In the Soviet Union, a blunt-nosed short plane, nicknamed “Isak” by the pilots, became a real symbol of the country’s seemingly indestructible military power. Tens of thousands of people saw the characteristic silhouette of the I-16 at air parades, it was depicted on postage stamps and propaganda posters. In Nazi Germany, Willy Mssserschmitt’s brainchild was also a symbol of the growing power of the Third Reich and the invincibility of its air force the Luftwaffe. This book, based on declassified archival documents, eyewitness memoirs and other sources, for the first time provides the most detailed history of the creation, testing, production and combat path of two cult combat vehicles in the most obscure period - before the outbreak of World War II. Particular attention is paid to the confrontation of two cars in the sky of Spain during the civil war in this country (1936-1939)