I-153 M-62

I-153 M-62

I-15bis

LaGG-3-8

I-153 M-62

I-15bis

LaGG-3-8

USSR

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.0	2.3	2.0

Class:

Fighter

Research:2 000

Purchase:2 100

This page is about the Russian fighter I-153 M-62. For other uses, see I-15 (Family).

Description

The I-153 M-62 Chaika is a rank I Russian biplane with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB/SB) and 2.3 (RB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

General info

Flight Performance

The I-153 M-62 Chaika possesses a good turn radius, good climb rate and good acceleration at low altitudes. To fly this plane, you should climb to medium altitudes after taking off (2,000 - 3,000 meters) then accelerate to prepare for hot pursuit against enemy fighters and bombers.

To get an enemy plane off your tail, it is best to simply do a turn and you won't get hit as the manoeuvrability of the plane is incredible. The plane's massive flaws are its low top speed and the incredible engine overheating.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 4,850 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
425	410	10700	13.8	14.4	11.4	11.4	274
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 4,850 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
465	444	10700	13.0	13.3	20.1	15.2	274

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	X	X	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		N/A	~13	~6

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 180	< 240	< 380	> 250

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,530 m	840 hp	1,023 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
4,200 m	800 hp	975 hp

Survivability and armour

The Chaika is a biplane, so don't expect much in the way of survivability. It can withstand a few shots from 7 mm MGs, but guns like the American .50 cal will shred it to pieces, and cannons will decimate it. However, it can be flown (to some extent) with parts of the wings missing, which can be helpful with getting back to the base. Your greatest 'protection' is your maneuverability, so use it when you can!

Armaments

Offensive armament

The I-153 M-62 is armed with:

• 4 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, nose-mounted (700 rpg + 720 rpg + 520 rpg + 500 rpg clockwise from the top-left = 2,470 total)

Suspended armament

The I-153 M-62 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs (200 kg total)
• 8 x 82 mm RS-82 rockets
• 8 x 82 mm RBS-82 rockets

Usage in battles

The "Chaika" performs very well compared to other aircraft of a similar battle rating, such as the P-26A-34 M2. The Stealth belts of the ShKAS machine guns are devastating so try to research this first then go for survivability followed by suspended armament last. Typically as you won't have time to use these most of the time as you will be too busy blasting enemy planes out of the sky.

Due to the plane's excellent manoeuvrability, carrying rockets is not a bad idea for those reasons. The advantage of carrying rockets is that any expert pilot can cause heavy damage to the enemy team with them since most players at rank 1 are inexperienced. The power of the rockets is feeble for ground purposes and will only damage a medium tank or pillbox even with a direct hit, so go for soft skinned vehicles such as self-propelled AAA or flak guns. The rockets can be used to destroy enemy bombers, especially large ones such as the F.222.2, N.C.223.3 or PBY-5. However, the rockets are inaccurate, and thus require close-combat engagements and multiple salvos in order to have more chance to hit the target.

Simulator:

The I-153 can be used in turnfighting, bomber intercepting and ground pounding. Like in AB and RB, it is excellent in turning tightly and continuously, and it has lovely low-speed handling and low stall speeds (unlike its successor I-16), making it a great starter plane for sim. However it does have its drawbacks: the rather big nose blocks the visibility a lot, offering very poor over-the-nose visibility which is a disadvantage in a turn fight, because when leading a shot the enemy will always get obstructed by the engine, making the player guess the shot. Also its upper wings will get in the way when you look aside.

Note: it is recommended to set the convergence within 300m, with vertical convergence on, because the majority of turnfights happen at that range or closer.

Before engaging a fight, it is better to have an altitude advantage first. When approaching the fight try to figure out which is your teammate and which is the enemy, to avoid going for a second pass, as the energy retention of the I-153 is rather slow. Also pick your target carefully. For easier aiming, you want to go for those unmaneuverble twin engine aircraft like Ju 88 or Ki-45, or bombers if there are any. Given the bad forward visibility of the I-153, these are the best options as they are quite slow and sluggish, and are a bigger target to hit. However getting hits on them doesn't mean good damage, so you must be patient. When dealing with fighters, it is way harder to aim. The elevator control of the I-153 is extremely sensitive, giving it good maneuverbility, but at the same time, bad handling. The I-153 will respond in a very fast turn upon moving your stick / mouse by a little bit, which makes tracking nimble planes quite hard. But once you get used to it, try to lure every enemy into a turnfight, as that is where the I-153 shines. Quite a bit of bullets are required to effectively damage the enemy so you must be patient. If you find an enemy at your 6, utilise your great roll rate to do defensive maneuvers like scissors to make them overshoot. Or you can simply do tight turns, most monoplanes won't be able to cut inside your turn and they might disengage.

