Quote:
Originally Posted by Panzergranate
The I-153 couldn't have been totally obstelete in WW2 as the Fins used them against the Soviets with some success.
It should be noted that the I-153 could be out-turned by the Finnish B-239 Buffalo (or "Sky Pearl" as the Fins called it) easily and could be matched in turns by the Fokker D-21. Voth of these were monoplanes.
The D-21 was 3 MPH slower than the I-153 at 285 MPH and made up the bulk of the Finnish fighter force.
The I-153 still holds the airspeed record for a bi-plane at 288 MPH to this day.
However, the later I-153's 1,000 HP was well short of the 1,200 HP of the Finnish B-239 and P-36 fighters it faced. And definately well short of the power outputs of Luftwaffe fighters and bombers.
Standard I-153 engine was a licence built copy of the US Wright Whirlwind and made 950 HP
The Finnish licence built Fokker D-21 made 836 HP with the Centaurus engine and only 750 HP with the later Wasp Junior engine.
The I-153 was close to obstelete when it appeared in 1938 and it was obselete by 1941.
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The I-153, like it's I-16 counterpart used the R-1820 Wright Cyclone (Soviet designated M62); not the Wright Whirlwind. The Brewster Buffalo, also used the Wright Cyclone in the early models, which were the same models as what the Finn's used as their "Buffalos". Some changes were made, but that's what they were sent. So I don't see how the Finnish Buffalo's could out maneuver the I-153 biplane with the same engine?
The Fokker planes, I'm not all that familiar with, so I can't say about that. But the I-153 Chaika used the Wright R-1820 Cyclone, not the Whirlwind.
Also, quick little side note. I-16s were used all the way till 1945, in limited numbers. And also, the Russian/Finn "Winter War" was nothing but two nations with already obsolete planes fighting one another. That is, until Yaks came along.
