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Polikarpov I-16
Type 10/17 - Great Patriotic War
 

Special Hobby

S u m m a r y
Catalogue Number: SH32001 - Polikarpov I-16 Type 10/17
Scale: 1/32
Contents and Media: 71 parts in grey styrene; 1 part in clear injection moulded styrene; 13 parts in cream-coloured resin; 1 photo-etched fret; markings for three aircraft.
Price: USD$42.96 from Squadron.com
Review Type: FirstLook
Advantages: Important subject; high-quality plastic; crisply engraved surface features; subtle fabric texture; nice options, including skis or wheels; good size; high quality injection moulded canopy; simple parts breakdown and good engineering; encouraging fit.
Disadvantages: No locating pins; some minor scribing required; simplified cockpit floor.
Recommendation: Recommended

 

Reviewed by Brett Green


Special Hobby's 1/32 scale Polikarpov I-16 Type 10/17 is available online from Squadron.com

 

FirstLook

 

The Polikarpov I-16 was the most important Soviet fighter of the Spanish Civil War and the earliest months of the Great Patriotic War. Azur released a 1/32 scale Type 10 Super Mosca in September 2004, and now a Type 10/17 is available under the Special Hobby label

Special Hobby's 1/32 scale Polikarpov I-16 Type 10/17 shares much in common with the earlier Azur release, which comes from the same MPM stable. In fact, we are presented with the entire contents of the Type 10 kit, plus a new sprue with the Type 17 lower wing centre section, skis and alternate armament.

 

 

The new kit contains a total of 71 parts in grey styrene, 1 part in clear injection moulded styrene, 13 parts in cream-coloured resin, a photo-etched fret and decals for three aircraft.

The plastic is smooth and free from any moulding imperfections. The surface features crisp and consistently recessed panel lines with convincingly subtle fabric texture on control surfaces.

The big ejector pins that often plague the inner surfaces of many limited-run kits are rare, and none will interfere with fit or be visible when the kit is assembled.

 

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

The windscreen is supplied as a single clear part is supplied in high-quality, thin injection-moulded plastic.

Resin parts are provided for the separate exhaust stubs and some smaller (indeed, tiny) details for the cockpit.

 

 

A photo-etched fret with a full harness and the gunsight ring and bead is also supplied.

 

 

Kit options include alternate spinners and armament, skis or wheeled undercarriage, and a positionable rudder. The cooling vents in the front of the engine cowling have been moulded closed, which means that Azur did not need to supply an engine.

Markings are supplied for three Soviet machines with nice variety in camouflage. One of these is a winter camouflaged Super Mosca with skis. The decals are in perfect register and the colour looks good.

 

 

The cockpit on the real aircraft did not have a floor as such, but Azur has simplified this area by supplying a full floor in plastic. The only other issue is that the prominent wing root fairing panel on each fuselage side is missing. It will be a simple matter to scribe these lines using reference photos as a guide.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Special Hobby's new 1/32 scale Polikarpov I-16 is a nice kit of a very important Soviet subject that that is reasonably detailed straight from the box and should be simple to build. There are already after-market decals (from Data Designs) and detail sets (from Contact Resine) for modellers who really want to go to town on their Super Mosca.

Recommended.

Thanks to Squadron.com for the review sample.

Review and Images Copyright © 2005 by Brett Green
Page Created 23 December, 2005
Last updated 23 December, 2005

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