Hello everybody:
I want to show you this model,it is Hobbycraft Polikarpov I-16 in 1/48 converted to a Type 5 model.
History After an agreement between spanish republican and soviet governments,a batch of 31 Polikarpov I-16 Type 5 were sent to Spain.They arrived to Cartagena port during 25 and 26 of October 1936.?Black 7? should have been one of these aircrafts,probably a machine previously in service with the VVS.Once in Spain,was assembled and the red stars were covered with the typical republican red bands.They were called ?Mosca? (fly) because in the sides of the boxes in which they were crated the word ?Mockba? (Moscow) was stamped,both were very similar words.
Polikarpov I-16 ?black 7? is placed at Barajas airfield,Spain,November 1936.It?s painted in the standard VVS scheme of the time for the I-16:AEh-9 light grey with AEh-11 black cowling and white spinner.
I must say that the Spanish aircraft historian Juan Arraez Cerd? (author and co-author of several aviation related books) affirms that this I-16 ?black 7? is NOT a republican plane,it?s just a retouched photograph of a VVS I-16 for propaganda purposes.
The model The Hobbycraft I-16 kit is a mix of several Types in just one kit,as far as I remember a Type 24 can be made out of the box,but part of the wing rib detail from the wing upper side should be erased to have an accurate model.The cockpit interior lacks detail and is completely wrong,among many other issues.
There?s no plastic kit of the Type 5 in 1/48,so the Hobbycraft kit is a good field to practice a conversion...with a lot of work involved.
My sources of information were:
-The excellent Armada book "Istrebitel I-16" by Mikhail Maslov
-?Inside Story 41:Polikarpov I-16 Mushka?
SCALE AIRCRAFT MODELLING,Volume 20,Number 8 October 1998
-MODEL AIRCRAFT,Volume 1,Issue 7;SAM Publications
-"Polikarpov Fighters in action Pt.2" Aircraft Number 162,Squadron/Signal Publications
-"Modeling the Aircraft of the Soviet VVS" site
-Walkarounds and photos found in the Internet.
The cockpit interior was made from scratch,with parts from other kits,plastic and wire.The seat belts are Eduard prepainted PE.
The wing ribs were redone with plastic,several layers of diluted putty (with wet sanding in between) were applied to achieve a fabric effect.I made the cockpit rails and small windows in front of the cockpit opening.The exhaust outlets on the underside were filled up and four new triangular outlets were made;the ones on both cowling sides were reshaped and pipes were added.The wheel wells were deepened and detailed.The front cowling is a left over from an Eduard kit with an aluminium foil strip around it.
The landing gear doors were thinned and reinforcing ribs were added.Several details as the cockpit door and venturi tube were made from scratch.
Finally,this is my interpretation of "black 7" as a republican aircraft.
I used Humbrol paints and mixes of Tamiya acrilycs for the exterior colours.The number is made of strips of black decal.I used very diluted acrilyc colours to simulate a fluid leak on the underside (behind the engine) and pastel chalk for dirt in several panel lines,flying surfaces joints and landing gear legs and doors.The paint chipping was achieved using silver paint.
Hope you like it,any comments or critics are welcome.Thanks? a lot for looking,best regards:
Martin