During the 1990's the founder of the Warbird Over Wanaka airshow, Sir Tim Wallis, had nine WW2-era, Soviet-built, Polikarpov fighters recovered and restored in Russia. Six of these were the monoplane Polikarpov I-16 'Rata', while the other three were the (later) biplane Polikarpov I-153 'Chaika'.
From 1998 through to 2006 these aircraft were displayed at the biennial Warbirds Over Wanaka airshows, but by the end of that period it was deemed that it was time for the aircraft to be sold.
This video is the recently discovered 'sales video' produced for the Alpine Fighter Collection at that time.
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Used under license.
