47 replies to this topic

[J311yfish]

 

Accountability (tiers approx):

Tier	Fighters	Fighters	Fighters	Attack	Indigenous	Captured
I	Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16 Blackburn Lincock III Boeing 218 (P-12)	Junkers K 47 Nakajima Type 91-1		Douglas O-2 Vought O2U Corsair	Fu-hsing (05/1936) Liuchow Kwangsi Type 3 (07/1937)
II	Boeing 281 (P-26)	Gladiator Mk.I Fiat CR.32 Curtiss Hawk II Curtiss Hawk III	I-15	Curtiss A-12 Shrike Henschel Hs 123 Northrop Gamma	Fu-hsing (05/1936) Yenchu XP-1 (1943)	Kawasaki Ki-10 Mitsubishi Ki-30
III	Curtiss Hawk 75M	Dewoitine D.510 Breda Ba.27 Metallico	I-153	Neman R-10 Vultee V-11	Yenchu XP-0 (1943)	Nakajima Ki-27
IV	Republic P-43 Curtiss Hawk 75A-5	Curtiss CW-21 Demon Vultee P-66 Vanguard	I-16	Bellanca 28-90B Vultee V-12C		Nakajima Ki-43 Mitsubishi Ki-51
V	Tomahawk IIB Curtiss P-40E			Petlyakov Pe-2 Vultee V-12D		Mitsubishi A6M2 (Zero 3372) Nakajima Ki-44-I Kawasaki Ki-45
VI	Curtiss P-40N Lockheed P-38 D.H. 98 Mosquito			IL-2m3		Kawasaki Ki-61-I Kawasaki Ki-61-II Nakajima Ki-44-II
VII	Republic P-47 North American P-51D North American P-51K		Yak-9P La-7	Douglas A-26B IL-10		Nakajima Ki-84
VIII	Northrop P-61 Shenyang JL-1A-37 Gloster CXP-102		Yak-17 La-9 La-11	Ilyushin IL-10M
IX	Gloster CXP-1001		MiG-9
X	Republic F-84G North American F-86F		MiG-15bis La-15	Ilyushin IL-28

strikethrough = used

orange highlight = used as premiums

links to definitive in-game aircraft provided where able

 

For a look at how captured Japanese aircraft might fit into the Japanese tech tree see here.

 

 

 

Sources

 

China tech tree (Wargaming)

 

China

A History of Chinese Aviation, by Lennart Andersson (2008) -- the most comprehensive and detailed account of any book in English

Communist Chinese Air Power, by Richard M. Bueschel (1968) -- small volume, good overview, light on detailed specifications

Flight in China Air Space 1910-1950, by Malcolm Rosholt (1984) -- many pictures and historical accounts, light on detailed specifications

Chinese Aircraft: China's Aviation Industry Since 1951, by Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov (2008) -- covers MiG-15, IL-28, facilities; very thin on 1951-1956 details

The Complete Book of Fighters, by William Green and Gordon Swanborough (2001) -- very good import coverage, also mentions the Chu X-PO and Type 3

Chinese Warlord Armies 1911-1930, by Philip Jowett (2010) -- only very early aircraft are covered; none applicable to Tier 1

China's Air Power Enters the 21st Century, RAND report for U.S. Air Force (1995)

 

American influence

McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume 1, by Rene J Francillon (1988)

Curtiss Hawks in the Chinese Air Force, by Hakan Gustavsson

Before the Tigers: China's Air Forces in the Struggle Against Japan

Lockheed P-38 Lightning in USAAF, French, Italian, Chinese Nationalist Service (Arco-Aircam Aviation Series No. 10), by Ernest McDowell (1969)

The Flying Tigers: Chennault's American Volunteer Group in China, by Braxton Eisel (2009) -- concise AVG history, P-40 minor details

Curtiss P-40: Long-nosed Tomahawks, by Carl Molesworth (2013 Osprey) -- Hawk 75M export specs

Bellanca's Golden Age, by Alan Abel and Drina Welch Abel (2004 Wind Canyon Books)

Boeing P-12, F4B, by Edward T. Maloney (1966 Aero Publishers) -- Boeing model 218 details

Boeing P-26 Peashooter, by Edward T. Maloney (1973 Aero Publishers) -- Boeing model 281 details