If you are not very experienced in sim, you can also go for even bigger targets (bombers) for easier aiming. However you want to be more careful when hunting bombers, since with the Sim control (whether it be mouse joystick or a real stick) the plane will manoeuvre much more gently, making itself a great target for the bomber's gunners. DO NOT follow behind a bomber's 6 unless you are sure that its tail gunners are unconscious. Chasing behind a bomber makes yourself stationary for the tail gunners, and you will be showered with bullets. Your big radial engine will usually get damaged. Instead, before attacking, get an altitude advantage over the bomber by flying around 2 km above it. The bomber should only fill up about 1/6 of your gunsight. The best position for an attack is at the bomber's high 6 so you can adjust the lead much easier. Dive at the bomber, but not directly at it, try to predict where you two will crash by imagining yourself as a missile, that's where you should aim at (deflection shooting). To maximise the damage it is better to aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up quite some bullets. Only fire when the bomber passes in front of your guns. This short window might seem inadequate to do anything, but with a accurate burst on the engine the 4 MG can at least damage it. With an engine damaged most bombers cannot go far.

Ground pounding ability is average as there is only light bombs and rockets. The 8 rockets, with accurate aiming, can destroy 4 targets, whether them be tanks or pillboxes. The small 50kg bombs can be used on light pillboxes. Once the suspended armaments are gone, the 4 MG are good for killing soft targets like trucks, artillery and AA cars.

Enemies worth noting:

Ki-27, N1K1, He 51, Gladiator, etc;

Those commonly seen planes are equally good at turnfights and will be a hard target to down since they are very small and agile. To deal with them you need to practice leading and deflection shots, plus maneuvers like barrel rolls and scissors. They still need plenty of bullets to get damaged, so these kind of targets are the hardest to kill and requires great skills from the player.

Do 17 Z:

This early twin engine plane always shows up as an AI controlled recon aircraft that you have to down, which is a good news as AI won't maneuver aggressively. However this plane is extremely durable for the I-153's weak MGs. When it shows up as an AI, deflection shots are not recommended as the small shooting windows really does nothing. Instead, try disabling its 2 gunners first, then just sit behind it and burst on its wings and engines. When attacking the gunners try to not get your engine damaged by pulling evasive maneuvers as soon as the bullets come close, since the Do 17 can outrun the I-153 in a level flight.

He 111 H-6:

This bomber is not only quite durable, but also pretty fast. In level flight it can outrun the I-153 rather easily. Avoid being on its 6 as it will have at least 2x 7.92mm MG facing its tail, and their rapid firerate and good penetration is a big threat. Either go for a head-on or use deflection shooting and aim for its engines. If you cannot keep up with it, disengage. If it flies way higher than you, change your target.

Sunderland:

This flying boat is like a low-tier Be-6. Its huge fuselage is very spacious and can absorb lots of bullets and shells. It also has lethal defensive firepower: two 7.7mm in the nose, four forward-facing, two on the top and four at the tail, so attacking from behind, in front or above aren't the best options. Dive under it and suddenly pull up to shoot its defenseless underpart. Aim at the large wings and engines, avoid shooting the fuselage. 

He 100, Bf 109 E / F, A6M2:

These planes might not be able to out-turn the I-153, but they can easily outrun it as the I-153 is slower. These fighters will usually BnZ you, so you must constantly look above and behind you. If they are diving on you, do what you do in realistic: use your roll rate and dodge under their negative G areas. Most players will try to follow up, if not immediately losing track of you. Several dodges might make them impatient and if they really start to turn with you, they are already dead.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 7 mm	DZ-40
II		Compressor	Airframe		RO-82
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 7 mm MGs
IV		Engine injection	Cover

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fast climb rate
• Excellent manoeuvrability (Will out-turn any enemy aircraft it encounters)
• Extremely difficult to target while it is making manoeuvres
• The above point can make it hard to use boom and zoom tactics against this plane (if you see it coming)
• Great at destroying bombers with a hail of rockets and machine-gun fire
• Option to be equipped with rockets that can pierce up to 60mm of armour (Can destroy most enemy tanks in ground RB at the rank)
• Very low stall speed
• 4 x rapid firing ShKAS machine guns
• Deadly with tracer belts
• The ability to retract landing gear reduces parasitic drag, improving your energy retention

Cons:

