Kit: No. A046
Scale: 1/32
Manufacturer: Azur, available from
Squadron Mail Order, 972-242-8663,
www.squadron.com
Price: $40
Comments: Multimedia, 70 parts
(53 injection-molded, 13 resin, 4 photoetched
metal), decals
Pros: Accurate representation, easy to
build, good decals
Cons: No engine, minor fit problems

The Polikarpov I-16 was the primary
Soviet fighter from the 1930s through
the start of World War II. More than
10,000 of these stubby little fighters were
built. The I-16 also fought in the Spanish
Civil War, the Russo-Finnish War, and the
Sino-Japanese War.

Azur’s I-16 is the first injectionmolded
plastic 1/32 scale kit of this
aircraft. It is molded in flash-free neutral
gray styrene. For a short-run production
kit, the surface molding is quite good.
Included are resin parts for the engine
exhaust and gun sight. Photoetched parts
are supplied for the seat harness.

The cockpit is pretty simple, with just a
floor, seat (and cushion), control stick, rear
bulkhead, and instrument panel. Some
sidewall detail is molded on the inside of
the fuselage halves. I glued the cockpit
module and instrument panel to the right
fuselage half before gluing the fuselage
halves together.

The lower center section of the wing
didn’t quite fit the fuselage. Making it fit
well at the front compromised the fit at
the back and vice versa. With patience I
achieved halfway-decent fit.

The real I-16’s cowling has movable
cooling intake louvers on the front. Azur
has molded them closed, but since there is
no engine, no problem.

Two propeller spinners are provided,
though only one is correct for this version.
It looks like future kits are planned.

The wing guns are provided as separate
parts and look much too large for 7.62mm
ShKas machine guns.

The one-piece windscreen is well
molded and beautifully clear. It just drops
on the fuselage, so take care in positioning
it. A separate part is provided for the
cockpit access door.

The landing gear is the most complicated
assembly in the kit. It consists of
separate legs, retracting struts, and gearcover
panels. Limited attachment points
meant careful positioning to find the right
alignment.

I painted my I-16 with a combination
of Polly Scale and Tamiya paint. Decals
are provided for three Spanish Civil War
aircraft. I chose to use the one with the
neat “Betty Boop” insignia on the fin.
They were no trouble.

My primary reference was Squadron’s
Polikarpov Fighters in Action Pt. 2. I also
checked Red Star 3 Polikarpov’s I-16
Fighter. from Specialty Press (Midland
Publishing). All the references gave
slightly different dimensions. The completed
model is in the ballpark and looks
like an I-16 when finished. Of course, the
I-16 was a small aircraft, and in 1/32 scale,
it measures a mere 7 1/4″ long with a span
of 11 1/2″.

I built my model in 18 hours. It was an
enjoyable project, and I am happy to have
an I-16 in my 1/32 scale collection. It
requires a little care in assembly, but it can
be a good entry-level project for someone
looking to dive into the “big” scale.

– Jim Zeske