Boeing: Images of America, by Martin Bowman (1998 Tempus) -- Boeing 218 and Boeing 281 details

 

Russian influence

Soviet Aircraft 1917-1941, by Lennart Andersson (1995) -- excellent counterpart to Andersson's book on Chinese aviation above

Soviet Fighters in the Sky of China, by George Mellinger (2000)

Jet Bombers: From the Messerchmitt Me262 to the Stealth B-2, by Bill Gunston with Peter Gilchrist (1993) -- IL-28 details

China's Approach to Technology Acquisition: Part 1--The Aircraft Industry, by Hans Heymann, Jr. (1975)

 

British Influence

Armstrong-Whitworth Aircraft Since 1913, by Oliver Tapper (1973 Putnam) -- A.W.XVI details

Gloster Aircraft Since 1917, by Derek N. James (1971 Putnam) -- ROCAF's CXP-102 and CXP-1001 projects

 

Japanese influence

For specific sources on captured Japanese aircraft see here

Mitsubishi A5M Claude, by Tadeusz Januszewski (2003 Stratus) -- an account of the air battle over Hankow April 25 1938; "largest air battle of the Chinese-Japanese conflict" (p.30)

War Prizes, by Phil Butler (1994 Midland) -- overview of aircraft captured/surrendered aircraft

 

 

Old notes

 

Old Versions

-- 2.01 -- updated with premiums beyond Hawk III

 

Timeline

Color codes:  American / Soviet / Japanese / Indigenous Chinese developments

 

01 Aug 1927 Chinese Civil War (part 1) start

18 Sep 1931  Second Sino-Japanese War skirmishing begins

23 Feb 1932  Robert Short, flying a Boeing Model 218 (P-12 prototype), engages Japanese forces over Suzhou (Soochow)

__ ___ ____ Chennault's aerobatic team flying P-12's observed by ____ ... later asked to be advisor to Nationalist Chinese Air Force

__ ___ 1933 CAMCO assembly of Curtiss Hawk II/III's

__ Oct 1933  Polikarpov I-15 prototype first flight in Russia

__ Dec 1933 Polikarpov I-16 prototype first flight in Russia

19 Feb 1934  Northrop Gamma deliveries start ... assembled by CAMCO, their first assembled aircraft

21 Sep 1934  Northrop Gamma deliveries stop

20 May 1936  Constantine Zakhartchenko's Fu-hsing two-seat biplane makes its first flight

22 Dec 1936  Chinese Civil War (part 1) end

__ ___ 1937  Soviet Volunteer Group start

__ ___ 1937  Vultee V-11/12's delivered 1937-1938

__ Jun 1937  Chennault arrives in China as an advisor to Nationalist Chinese Air Force

07 Jul 1937  Second Sino-Japanese War major fighting begins

__ Jul 1937  Liuchow Kwangsi Type 3 single-seat biplane first flight ... "performance proved insufficient to justify further development"

13 Aug 1937  Battle of Shanghai starts ... Curtiss Hawk II's, Hawk III's, Boeing P-26C's

26 Nov 1937  Battle of Shanghair ends

__ __ 1938  Chennault organizes training for Chinese pilots

05 Feb 1939  Vultee V-11's and 12's used to bomb Japanese-held airfield

21 May 1939  contract for Curtiss Hawk 75A-5's to be assembled by CAMCO

__ May 1939  contract for Curtiss Demon CW-21's to be assembled by CAMCO

__ ___ 1940  Vultee V-11's and 12's withdrawn from bombing duty to training/liaison duty

23 Dec 1940  Agreement made to divert Curtiss P-40B's to China

__ ___ 1941  Soviet Volunteer Group end

13 Apr 1941  Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact start

15 Apr 1941  1st American Volunteer Group pilot recruitment begins in United States

25 Apr 1941  China and United States sign formal agreement

__ Nov 1941  1st American Volunteer Group assembles for training in Burma; employer of record = CAMCO

26 Nov 1941  "Tiger Zero" (Zero 3372) recovered in China; restored by summer 1942

20 Dec 1941 1st American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) start

__ Jun 1942  "Akutan Zero" crash lands on Akutan Island near Alaska

04 Jul 1942   1st American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) end; becomes 23rd Fighter Group as part of China Air Task Force under command of Brigadier General Claire Chennault; subordinate to Tenth Air Force in India