• Low speed compared to monoplanes
• Frail airframe, can be destroyed or crippled with a few well placed hits
• Loses a lot of performance if the engine is hit
• A single machine gun round to the engine is capable of knocking it out
• ShKAS machine guns prone to overheating
• Defensive armaments of bombers can easily wreck this aircraft's engine
• Vulnerable to boom and zoom, especially when climbing
• Not suited to head on attacks

History

The I-153 Chaika (aka I-15ter) is the last biplane made by Polikarpov. Created in 1939, due to misleading results of Aerial Warfare in the 1937 Spanish Civil War, a meeting chaired by Stalin concluded that the Fiat CR.32 biplane was superior to the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane. A technologically superior Bf 109 that had been introduced was ignored, and instead, work on the new I-153 biplane was officially approved on 11 October 1937.

The fuselage and wings of the I-153 were similar to those of the I-15 and I-152, with a steel tube framework, covered by metal at the front of the fuselage and fabric elsewhere. The manually operated retractable undercarriage rotated through 90 degrees before folding back into the fuselage. The first prototype was powered by a 750 hp M-25V engine. Its maiden flight is variously reported as having taken place in May or August 1938, with A. I. Zhukov at the controls. Tests that began on 27 September are variously described as state acceptance or factory trials. These tests weren't entirely satisfactory and production was delayed while some of the problems were solved. This plane is equipped The 800 hp M-62 was used in the largest number of aircraft, produced around 3,018 in total. The standard I-153 was armed with four ShKAS machine guns. These replaced the PV-1 guns used on the I-15 and I-152 and had a much higher rate of fire (1,800 compared to 750 rounds per minute) as well as being much lighter. The four underwing bomb racks could also carry up to 441 lb of bombs. The I-153 entered Red Air Force service in October 1938 and was soon thrust into combat in the Far East, where the Soviet Union was engaged in an unofficial war against Japan in Mongolia. The I-153 had a successful combat debut. Thirteen aircraft had been allocated to the 22nd IAP, and on 7 July 1939 nine were sent into combat with their wheels down. As had been hoped this convinced the pilots of a flight of Japanese Nakajima Ki-27 monoplanes that they were facing the I-15. Just before they entered combat the Soviet pilots raised their undercarriages and turned into combat. Four Japanese aircraft were claimed, although only two losses were acknowledged by the Japanese. Ninety-three I-153s were provided to China (a tiny proportion of the overall Soviet contribution to the war effort against Japan in 1937-1941).

The I-153 saw combat during the Winter War against Finland (1939-1940), probably suffering heavy losses against the small Finnish air force.

On 22 June 1941, the I-153 made up one-third of the Soviet fighter forces in the western parts of the Soviet Union, accounting for around 1,500 of the 4,226 fighters available at the start of the German invasion. A vast number of aircraft were destroyed in the first few days of the fighting, but enough I-153s survived for them to play a major part in the early part of the fighting, and they were responsible for most of the 800 German aircraft claimed between 22 June and 5 July. The I-153 remained in use as a front line fighter until early in 1942, but by then very few aircraft were still intact, having been lost in the air, on the ground and while acting as ground attack aircraft. The surviving aircraft remained in use in secondary roles into 1943, although they were also used as ground attack aircraft. By the middle of 1943, the Red Air Force only had 36 I-153s on its strength. A few remained in service in the Far East as late as 1945.

In-game description

"The I-153P Chaika (Seagull) was a Soviet biplane fighter of the 1930s and 1940s. It was created by the Polikarpov Design Bureau in 1938. It is a modification (3rd variant) of the earlier I-15 fighter, as shown in the designation. The Chaika was considered to be the fastest biplane in the world. However, at the start of hostilities between the Soviet Union and Germany, the I-153 could not compete on equal terms with the German Messerschmitt Bf-109 and therefore was mainly used in ground attack roles.

For many years, Soviet pilots considered the I-16 to be the most dangerous aircraft in a spin. Therefore, when flight testing the I-153 with the M-25 engine in March and April of 1939, the VVS Command paid special attention to its spin characteristics. Initially, the matter remained unresolved. However, in the summer of 1939, when the new aircraft saw action against the Japanese in Mongolia, NII VVS returned to this crucial point. Test results were disappointing. By the third full rotation the I-153 would go into a flat spin; the engine would cease by the fifth formation, after which spin recovery would become extremely difficult. Lowering the landing gear in order to shift the center [sic] of gravity did not help. The Chaika still took a significant amount of time to recover."

Media

The Shooting Range #162 - Pages of History section at 04:44 discusses the I-153.

See also

• [Vehicle Profile] Polikarpov I-153

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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