Scale Aviation Modeller International 08.2018

I-153 “Chaika”

First look at ICM 1/32 I-153 “Chaika”

T

he I-153 was a biplane

fighter developed following

the experiences of

operations by pilots flying the

Polikarpov I-16. This showed

that the monoplane Polikarpov

was outclassed by the more

manoeuvrable Fiat C.32 biplane.

The I-153 Seagull was developed to

combine the power of the I-16 with

the manoeuvrability of a biplane

design and became the last Biplane

fighter to enter frontline service.

ICM is on a bit of a roll in

producing high quality state of the

art biplanes as less than a month

ago we received a Bucker BU-131

Jungmann and this was very

impressive and now we have the

I-153. ICM has already produced

a very nice 1/48 scale kit, but this

new 1/32 scale eclipses its smaller

brother in nearly every area.

The cockpit is made up of from

four framework pieces to which you

add all the various levers, switch

panels, oxygen bottles and a flare

gun. With careful painting and

the addition of some aftermarket

seatbelts this will build into a very

impressive cockpit which will be

easily seen on the completed model.

The engine is equally well

detailed though most of it will be

totally invisible on the completed

model. All of the exhausts feature

small recesses that can be deepened

with some careful work with small

drills and some needle files. There

are eight different shaped exhausts

that need to line up precisely with

the holes in the cowlings. ICM

have come up with a simple way

of making this possible you start

by attaching the only exhaust that

connects to two cylinders. Once

this is firmly attached in place

you are supplied with a circular

template (ICM call it a conductor)

which fits onto the pre-positioned

pipe. The template has cut outs

around its circumference that

enable you to accurately position

all the pipes. Once they are in

place the template can be carefully

removed and discarded. This

should make assembling the

complicated exhaust system very

simple. The rest of the assembly

should be quite simple thanks

to the beautifully moulded gull

wings and the large single support

strut. Even the rigging is very

basic with just four flying wires,

though one of these is so thick it

is more like a rod than a wire.

For the underwing armament

you have a choice of four bombs

or eight rockets, the latter

looking quite odd on a biplane.

Markings are supplied

for four aircraft:

• Polikarpov I-153, Red 28, 15th
  IAP (fighter regiment) Lithuania,
  June 1941, Overall silver finish.


• Polikarpov I-153,Red 26, 70th
  IAP, Khalhin-Gol, August 1939,
  overall silver with a squiggle
  camouflage in dark green.


• Polikarpov I-153, Red 6, 72d SAP

(Mixed Regiment)

North Sea Fleet,

Vaenga,1941. Dark

Green over Blue

camouflage with a

white tail and rudder.

• Polikarpov I-153,
  White 102, Major
  P.I Biskup, 71st
  IAP, Baltic Fleet,
  Lavansaari, Summer
  1942. This aircraft
  has a black and
  green over blue
  camouflage and
  is fitted with the
  rocket armament.

CONCLUSION

Out of the box and with minimal

skill most modellers will be able

to produce a good representation

of the last biplane fighter and if

you go to town by adding some

wiring to the cockpit and engine

and some weathering and a nice

base to display it on you could

have a real show winner.

A full build will feature in a

future issue and we thank ICM for

supplying us with the review sample.

40 • AUGUST 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL

FIRST LOOK!

040-45-FirstLooks-0818.indd 40 12/07/2018 11:42