__ Nov 1942  Technical Air Intelligence Unit formed; others formed 1943-1944

__ ___ 1943  Yenchu XP-0 prototype first flight ... design based broadly on Curtiss Hawk 75

__ ___ 1943  Yenchu XP-1 prototype first flight ... crashed during test flight ... design by Constantine Zakhartchenko

19 Mar 1943  China Air Task Force replaced by Fourteenth Air Force, Chennault in command

__ Nov 1943  23rd Fighter Group converts from Curtiss P-40's to North American P-51's.

__ late 1944  Republic P-47 arrives in China

05 Apr 1945  Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact end

08 Aug 1945 Soviets declare war on Japan

09 Aug 1945 Soviets invade Manchuria ("Operation August Storm") ... using lend-lease aircraft ... P-63, Douglas A-20G ...

20 Aug 1945 Soviet invasion of Manchuria complete; industrial equipment removed or destroyed; land given back to China; Shenyang and Harbin future aircraft industry for China; captured Japanese aircraft given to Chinese Communist movement

02 Sep 1945 Japan officially surrenders

09 Sep 1945 Second Sino-Japanese War end

__ Dec 1945 23rd Fighter Group returns to United States

05 Jan 1946  23rd Fighter Group deactivated

31 Mar 1946  Chinese Civil War (part 2) start

24 Apr 1946  MiG-9 first flight in Russia

20 May 1947  De Havilland Mosquitos for sale in Canada; Chinese Nationalists are interested and buy ~300; pilot training continues into 1948 ... poor pilots, currency collapse, deteriorating situation

18 Sep 1947  United States Air Force becomes a separate service

30 Dec 1947  MiG-15 first flight in Russia

08 Jan 1948  Lavochkin La-15 first flight in Russia

09 Mar 1948  Gloster E.1/44 first flight ... this is the Nationalist jet development with Gloster ....English + Chinese design team in England

10 Dec 1948  Peking (Beijing) claimed by Communists

01 Oct 1949  People's Republic of China declared with Beijing as capital

01 May 1950 Chinese Civil War (part 2) end

25 Jun 1950  Korean War start

27 Jul 1953 Korean War end

 

End of the IJA/IJN -- Japanese aircraft in Manchuria turned over to China

 

 

Fighter Aircraft used in China 1932-1956 by country of origin:

Tier	USA	Russia	Japan	Italy	Germany	Britain	France	China
I	Model 218		Type 91-1*		Junkers K 47	Lincock III / A.W.16*		Type 3
II	P-26C /  Hawk II / Hawk III	I-15 / I-15bis / I-153		CR.32		Gladiator Mk-I	Dewoitine D.510
III	Hawk 75M / CW-21	I-16	Ki-27* / A5M	Ba.27
IV	P-66 / P-43		Ki-43*					Chu X-PO
V	P-40B / P-40E / P-40N / P-40K		A6M2 / Ki-61*
VI	P-38 (F-5E, F-5G)		Ki-44*			Mosquito*
VII	P-47D* / P-51C /  P-51D* / P-51K	YAK-9P / La-7	Ki-84*
VIII		La-9 / La-11 / Yak-17
IX		MiG-9
X	F-84G / F-86F	La-15 / MiG-15						Shenyang J-2

 

Key:

Nationalists  /  Communists

* Kwangsi Air Force, later incorporated by Nationalists

* later captured by Communists (Japanese late 1945; late American aircraft and Mosquito 1949)

 

Non-fighter Aircraft used in China 1932-1956 (Attack, General Purpose, Observation, etc.) by country of origin:

Tier	USA	Russia	Japan	Italy	Germany	Britain	France	China
I	V-65C* / O-2*	R-5 / PO-2	Type 92*	B.R.3		Avro 637 / Wapiti / Atlas*
II	Gamma 2E		E13A* / Ki-30*		Hs123
III	A-17 / A-12  / 28-90B / V-11	R-10	Ki-51*
IV	Hudson / V-12
V	P-61	Pe-2
VI		IL-2m3
VII		IL-10
VIII
IX
X		IL-28

 

Maximum model rough

 

 

 

Old notes

 

These are older notes that were helpful when I began the project.

