Combat aviation of the USSR: I-15 BIS fighter. Developed in 1935. Single biplane of mixed design with open cockpit and non-retractable chassis. 2408 planes were produced. A crew – 1 person. Armament: machine gun (7.62 mm PV-1). The speed is 379 km / h. The practical ceiling is 9800 m. The flight range is 770 km. Power – 750 hp.
Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow
The Polikarpov I-15 (Russian: И-15) was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed Chaika (Russian: Чайка, “Seagull”) because of its gulled upper wings, it was operated in large numbers by the Soviet Air Force, and together with the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane, was one of the standard fighters of the Spanish Republicans during the Spanish Civil War, where it was called Chato (snub-nose).
The design for the 14th fighter for the VVS, the I-14, started as an advanced (for the era) monoplane under the direction of Andrei Tupolev. He grew concerned that the design would not mature, and ordered two backup biplane designs as the I-14A and B just to be safe. Polikarpov had just been released from prison in August 1932, and was handed the I-14A project. When both the I-14 and I-14A were ordered into production, Polikarpov’s design, a development of the I-5 fighter became the famous I-15.
