Engineered for Supremacy—Yet This Soviet Plane Kept Crashing!

In the late 1930s, the Soviet Union sought to improve its aerial capabilities by developing a new fighter aircraft. The goal was to surpass the aging Polikarpov I-15 while maintaining its agility. This effort led to the creation of the Polikarpov I-153 Chaika, meaning “Seagull” in Russian. The aircraft was developed by the Polikarpov Design Bureau, with work beginning in 1937. The designers aimed to combine the speed of monoplane fighters with the maneuverability of biplanes, taking lessons from the Spanish Civil War, where highly agile aircraft had proven useful in combat.

The development was led by Alexey Shcherbakov, with contributions from Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich, who would later establish the MiG design bureau. The I-153 featured a reinforced airframe, a manually retractable landing gear to reduce drag, and faster-firing machine guns. It was built using a mix of materials, with a steel fuselage covered in aluminum at the front and fabric at the rear. The wings were constructed of wood and covered in fabric, while the tail section used aluminum framing. These design choices were meant to balance durability and weight, ensuring the aircraft remained nimble in combat.

Development Challenges and Early Flights

Despite its promising design, the I-153 faced several setbacks. The first prototype failed factory tests due to multiple defects, delaying production. The initial models were powered by the M-25 engine, producing 750 horsepower. The aircraft took its first flight in August 1938, marking an important step in Soviet aviation development. However, issues quickly emerged.

During state testing in 1939, the aircraft achieved a top speed of 264 mph and could climb to 5,000 meters in just over six minutes. While these figures were respectable, one test aircraft disintegrated during a high-speed dive, exposing serious structural weaknesses. Despite this, production continued, and later models were equipped with the M-62 engine, which improved high-altitude performance. However, the expected speed increases never materialized, leaving the I-153 struggling to compete with newer monoplane designs.

Attempts to Improve Performance

As the aircraft entered service, Soviet engineers tried to enhance its performance. Two prototypes were fitted with the more powerful M-63 engine in an attempt to boost speed. Unfortunately, the biplane design simply could not handle higher velocities, limiting further development. Another major flaw was its dangerous spin characteristics. Unlike the I-16, which was easy to recover from a spin, the I-153 was difficult to enter a spin but nearly impossible to recover once it started. A complex recovery procedure was eventually developed, but it required perfect execution, making it unreliable in high-stress combat situations.

Despite its flaws, the I-153 remained in production until 1941. The Soviet Union continued using it to fill the ranks of its air force while transitioning to more modern fighter aircraft. By the time it was phased out, over 3,400 units had been produced.

Combat Performance in Mongolia and WWII

The I-153 first saw combat in 1939 during the Soviet-Japanese border conflict in Mongolia, particularly in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. It was matched against the Japanese Nakajima Ki-27, a monoplane fighter that had already proven superior to earlier Soviet aircraft. While the I-153’s agility allowed it to hold its own in dogfights, it suffered from severe structural weaknesses. One of its most dangerous flaws was the lack of a firewall between the fuel tank and the cockpit, which often resulted in deadly fires when the aircraft was hit.

Additionally, the M-62 engine had a limited service life, often lasting only 60 to 80 hours before suffering supercharger failures. This made maintenance difficult and reduced the aircraft’s reliability in prolonged operations. Despite these drawbacks, Soviet pilots made use of the I-153 in frontline combat, relying on its maneuverability to engage enemy aircraft effectively.

Final Years and Legacy

As WWII began, the I-153 quickly became outdated. By 1941, it struggled to match the performance of newer enemy aircraft. Many were lost in the early months of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, often destroyed on the ground before they could even take off. Some were repurposed as ground-attack aircraft, but their vulnerability to enemy fire made them a poor choice for such missions.

Though it was ultimately replaced by more advanced Soviet fighters, the I-153 played an important role in the transition from biplane to monoplane designs. It served as a stepping stone in Soviet aviation history, highlighting both the strengths and limitations of biplane fighters in modern warfare. While it never achieved dominance in the skies, it remained a notable chapter in the Soviet Union’s pursuit of aerial superiority.