pixels & plastics

Polikarpov i16

Silver racing bird -739 | 091 -

The Eindhoven - Darwin intercontinental Air Race

In 1947 Philips a Dutch technology company organized the first Eindhoven - Darwin Intercontinental Air Race to launch & promote their brand new state of the art airplane radio receiver & transmitter "R Unit #378".

An amazing number of 47 teams took part in this 2 week intercontinental air race event. Race-modified World War 2 planes like the De Havilland Mosquito, Heinkel He 219 Uhu, Northrop P-61 Black Widow, Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter and many more types took part in this unique post war air race spectacle.

Soon after the announcement of the Eindhoven - Darwin intercontinental  Air Race half way summer 1946 a team of enthusiastic retired Russian plane engineers immediately started to set up a race team to take part in this trilling event. They choose a Polikarpov i 16 "Rata"as their contender. Due to his light weight structure and powerful engine this was one of the fastest contenders.

1920
Polikarpov i16 02A
Polikarpov i16 04
Polikarpov i16 05

Polikarpov i16 03B
Polikarpov i16 07
Polikarpov i16 08
Polikarpov i16 09
1920

Shake & Bake

This 1/32 scale  Revell re-boxed ICM kit is what's called a "Shake & Bake" so very easy to assemble. I only added some aftermarket seat belts and a metal pitot tube from the spare-box. The super thin & sharp printed decals are from Gofer Racing. The metals are done using Xtreme Metal from AK-Interactive, a Tamiya Smoke postshade was applied and the complete metal surface was finished with AK-Interactive PanellinersBlack race-numbers are dry transfers from Mecanorma.

Polikarpov i16 14A
Polikarpov i16 10
Polikarpov i16 11
Polikarpov i16 13
Polikarpov i16 15
Polikarpov i16 16
Polikarpov i16 17

© 2018 by Marcel du Long