The I-16 doesn't have an onboard starter, so you can't restart it mid air. Other float carb aircraft such as the very early Spitefires should be restartable, but may take several tries, if it is modelled the way it was back in the PC game. This gets into a roiling debate about whether or not aircraft engines should be air-startable at all. (Us PC gamers are a bit nuts, you see.)
As for the I-16's handling characteristics, my understanding was that the I-16 line had its center of gravity (CoG) uncomfortably close to its Center of Lift (CoL). When the CoG is forward of the CoL, you're plane will nose down when it stalls, which should naturally get you out of it, but if the CoG is close to the CoL, you will generally stay in about the same attitude, which tends to put you in a flat spin. Flat spins are bend over and kiss your backside good-bye, because you're in for a world of hurt.
Some other aircraft with this habit include the P-39D models (The N's and Q's tended to have their armour stripped out which helped fix the CoG problems), and the P-51D with the upper fuselage fuel tank full. (Was Maddox able to model multi-tank fuel systems for this game?)
Have fun!
Harry Voyager
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