'Rata' Replicas

摘要

Polikarpov's stubby little fighter has attracted the attention of various model kit manufacturers. Produced in scales from 1/144 up to 1/32, there is a reasonable amount of choice. The most recent offering in the latter size is from ICM, as the Ukrainian firm began releasing well-detailed products in 2017 and continues to do so. The company's mouldings portray the I-16 Type 24, 28 and 29, and some of these have already been re-boxed by Revell and Hasegawa. While the real aircraft was relatively spartan, ICM's kits faithfully reproduce all the features to ensure a splendid model. Azur also released a 1/32 I-16 in 2004, and it was subsequently re-packaged by Special Hobby... although it should only be considered by experienced modellers due to the challenging fit.