 and the Do-17. The early Jumo powered 109's and the I-16 Type 5 were well matched, with the Bf 109 B having a slight advantage in top speed, high altitude performance and dive performance, while the I-16 boasted superior maneuvrability, power to weight ratio and climb-rate up to medium attitudes. Both aircraft had comparable armament which generally consisted of two rifle caliber machineguns, although both types sometimes sport a third machinegun. Although superseded by the I-16 Type 10 by 1938 some models of the Type 5 variation would stay in operational service until the end of the Spanish Civil War and would remain operational service by the Spanish Air Force up to 1953.

The I-16 Type 5 also played a crucial role during the initial stages of both the battle of Khalkhin Gol and the Winter War, by the time the aircraft had started to show its age and were generally considered inferior to the Ki-27 fielded by the IJAAF in the former conflict and, while its performance was more evenly matched with that of the Fokker DXXI and superior to most othe types fielded by the Finnish Air Force, the attrition rates in the later engagement were still high. In both conflicts, the Type 5 was later complemented or partially replaced with the later Type 10 and Type 17 (as well as a few Type 18's during the Winter War) which would prove to be more effective against the opposing aircraft. The Type 5 was still in service with the VVS at the start of the Great Patriotic War in the Summer of 1941, with many of them being captured or destroyed during the opening weeks of Operation Barbarossa. Most Type 5's that survived the initial onslaught were quickly withdrawn in favour of newer models of fighter aircraft like the Yak-1 and LaGG-3 as well as later and more powerful variants of the I-16.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [http://www.airpages.ru/eng/ru/i16_5.shtml Aviation of WWII: I-16 type 5]

{{AirManufacturer Polikarpov}}
{{USSR fighters}}

I-16 type 10

2020-04-16T21:30:32Z

U1172832: /* History */ Make a few edits to improve to clear up the wording and other aspects

{{Specs-Card|code=i-16_type10}}
{{About
| about = Russian fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = I-16 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_I-16type10.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Russian fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]].

The I-16 Type 10 is equipped with four ShKAS machine guns chambered with the 7.62 x 54R cartridge, a cyclic rate of fire of 1,800 rpm. Two of them are mounted above the engine cowling and carry 650 RPG while other pair are mounted on the wings and have ammo load out of 900 rounds each. Historically the cowling mounted machine guns were synchronized to propeller spin resulting in a rate of fire of 1,460 rpm, the preliminary analysis seems to suggest that the synchronization gear is not modelled in the game and all four guns fire at 1,800 rpm.

While the increase of the armament by double may seem already quite an upgrade it has to be remembered that the extra pair of light machine guns are fitted in the cowling, which means that convergence range is not quite as important for effective fire when compared to the wing mounted only armament of the [[I-16 type 5|Type 5]]. Of course, it is still not to be neglected, and as with any light machine gun armed vehicle, a relatively close gun convergence range of 150 to 400 meters is generally more effective. As with any other ShKAS machine gun armed aircraft, jamming due to overheat can be a serious threat although not quite as crippling as it is with the Type 5's (losing a machine gun in Type 5 means losing 1/2 of your firepower, losing one in Type 10 mean losing "only" 1/4 of your firepower). Unlike the I-16 Type 5, Type 10 is equipped with a PAK-1 reflector sight making overall aiming at close range easier than with a telescopic sight. It has to be kept in mind that in spite of the increased weight and more powerful armament, the lack of trimmer control and plane's inherent stability make it a rather lousy gun platform compared to latter heavier aircraft.

Unlike the Type 5 that precedes it, Type 10 does have the ability to mount armament on its external pylons. This armament in-game is limited to six wing-mounted RS-82 rockets, unfortunately these rockets had a somewhat lacklustre performance against armour (although they are a still a considerable upgrade compared to just light machine guns) and can be somewhat effective against exposed ground targets and enemy aircraft with the use of good aim and a bit of luck. Still, this armament is overall unreliable and it should only be taken in very specific situations if air combat is expected.

== General info ==
=== Flight Performance ===
''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 3,160 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| 431 || 418 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 17.7 || 18.3 || 15.3 || 15.2 || 210
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 3,160 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| 467 || 459 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 16.2 || 16.7 || 23.6 || 19.9 || 210
|-
|}

====Details====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps
! Take-off flaps
! Landing flaps
! Air brakes
! Arrestor gear
|-
| X || X || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! +
! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|constructions}} || {{Specs|destruction|chassis}} || N/A || ~17 || ~8
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 300 || < 320 || < 320 || > 190
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 2,900 m || 782 hp || N/A
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 6 mm Steel - Plating behind the pilot seat

== Armaments ==
=== Offensive armament ===

{{main|ShKAS (7.62 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, nose-mounted (650 rpg = 1,300 total)
* 2 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, wing-mounted (900 rpg = 1,800 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|RS-82|RBS-82}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 6 x RS-82 rockets
* 6 x RBS-82 rockets

== Usage in battles ==

Like its predecessor the strength of Type 10 depends to some extent on its versatility, being able to outspeed most biplanes and outmanoeuvre most monoplanes it faces. However, because of the plane's higher BR in all game modes the Type 10 will face high-performance monoplanes like the [[Spitfire (Family)|Spitfire Mk I/II]], the [[Bf 109 (Family)|Bf 109 E/F]], the [[C.202]], the [[P-400]] and early [[Yak-1 (Family)|Yak's]] and [[LaGG-3 (Family)|LaGG's]] in mixed battle matchmaking a lot more often than its predecessor. This can be quite problematic since the aircraft's overall performance isn't much better than the Type 5's and is actually inferior in some regards. The Type 10 however somewhat makes up for it due to the increase in firepower which allows it to take much better advantage of split-second firing opportunities since while its four light machine gun armament is generally not enough to kill in a quick burst it can at least hit and damage enemy aircraft a lot more efficiently than just two wing-mounted machine guns.

