The Untold Stories of Soviet Fighters and Attack Planes Before WWII Before World War II, Soviet aviation underwent a radical transformation led by the Polikarpov design bureau. The I-16 "Ishak," introduced in 1934, was a revolutionary low-wing monoplane reaching speeds of 280 mph. It dominated early conflicts like the Spanish Civil War. Alongside it, the maneuverable I-153 Chaika biplane hit 273 mph. These rugged machines prioritized agility and firepower, testing innovative retractable landing