I-153 / I-15ter Chaika (Sea Gull), N.N.Polikarpov

60k B/W, bombed up for close support mission, photo TASS from 'Ground attack' by Christopher Chant;

After the Spanish civil war, the USSR wrongly concluded that there would be a role in the future for a maneuverable biplane fighter. The I-153 was a refinement of the earlier I-15 and I-152 with retractable landing gear; the gull-wing of the I-15 was employed.

(B/W 43k or 240k) A N.N.Polikarpov I-153 pilot prepares for his next mission at an airfield typical of those on the open steppes of Mongolia in the summer of 1939. Camouflage net casts less of a telltale shadow than solid cover. The GAZ track with Husks starter was used to start the airplane's engine.
(From the article "Soviet fighter on three fronts", Aviation History, July 1995)

In first line service until 1943! As almost all Soviet fighters, was used for ground attack in the early days of the war.

Some were fitted for reward-firing RS-82/ RS-132 to keep German fighters away.

3437 built.

• I-153 'Chaika'
• I-153, Polikarpov
• I-15ter, Polikarpov
• I-153 model page by Dariusz Tyminski
• DOO Flightsimulator page by Oleg Devjatkin;
• I-153 memorial at Sukhoj AVPK (Cyrillic)

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Modifications/Developments :
• I-190 - abandoned version with pressure cabin;