This was the first ever version of the I-185. It is equipped with the Tumansky M-90 radial engine, two .30 cal ShKAS machine guns on top of the cowl, two .50 cal UBS machine guns on the sides of the cowl, and ten RS-82 rockets underwing.

History:
With the I-180 (a direct successor to the I-16) cancelled as a total failure, Polikarpov proposed an improved I-180 fighter with increased armament, a slightly longer fuselage, and the new Tumansky M-90 18-cylinder radial engine as the power plant. The fuel tanks were placed in front of the cockpit and the M-90 was fitted with a ducted spinner for better air circulation. The pilot was located relatively-far back in the fuselage under a closed canopy; just like the I-180-3. Armament consisted of two .30 cal ShKAS machine guns on either side of the air scoop, and two .50 cal UBS machine guns further down on the sides. Provision was made for either ten RS-82 rockets or two 110 lb bombs under the wings, or, under overload conditions, a 1,100 lb HE bomb under the fuselage. This version was cancelled due to unsolvable problems with the Tumansky M-90. One of the problems being that it failed to reach its design power output of 2,000 hp. Thus the I-185 was modified to receive the Shvetsov M-81 radial. Armamament was changed to three nose-mounted 20mm ShVAK cannon and rocket amount was reduced to eight.

Historical Gallery:

I-185 M-90 drawing

Specification chart for fighters designed in 1939-1940. Left to right: Yatsenko I-28-1, Yatsenko I-28-2, Yatsenko I-282 (I-28 with Tumansky M-90), Yatsenko I-287 (I-282 with bubble canopy), Polikarpov I-180-3, Polikarpov I-185 M-90, Yakovlev I-26-2.