Polikarpov I-153

The Polikarpov I-153 Chaika was a late 1930s Soviet sesquiplane fighter developed from the I-15 by adding a retractable undercarriage. The first prototype made its maiden flight in August 1938 with a 750 hp M-25V engine because the intended Shvetsov M-62 radial was not yet ready, and although it failed factory testing the aircraft entered production at once, alongside development, switching to the M-62 during 1939. By the end of production in 1941 a total of 3,437 I-153s had been built. The type fought in the Soviet-Japanese combats in Mongolia and was one of the major Soviet fighter types in the early years of the Second World War, and three examples are still in flying condition.