[Randy Larsen]

Welcome Troops, Veterans, Families, and Allies!
Music posted for your enjoyment. Thank you for serving our country.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO!

**The Staple Singers ~ I'll Take You There**

Parents, You Are Responsible!

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[alfa6]

Greetings again Canteeners, time for the Saturday Sortie. The other half of this weekends airplane duo is the Polikarpov I-16. The I-16 is the logical follow on to the I-15 biplane we looked at last night. The I-16 was in fact the first cantilevered monoplane fighter with retractable gear.

The I-16 used extensively by the Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War where it dominated the bi-planes of the Nationalist forces. The Republicans forces called the I-16 Mosca or fly, while the Nationalsit refered to it as the Ratta or Rat. the I-16 pett much ruled the skies over Spain until the introduction of the Bf109.

The Polikarpov !-16 accounted for almost two-thirds of the Red Air Force inventory of fighter at the time of the Nazi Invasion. While inferior to the German Messerschmits and Focke-Wulf fighters in overall performance, in the hands of a skilled pilot the Mosca could be a formidable advisary.

As with last nights planes these flying I-16s are thew results of New Zealand's Sir Tim Wallis efforts in the 1990s. So on with the pics.

Of course the head on pic.

A stunnig shot of the I-16's planform in this picture.

A low pass shows off the stubby lines of the Mosca

This I-16 is owned by the Federación Infante de Orleans' IIRC. Translation anyone?

A Ratta taking off with a Seagull in trail.

And we close out tonite's Sortie with this pic of an I-16 being serviced priot to flight. Would not take to much imagination to see this as an airfield in 1941, eh?

Well that's it folks. I am off for 12 hours of frivolity and fun. Hope everynbody has a great week out there and we will see you next weekend.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}