About the book: 1997 / His silhouette was easily visible on posters depicting the leaders of a powerful state. Flocks of these small airplanes filled children's books; in films of the pre-war era, I-16s performed unimaginable aerobatics. In its appearance and flight characteristics, the I-16 stood out sharply among Soviet and foreign fighters of the early 30s. In fact, it was the first high-speed fighter - a new generation monoplane. The fuselage, unusually cut off at the front, smoothly connected by powerful fairings with wide wings, massive tail surfaces, and retractable landing gear, gave the I-16 the unique appearance of a fantastic big-faced insect. Rear alignment (more than 30%) made the aircraft unstable in flight, which was then considered quite normal and even desirable for increasing maneuverability. Although the achieved result subsequently caused a lot of trouble during the training of pilots, it also played a positive role. Pilots who have mastered the I-16 well. As a rule, they possessed sophisticated piloting techniques and easily mastered other machines. The pilots called him “donkey”, loved him and scolded him, just as they love and scold him a familiar object that brings not only joy, but also grief. When the Great War came, I-16 stood up like a staunch bulldog to defend its home. He died in that war...