Author Topic: What a tiny little thing ... (Read 248 times)

leonid · « **on:** November 02, 1999, 06:13:00 AM »

Is this thing small or what?! I can only imagine what it would be like trying to ping this thing in a 109 or 190, the thing dodging and turning and all.

Just read that the I-16's Russian nickname of Ishak, or 'donkey', is due to its designation: I-Sh. Sh is the abbreviation for shestnatsat, or 'sixteen'. Hence, I-Sh -> Ishak

Oh, and also read it was the Germans who first called the I-16 Rata, during the Spanish Civil War.

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129 IAP VVS RKKA

Lephturn · « **Reply #1 on:** November 03, 1999, 02:03:00 PM »

That is an IL-16.

That picture was taken at the New Zealand Fighter Pilots museum in Wanaka, NZ. I know this because I was there not long ago on holiday and stumbled into this. I believe these are re-productions done from the original specs at the plant. I will look for the flyer I brought home from the museum for more details and post them here.

I think they have 7 or 8 of these thing. In addition, they have the only Ki-43 Oscar in flyable condition in the world. Hmm, I'll have to dig out and scan some pics for you guys.

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Lephturn
The Flying Pigs

gatt · « **Reply #2 on:** November 03, 1999, 03:03:00 PM »

Lephturn,

I have been there three years ago. Is still there that beautiful P51-D "Miss Torque"? I had a 30min ride with her ... immelmann, split-ess, barrel-roll, tonneau, looping, stall ... all the things a man could desire ...

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Gatt
4°Stormo CT

"In the afternoon we again did this (strafing) and what I have dreamt of happened .... A single CR42 biplane took off and climbed up to engage me. We had a dogfight below the clouds and immediately over the aerodrome. It lasted a long time, about ten minutes. He was very good and much above the average italian. We believe he was a famous italian ace who had a crack squadron of CR42's. I'm very glad to say that he managed to bail out successfully when I finally finished him off."
P/O Talbot
274 Hurricane Sqdn

Lephturn · « **Reply #3 on:** November 04, 1999, 07:13:00 AM »

Yep, Miss Torque is still there, and you can still get a ride in her. I didn't have the big dollars required at the time, so no ride for me. :-(

They have a ton of planes there though, and it was a really nice surprise to find all these great WWII birds in this little town where I was staying while skiing at Cardrona.

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Lephturn
The Flying Pigs

gatt · « **Reply #4 on:** November 04, 1999, 08:02:00 AM »

Yep, it has been a great surprise to find such a nice warbirds museum at Wanaka.

And yes, I left there all my dollars. Actually I had to end my holidays very early ....

Here she is:

When the instructor showed me how to bail out (just in case) I begun to sweat even if it was a cold and windy winter morning ....

Regards,
Gatt

[This message has been edited by gatt (edited 11-04-1999).]