 

-- distinctions between imported, license-built, and captured aircraft will be made later

-- distinctions between volunteer groups (Flying Tigers, etc.) will be added later

 

Pilots:

-- Chinese Nationalists and Communists

-- Soviet Volunteer Group (early aircraft)

-- American Volunteer Group ("Flying Tigers")

-- Japanese mercenaries (late 1945+ to fly Japanese aircraft)

 

Insignia used:

-- Nationalists:  Kuomintang (KMT) white 12-pointed star on blue field

-- aircraft captured by the Communists in late 1946 sometimes had no insignia (in the case of captured Japanese aircraft), or just painted the red star hastily over the blue/white star.

-- Communists: red star with red band + characters for "8" and "1" inside the star (late 1946 onward, until official in 1949)

 

Notes:

-- The 1st Red China aircraft was a single Douglas O-2 captured from the Nationalists; Communists rebuilt it and named it "Marx" but couldn't get it off the ground.

-- The 2nd Red China aircraft was a Vought V-65-C1 captured from a Nationalist defector; Communists named it "Lenin"; shot down by Nationalists October 5 1936.

 

Implications:

1) A Chinese tech tree would have to use both Nationalist and Communist aircraft to attempt completion.

2) Considering the limited opportunities for actual "progression" and the number of each type of aircraft used, the existence of the Hawk III as a premium strongly suggests that the I-15, I-15bis, I-153, and I-16 are to be used for the low-tier fighter progression.  This is the Soviet Volunteer group that helped to train Chinese pilots and fought together against the Japanese.  This could further imply that the American Volunteer group aircraft is to be utilized (P-43, P-40).  More details on this later.

3) Given the challenges of actual "progression" that have been identified (non-native production, non-chronological development, non-Chinese volunteer groups, etc.), there is a strong indication that the usual precedents will need to be violated.  This could mean the inclusion of trainers (of which there are many), or alternating between fighter and attack aircraft as you progress forward, or alternating Nationalist/Communist insignia as you progress upward, etc.

4) There are examples of aircraft "created by the Chinese" that are nothing more than utilization of remaining equipment.  For example the "Jung 28B" was supposedly an adaptation of the I-15bis to use a Hawk III engine.  Authoritative sources (such as Lennart Andersson's "A History of Chinese Aviation") are needed to see how these kinds of modifications can be accounted for in a workable tech tree.  I expect to have the sources soon.

5) There are 2 essential ways to proceed with the creation of a Chinese tech tree.  The "easy way" is to simply copy the progression of existing aircraft of other countries, though there are obvious problems with this and it wouldn't make for a very interesting tree anyway.  The "hard way" is muddier to work through (much like early Chinese aviation) and involves looking closely at the limited equipment that they had on hand, and then trying to make a reasonable case for progression through it.  Again, authoritative sources are needed for this kind of undertaking.

 

Chinese "meta" tech tree idea

I have been thinking about how a Chinese tech tree could be implemented, and the problem is that they relied very heavily on imports and volunteers.  I went ahead and started a messy tree anyway with imports, and it occurred to me that a good solution might be to make it a "meta" tree, like this:

 

Chinese pilot sitting in hangar waiting for imports....

Tier I:  American pilot completes P-12 from U.S. tree, sends it to China --> now China has access to Tier I P-12

Tier II:  Russian pilot unlocks I-15 from Russian tree, sends it to China --> now China can progress to Tier II I-15

Tier III:  Russian pilot unlocks I-16 from Russian tree, sends it to China --> now China  can progress to Tier III I-16 (or U.S. pilot unlocks Hawk 75M, sends it to China)

Tier IV: U.S pilot unlocks P-36 from U.S. tree, sends it to China --> now China has can progress to Tier IV P-36

 

...and so on and so forth, until missing tiers are complete and China can fill in with their own manufactured aircraft (Chu X-PO, etc.).  Then further imports (unlocked and donated from abroad) to fill missing tiers as needed (P-51 D and any others that have a historical basis).

 

This would dodge a very messy tree and add an interesting meta-game that encourages pilots to advance across multiple countries.

 

---

 

There are some minor points associated with the above such as,

 

1) Would the Russian/American/etc. pilots be able to fly the Chinese craft as volunteers (like Flying Tigers)?  or

2) Would the Chinese pilots be required to complete module progression on the imported craft in order to have access to the next tier?  

 

Probably the latter, though a combination of the two is possible.

