iModeler Review: Clear Prop 1/48 Polikarpov I-16 Type 5

Polikarpov I-16 was the world's first low-wing cantilever monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear to attain operational status and as such, introduced a new vogue in fighter design. This fact alone makes the type to an obvious modeling subject. Yet, most plastic kits of this diminutive fighter are based on I-16 Type 24, a late variant that came to see widespread use during World War II.

Clear Prop from Ukraine have decided to fill the gap by offering us a kit of Polikarpov I-16 Type 5, the initial production version of the I-16, first in 1/72 and now also in 1/48 scale.

What is I-16 Type 5?

In short, Type 5 was the initial mass-produced variant of the I-16.

Compared to the commonly-known later versions of I-16 (Type 10 onwards), early Type 5s featured:

• No cowling guns and a smooth outline of the upper cowling. Type 5 had an armament of only two wing-mounted machine guns.
• Fully enclosed canopy with a forward-sliding hood and a OP-1 tubular gunsight
• Fully fabric-covered wings with 11 ribs, full-span ailerons, no landing flaps
• Different shape of the exhaust openings. On Type 5 these were elongated, teardrop-shaped openings. These were redesigned in later versions because they allowed exhaust fumes into the fuselage and the cockpit.
• A M-25 or M-25A engine. Interestingly, the earliest production machines were produced with American-made Wright Cyclones which turned out to offer much better performance than Soviet-made M-25s.
• V-25 propeller with pitch adjustable on the ground only, turning counterclockwise, with spinner
• "Narrow" main wheels 750x100 mm

The Type 5 also underwent a substantial evolution during its production run. Particularly in 1937, there was something of a mid-life upgrade:

• the wing consoles were strenghtened on their upper surface with a longer metal skinning and the addition of 11 half ribs between the 11 full ribs;
• the new outer consoles could have been refitted to older planes;
• the wheels were enlarged to 750x150 mm instead of the previous narrower 750x100 mm;
• an armoured backrest was introduced
• the enclosed, forward-sliding canopy was replaced by a fixed windshield that offered a better visibility to the pilot (this modification is often unproperly called Type 6); at first, the OP-1 tubular gunsight was preserved;
• later, the OP-1 gunsight was replaced by PAK-1 reflective gunsight;
• some final production Type 5 were equipped with M-25V engine ; they were distinguishable for the small T-shaped inlet for the oil cooler on the low part of their front, and the circular outlet under the cowling.

Type 5s were widely utilized by the Soviet Air Force, they fought against the Japanese in the Nomonhan Incident, against Finland in the Winter War, and in the end also against the Germans in the Great Partiotic War. By then they were often converted to ground attack role with RS-82 rockets and protective metal skinning on the wings, and refitted with M-25V engine, curved windshield, PAK-1 or later gunsight.

Type 5s were also used in Spain, where they were called Moscas by the Republicans and Rata by the Nationalists, and in China, where they fought against the Japanese.

With this background in mind, let's delve into the Clear Prop kit!

In the box

First impression is that of a quality offering. A sturdy box with nice boxart, color instruction booklet, six compact-size sprues of grey plastic and one clear, plus a decal sheet. The main parts have glossy finish to them and moulding quality is very good.

The wing provided in the kit represents the initial type of the wing wing with 11 ribs. Ailerons are separate parts, and everything is looking very convincingly indeed.

Quality of the surface detail is probably best judged from this photo of the lower centerplane. It comprises recessed panel lines, recessed rivet detail where appropriate, subtly raised detachable panels and hatches, bolts/fastener detail, and more. There's much to like here - the detail is refined but lively and should look interesting on the finished model.

The fuselage is a multi-part assembly, with separate upper cowling decking, separate cowling sides and two versions of the front engine cap. Lower wing-to-fuselage joint, a traditional area that needs filler on any I-16 kit, is cleverly positioned behind the wing fillet, which should minimize the work required to smooth it out.

The kit provides both enclosed cockpit hood and a later open windscreen (marked "not to be used" in this boxing).

The upper decking comes in two versions, differing in detail and the type of gunsight to be mounted. Again, this boxing uses only this one, which features mounting for a tubular gunsight. Also note the subtle fabric effect on the elevator parts.

Isn't it just adorable when kit tires come complete with moulded-on inscriptions? I think so! Otherwise, the wheels come split into halves, but that should not present any cleanup problems during assembly, because the tires were bare.

Verdict

This is a lovely kit. The finesse of parts and surface detail is first-class. The quality of moulding an the kit engineering is "mainstream", with one reservation. The parts breakdown is perhaps more complicated than I'd think absolutely necessary on what is a simple (and rather small) airframe. The fuselage, the wings, and the stabilizers are all multi-part assemblies. Read: take care during assembly, but if everything fits together perfectly (which I wasn't able to check in this review) , you will end up with an exquisite rendition of the archetypal monoplane fighter.

Also, the variety of color schemes available for this variant of the I-16 is fantastic. This particular boxing comes with Chinese markings, but I'm sure we'll see many more color variations in the future, including Soviet and Spanish ones. Notably, the decal sheet was not available during this review. I was informed that due to the current situation in Ukraine, there were delays in pretty much everything, including delivery from a decal printer.

14 additional images. Click to enlarge.