On sunday, a Polikarpov I-16 flew again over Madrid... The aircraft is painted in the colors of the 'Fuerzas Aéreas Republicanas' - the Republican Airforce during the Spanish Civil War:



This particular example made a forced-landing in 1941 en Karelia during the Russo-Finnish War. It was found in Russia in 1992 and restored there. After six years of restoration. It was purchased from New Zealand to be part of the Aviation collection in Cuatro Vientos in Madrid...

Here's the story of the team which has restored a number of these aircraft:

http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/i16.html

Jim,

Thanks for the link, I have the Eduard Royal kit for the I-16 and am looking forward to tearing into it.

-Derek