 

It would be probably be easier/faster to implement than designing a tech tree from scratch because it would use many existing models/mechanics.  

 

It would require primarily skins for the Chinese and volunteer units (community event/contest?), and GUI export/import mechanics.

 

 

Minimal model

More aircraft

 

For details on the aircraft above, start here or just scroll down.

 

If the above is correct, then these are the alternates, premiums, and/or gift planes:

 

Tier	American	Russian	others (imports, captured, etc.)*
I	O-2 / O2U / 218		A.W.16 / K 47 / Type 91 / more
II	281 / A-12		XP-1 / Gladiator Mk.1 / CR.32 Hs123 / Ki-30 / E13A
III	CW-21 / 28-90B	R-10	Ki-27b / A5M / Ki-51 / D.510
IV	P-43		Ki-43 / Ki-51
V		Pe-2	Ki-45 / Ki-61 / A6M2
VI	P-38 / DH 98		Ki-44
VII	P-47	La-7	Ki-84
VIII		La-9 / La-11
IX
X	F-84G / F-86F	La-15 / MiG-15

 

For details on captured Japanese aircraft see here.

 

 

 

Edited by J311yfish, 26 June 2021 - 06:49 PM.

[An_Average_Jho]

I think the Chinese tech tree would be implemented like in WoT. Imported equipment for the low tiers, home-made equipment later.

[Raindrops]

This is a new and interesting idea - unlocking the planes via another tree - but I still very much dislike the idea of a cobbled-together Chinese tree. I know it will eventually happen, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it - I'm still disgruntled about the tank tree for that matter. (Though not liking any of their tanks doesn't help there either.)

[Darcel_Jones]

I like this idea,in WOT some of my fav tanks are the lower teir Chicom versions of the Russian tanks.

[Heh]

I think there's a Chinese-made MiG-15bis that exists for tier 10.

[J311yfish]

Tier I

 

Boeing Model 218 (P-12) (~1930; to China by 1932) -- reference: P-12 (I)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
1 purchased	Model 218 (XP-925H)	I  Pratt & Whitney R-1340-7 450hp @ 1524m*	267 km/h @ 1524m	I  2x7.62mm	None

*Lennart Andersson instead claims Pratt & Whitney R-1340-33 Wasp 600hp (Andersson, 251)

 

Notes:

-- "The Boeing Model 218 (XP-925H) was the prototype model in the P-12E-F4B-3 series.  Speed took a forward jump with these many innovations and the P-12E had a top speed of over 190mph [306 km/h], and had a service celing of 27,000' [8230m] fully loaded using a Pratt & Whitney Wasp 500hp engine." (Maloney, 2)

-- private-venture Model 218 (designated XP-925 during USAAC trials) first flight September 29 1930; eventually sold to China (Green, 76)

-- "...basically a P-12B with a semi-monocoque metal fuselage ... served as basis for P-12E which employed similar fuselage and tail surfaces."  (Green, 76-77)

-- while demonstrating the aircraft, American pilot Robert Short engaged 3 Japanese fighters and shot 1 down.  He has been memorialized as the first American pilot to be killed while protecting China's airspace.

-- claim: Robert Short was shot down February 23 1932 (source)

-- rear view / image/ image 

-- "Although Japan was quick to appreciate the airplane's value as a weapon, Japanese aircraft of the 1920's and early 1930's were invariably dismissed by European observers as either outright imitations or second-rate variations on French or British designs.  A case in point could be seen in an incident over the Chinese port of Shanghai on February 22, 1932, in which three Mitsubishi B1M3 three-seat biplane bombers from the aircraft carrier Kaga came under attack by a Boeing 212 -- a unique all-metal version of the P-12 that was being demonstrated for the Chinese by American pilot Robert Short.  Short killed the lead plane's pilot, Lt. Susumu Kotani, and wounded his observer, Airman 1st Class Setsuro Sasaki, but the third crewman, Lt. j.g. Yoshiro Sakinaga, managed to land the stricken B1M at Shanghai.  Besides coming under fire from the other B1M gunners, however, Short was attacked and sent to his death in flames by three fighters flown by Lt. Nokiji Ikuta, Petty Officer 3rd Class Toshio Kuroiwa, and Seaman 1st Class Kazuo Takeo.  The three Nakajima A1N2's that share in the Japanese Navy's first aerial victory were, in fact, license-built copies of the Gloster Gamecock biplane." (Guttman, 137)

 

 

 

---

 

 

Alternates

 

Aircraft marked with an asterisk (*) are "historically significant" to the communist story; their inclusion might help to navigate censorship if the game is introduced in China.