The defensive and offensive tactics that work best for the I-16 Type 10 are similar to the ones that can be employed in Type 5, mainly the use of scissors and short vertical manoeuvres, the main difference is that the Type 10's lower roll rate makes the use of roll rate alone as an evasive tactic a lot less feasible than with its predecessor while the increased weight may prove decisive while using vertical manoeuvres as a way to avoid light fighters like the [[A5M4]] or the [[Ki-27 otsu|Ki-27]]. The plane is still very far from more modern aircraft like the [[Yak-1]], the [[Ki-44-I|Ki-44]], the Bf 109 E/F and the [[Spitfire Mk Ia|Spitfire Mk I]] in speed and vertical manoeuvrability forcing the Type 10 to stick to the defensive if facing a competent pilot in any of those high speed aircraft. The climbing, speed and diving acceleration receive a timid upgrade when compared to the Type 5 with particularly the former still proving a rather good asset (even much faster aircraft like the Bf 109 F or the Spitfire Mk I aren't that much better at climbing than the Type 10 at low attitudes meaning that even when facing them there's still hope to do so at a similar energy state). The plane has a rather nasty habit of starting to bank side to side and even sometimes turning upside down while trying to pull out too sharply from a high-speed dive, its occurrence can prove deadly at low attitudes.

One area in which Type 10 is a clear upgrade over the Type 5 is the ability to intercept bombers and attackers, while the plane is still very slow and quite fragile and its armament isn't exactly overwhelming it is still quite an improvement over the Type 5 in this task. The ability to mount rockets also helps to increase the aircraft's effectiveness for ground attack and secondarily the possibility of taking down bombers with a good enough aim.

===Manual Engine Control===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil
! Water
! Type
|-
| Controllable || rowspan="2" | Not controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Separate || rowspan="2" | Not controllable 1 gear || rowspan="2" | Not controllable
|-
|}

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="1" | Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! colspan="1" | Survivability
! colspan="2" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 7 mm
|
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
|
| RO-82
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| New 7 mm MGs
|
|-
| IV
| 95 octane fuel usage
| Engine injection
| Cover
|
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Extremely manoeuvrable
* Very small target
* Fantastic roll rate
* Dives in excess of 650 km/h

'''Cons:'''

* Open cockpit
* Vital components clustered together

== History ==

The I-16 Type 10 was the next step in the development of the I-16 series after the Type 5 following the lessons learned by previous combat experience in Spain. Development of the aircraft started in December 1937 with the plane being tested and entering production through the winter, by March 1938 it was already being put into operational service. The main changes when compared to its predecessor are an increase in machine gun armament as well as the ability to mount light ground attack armament, paired with a slight increase in climb rate and speed through the addition of a new M-25V engine (early production models employed the M-25A instead), the addition of flaps, the removal of the closed cockpit and the addition of the PAK-1 reflector sight in place of the OV-1 telescopic sight (note that the later modifications were already seen in late Type 5 production models). Some models were mounted with non-retractable skis in place of the standard retractable landing gear. A total of 934 I-16 Type 10 were built by the time production ended in 1939.

The I-16 Type 10 was first deployed in combat in March 1938 in Spain becoming the backbone of the Spanish Republican Air Force through the remaining half of the conflict. While only a modest upgrade in a lot of performance parameters over earlier I-16's, it was seemingly enough to overcome the previous advantages held by the Condor Legion Bf 109 B causing the replacement of this aircraft by the upgraded Bf 109 C's and Bf 109 D's. Like its predecessor, the Type 10 was capable of facing off on equal terms against the German fighter at low attitudes (up to 3,000 to 4,000 meters), but at higher attitudes the Jumo Powered Bf 109's still held a significant advantage. In an attempt to counter this advantage in late 1938 several I-16 were retrofitted with supercharged Wright Cyclone R-1820-F-54 engines which, used in conjunction with an oxygen pump system for the pilot, allowed for an increase of the plane's practical service ceiling and overall performance at high attitude. The Type 10 would only be completely surpassed by the Bf 109 with the arrival of the Bf 109 E in 1939. After the war, several dozens of I-16's passed into service with the Spanish Air Force until 1953.

The I-16 Type 10 was also one of the most important VVS fighter during the air engagements over Khalkhin Gol and Finland in 1939, in the former conflict the arrival of this model in big numbers, alongside with the arrival of more experienced aircrews, played an important role in allowing the VVS to achieve air superiority in the latter half of the conflict. The I-16 Type 10 was also supplied in big numbers to Chinese Nationalist Air Force where it proved quite effective against the early A5M's and IJN bombers and attackers but fared very badly against the modern and much better performing A6M2 Zero. By the time of German invasion of the Soviet Union and in spite of its obsolescence a lot of I-16 Type 10 remained in service with the VVS (although a lot of them had been converted to Type 18/24 standards), a lot of them were destroyed during the initial phases of the conflict but those that survived were used as fighters and light ground attack aircraft until early 1944.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
* ''other literature.''

{{AirManufacturer Polikarpov}}
{{USSR fighters}}