- Yes
- No
Background
History of I-15bis in service in China
After the signing of the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact in 1937, airplanes assisted by the USSR and the Soviet Volunteer Group began entering China. The fighters mainly included the various models of the I-15 and I-16. On October 27, 1937, the first batch of Soviet combat aircraft arrived in China. The first group of arriving volunteers (including aircrew and ground personnel) numbered 254. Due to coordination issues between China and the USSR, the Soviet Volunteer Group did not officially participate in the war until December 1. And due to the retreat at the front line, the ROCAF was also in chaos. Chinese pilots did not begin training at the Lanzhou base until December 3, 1937.Nevertheless, with the help of the Soviet volunteer team, ROCAF pilots gradually mastered the performance characteristics of Soviet aircraft, allowing the ROCAF to primarily use Soviet planes in combat from 1938 to 1942. Between October 1937 and September 1939 the USSR delivered 885 aircraft (rising to 1,250 by 1941), including 347 I-15bis.
History of I-15bis M2
By June 1938 at the latest, the I-15bis M2 had already appeared. In the I-15 assembly manual published in August 1939, the I-15bis was noted for testing the modification of the right upper side’s Maxim machine gun to an M2 Browning machine gun. After that, I-15bis with similar modifications started appearing frequently in combat and supply reports. By the end of 1939, almost all I-15bis from the 4th and 5th Group were equipped with M2 Browning machine guns. It is worth noting that this kind of modification was later applied to I-153, and in the supply report of June 1941, I-153 was also recorded as being capable of using the M2 Browning machine guns.
Differences between I-15bis M2 and I-15bis
In order to ensure that the I-15bis M2 here has a greater distinction from the common I-15bis, the I-15bis M2 also includes another modification from the I-15 assembly manual, as it is equipped with separate exhaust pipes.
The main differences are:
I-15bis M2 replaced the right upper side’s PV-1 with .50cal M2 Browning machine gun with 250 rounds.
I-15bis M2 have separate exhaust pipes.
Technical Data
Specifications
Engine: Shvetsov M-25V
Power: 700hp
Crew: 1
Wing span: 10.2m
Length: 6.275m
Height: 3.416m
Empty Weight: 1310kg
Maximum Weight: 1870kg
Max Speed: 379km/h
Service Ceiling: 9800ft
Armament
1 x 7.62 mm PV-1 machine gun with 1000 rounds
2 x 7.62 mm PV-1 machine guns with 500 rounds
1 x .50cal M2 Browning machine gun with 250 rounds
Sources
Spoiler
The Air Operation On The Anti-Japanese War, ISBN 978-7-80183-690-1
The Front Battlefield of the War of Resistance Against Japan Volume II, ISBN 978-7-80643-969-2