VEF I-16
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1919 in Riga, Latvia |
| Headquarters | Riga , Latvia |
| Products | Aircraft, electronics |
The VEF I-16 was a Latvian fighter aircraft prototype developed by Kārlis Irbītis and manufactured by VEF in 1939. Its progress was interrupted due to the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 and the subsequent purge of personnel at VEF.
Description
Featuring a typical monoplane design, the I-16 was powered by a supercharged, air-cooled V12 engine of Czechoslovak origin—the Walter Sagitta. It utilized a two-bladed propeller and had low-mounted wings with rounded tips. While the prototype incorporated fixed landing gear equipped with streamlined fairings, production variants were planned to include retractable undercarriage. Notably, the cockpit seat and controls were engineered as a modular unit, allowing for separate assembly from the airframe and installation using only six bolts.
Although the prototype lacked armament, it was designed to accommodate two machine guns within the fuselage and provision for an additional gun beneath each wing.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Operational history
During spring 1940, pilots from the Latvian Air Force conducted initial test flights of the VEF I-16 prototype. Following Latvia’s occupation in June 1940, Soviet authorities mandated the removal of all VEF aircraft from Spilve Airport, and shortly thereafter suspended all parts manufacturing and assembly operations pending directives from Moscow. In March 1941, Kārlis Irbītis received instructions to prepare one example each of several models—including the VEF I-12, I-15a and I-15b, I-16, two variants of VEF I-17, and VEF I-18—for shipment to Moscow for evaluation. Due to ongoing engine difficulties requiring further testing, the I-16 remained in Riga. After the commencement of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the aircraft completed several test flights from an airfield near Kalnciems before being captured by German forces. Subsequently tested by the Luftwaffe, the VEF I-16 served as a trainer at an aviation school in Toruń until its retirement in 1942.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Specifications (I-16)
References
External links
- VEF IRBITIS I-16 Archived 2011-06-05 at the Wayback Machine available at LatvianAviation.com Archived 2020-02-18 at the Wayback Machine
- I-16 hosted on airwar.ru
- VEF I-16; The Latvian Lightweight, a video by Ed Nash's Military Matters on youtube.com