Polikarpov
I-16
Nicknames
Introduction
As explained in the
main page until about August 2009 the Polikarpov I-16 was known to me
simply as
Rata.
Only after doing some research upon a
dicussion regarding my videos having
Rata in the title I learned that
Rata was only one of various nicknames.
Soviet military aircraft in WW2 did
not have official names besides an
alphanumeric type designation (even post
war).
And: Up to now I was not aware that
Rata is a Spanish term for rat.
Russian for rat is крыса which transcribes
to Latin as krysa.
In the following I will treat the usage of
these nicknames in various sources.
William Green Fighters of WW2
This book was one of my earliest
type referenc books . Rata is neither found
in the title of the I-16 chapter nor in the
general descripion of the Polikarpov I-16.
Only in conjunction with other nicknames
Rata is mentioned:
" In Spain, the I-16
was dubbed Mosca (Fly) by its pilots and
Rata (Rat) by its opponents. A year
later, when the I-16 appeared in Chinese
skies and on the
Mongolian-Siberian-Manchurian borders, it
was dubbed the Abu (Gadfly) by the
Japanese." [1] page 164.
Revell plastic kit I built in the
early sixties.
Only Polikarpov I-16 on the
box . In
Some Interesting Facts about your
Polikarpov I-16 in the instruction
sheet they say :
" The I-16 first saw combat during
the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and its
extreme manoeuverability earned it the
nickname 'Mosca' or Fly by its pilots or
'Rata' or Rat by its opponents."
I cannot imagine that any of these
minor passages in the book or the kit could
have influenced me to keep the name Rata
aware.
I must have read it in other
magazines or books, which I cannot remember
in the moment.
Alpine Fighter Collection
(AFC) website
In the Navigation bar they use I-16
Ishak and you can read the
following statements regarding nicknames:
" The I-16 was called by many names during
it's career: Yastrebok, 'Young Eagle', in
Russia; Mosca, 'Fly', by the men who flew it
in Spain, and Rata, 'Rat' by those who
opposed it; Abu, 'Gadfly', by the Japanese;
Dienstjäger, 'Duty Fighter', by the Germans;
but it was most fondly and best known as
simply Ishak, 'Little Donkey', as it
shouldered the responsibility of faithfully
protecting it's homeland until the more
advanced LaGG 3s and MiG 3s could be
produced in sufficient numbers to take over.
Only in late 1943 was the now obsolete I-16
finally withdrawn from front line service."
[ L1 ]
Gordon/Dexter:
Polikarpov's I-16 Fighter:
In
chapter 6, The I-16 in Action , the authors
tell us that "Two Mosca escuaddrillas
were created in Spain [in 1936] as part of
Grupo 12 into which all Soviet-built
aircraft had been administatively
collected..." further "On the 15th November
Moscas (Flies), as the
I-16 were known to the Republicans, shot
down two Fiat C.R. 32s."
[2] p. 61
In a caption to a color profile one can
read: " This rather drab tip 5 was based at
Barajas in November 1936. It was propably
aircraft painted like this which earned the
I-16 the nickname Rata ! "
Painting is overall grey, black ring
on front cowling, black stripe on fin ,
black number 7 on fuselage.
[2] p.119
The Enyclopedia of World Aircraft
Uses I-16 in the title and general
description but Mosca used in the
following passage:
" Supply of the Type 5 to the
Spanish Republican air arm began in
October 1936, and this model was followed by
the Type 6 (M-24A) and Type 10 (M-25V) . The
Types 5 and 6 were christened '
Mosca' (fly) and the Type 10 became
the 'Super Mosca'. " [3]
page 753
The Osprey
Enyclopedia of Russian Aircraft
Polikarpov I-16 is always referred to as
"I-16" except in the passage: "Various
popular names, notably Mosca (fly)
also adopted officially by Republican Spain.
Called Rata (rat) by Nationalists
"[4] p. 304
This page will be
updated when I come across
other examples where Rata or other nicknames are
used.
References
|
Books
and
Magazines
|
|
[1] |
Green,
William
: War Planes of
the Second World
War . Fighters
Vol. 3. London:
Macdonald, 1961.Picture |
|
[2]
|
Gordon ,
Yefim and
Keith
Dexter:
Polikarpov's
I-16
Fighter: Its
Forerunners
and Progeny
Red Star
Vol. 3
Hinckley:
Midlands
Pub. ,2002
|
| [3] |
Donald (1998 )
The Enyclopedia of World Aircraft
|
|
[4] |
Gunston (1995)
The Osprey
Enyclopedia of
Russian Aircraft |
|
[ 5] |
Squadron Signal in Action Number 157
"Polikarpov Fighters Pt.1"
Stapfer,Hans-Heiri ISBN 0-89747-343-4
Squadron Signal in Action Number 162
"Polikarpov Fighters Pt.2"
Stapfer,Hans-Heiri ISBN 0-89747-355-8
|
|
Websites
|
| [L1] |
Flugwerk
Mannheim e.V
website |
Title picture: Polikarpov I-16, Red 9
D-ERPN. Landing after display
on 4.July 2009 Coburg Brandensteinsebene ©
cjk |
|
P
All the more suprising that the following
magazines use the name
Rata reporting about the arrival of
the German Polikarpov I-16 !
Flypast 10/2009
Rata`s in Germany
Aeroplane Monthly 10/2009
Germany gets rare Rata
Classic Wings
Rata
flies in Germany
found on
Flugwerk
Mannheim e.V.
website [ L1 ]
Tab:
Medienberichte (media news).
|
