Reviewer: Pablo Bauleo
IPMS: # 46363
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Title: Polikarpov I-15, I-16 and I-153 Aces
Volume 95 of Aircraft of the Aces
Author Mikhail Maslov
ISBN 1846039819, 9781846039812
96 Pages, 38 color profiles
MSRP: $22.95
Review
The Polikarpov I-15/16/153 family was becoming outdated and outclassed by the time of Operation Barbarrosa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, but still it was one of the main models in service with the Soviet Air Force. It saw ample service in all sectors of the front until more modern airplanes became available.
Designed in the early thirties, the airplane series was the first fighter mass produced with a total of over 17000 being built. The series saw extensive service in different conflict during the mid-late thirties, in the Spanish Civil War, in China fighting the Japanese, in the Khalkhin Gol conflict between the Soviet Union and Japan, in the Winter War with Finland and finally against Germany. Soviet pilots were involved in all the above conflicts, either as volunteer pilots or as part of the VVS involvement in the latter conflicts. Several of them 'made ace' during those conflicts prior to the "Great Patriotic War".
By the time of the German invasion to the Soviet Union, the VVS had a core of highly trained pilots that had ample experience combat. Several of them were still flying I-16s and despite the odds and of being outnumbered and outclassed by the Luftwaffe, they were able to shot down German airplanes and a few of them even 'made ace' against the Luftwaffe.
The book narrative is easy to follow and has the proper balance between first hand accounts from the pilots and the historical background of the different conflicts that the airplanes were part of.
The book is also profusely illustrated with black and white pictures and it has 38 color profiles of the different airplanes in the series covered in the book.
This book has the proper length to serve as a 'primer' both on the airplanes and the pilots that flew them in different conflicts from Spain to China and the the Baltic to the Russian Steppes.
Recommended to aviation aficionados and modelers that want to learn about the pilots that flew the next airplane model you are thinking of building.
I want to thank Osprey Publishing for the review sample.
