The Soviet fighter I-153 "Chaika" is often called legendary. Moreover, his legendary status can be understood in a double sense. Until now, the history of the creation and use of several thousand I-153 aircraft continues to be built from many legends, rumors and speculation. It was the Soviet pilots who made the Chaika truly legendary in 1941. Identifying themselves with their huge country, insulted and humiliated in the first months of the war, they fought truly heroically on these outdated biplanes. Victories in air combat over a technically superior enemy were not easy, and therefore the value of such a victory was very high. Despite the widespread use of the I-153 in 1941-1942, heavy losses and the cessation of production led to the fact that later this type of aircraft was rarely used. Thus, the “Chaika” will forever remain in memory as the legendary aircraft of the first difficult and difficult battles of the Great Patriotic War.