 

 

Douglas O-2 (1924; to China 1930+) -- 2-seat multi-purpose *

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs*
10 purchased	O2MC	Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet A 525hp		1x7.62mm     1x76.2mm rear gunner	up to 181kg
20 purchased	O2MC-2	Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet w/ Townend ring		1x7.62mm     1x76.2mm rear gunner	up to 181kg
5 purchased	O2MC-3	Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet B1 575hp	~269 km/h**	1x7.62mm     1x76.2mm rear gunner	up to 181kg
12 purchased	O2MC-4 “Marx”		217 km/h @ SL ***	1x7.62mm     1x76.2mm rear gunner	up to 181kg
12 purchased	O2MC-5	Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp C1 420hp	~216 km/h**	1x7.62mm     1x76.2mm rear gunner	up to 181kg
22 purchased	O2MC-6	Wright R-1820-E Cyclone 575hp	~269 km/h**	1x7.62mm     1x76.2mm rear gunner	up to 181kg
1 purchased	O2MC-10	Wright R-1820-F21 Cyclone 670hp	~300 km/h**	1x7.62mm     1x76.2mm rear gunner	up to 181kg

*not to be dismissed simply because it equipped bombs; the P-12 in game was to carry up to 244kg of bombs but they have been omitted.

** speed estimated

*** speed confirmed (Francillon, 81)

 

Notes:

-- 2-seat observation / light-bomber aircraft; rear gunner

-- China was the main customer of Douglas O-2's (82 total delivered 1930-1936) (Francillon, 76)

-- "With the exception of the single O-2MC-10 ... the various versions of the O-2MC were essentially identical to the O-38." (Francillon, 76)

-- "In China ... the O-2MC's had a much shorter career as they were faced by the much superior fighter aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy, and little or no data on their operations filtered back to their manufacturers." (Francillon, 79-80)

-- the first Nationalist aircraft to be captured by the communists; repainted and named "Marx"

-- image (Rosholt)

 

 

Vought O2U Corsair (1926; to China 1929+) -- 2-seat multi-purpose *

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
42 purchased	V65C (O2U-1) “Lenin”
21 purchased	V92C (O3U)	Pratt & Whitney R-1690-42 Hornet 600hp	269 km/h	1x7.62mm   2x7.62mm rear

 

Notes:

-- the 2nd Nationalist aircraft to be captured by communists; repainted and named "Lenin"

-- Nationalist paint scheme / image

 

 

Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16 (1930; to China 1932+) -- single-seat fighter

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
16 ordered, 4 delivered	A.W. 16	Panther IIIA 540hp	314 km/h @ 6100m	2x7.7mm Vickers	None

 

Notes:

-- designed to meet specification N.21/26 for a naval fighter (Tapper, 176-183)

 -- first prototype flight late 1930 (S1591); second prototype autumn 1931 (A-2); demonstrated October 6 1931. (Tapper, 176-183)

-- "The only order received for the A.W.XVI came from China: according to the Armstrong Whitworth production list there was an allocation of sixteen works numbers for the Chinese order but only four were delivered.  The first, G-ABRH, was test flown in June 1931, and this aircraft, together with the second and third, registered G-ABRI and G-ABRJ, were dispatched to China in early 1932, whilst the fourth aircraft, G-ABZL, was first flown in October 1932 and, according to the company's list, was shipped to China in January 1933.  ... The Chinese order was negotiated through the agency of the Far East Aviation Co Ltd, of Hong Kong, whose managing director was the British test pilot and writer R. Vaughan-Fowler.  The aircraft were operated by the Cantonese Air Force and were used in battle against the Japanese." (Tapper, 176-183)

-- construction details  (Tapper, 177-179)

-- also used in aerobatic displays for the Sir Alan Cobham circus (Tapper, 176-183)

-- only 18 produced late 1931, and 17 delivered to Chinese Kwangsi Air Force; 1 ultimately passed to the Alan Cobham circus (Green, 28)

-- another view

 

Junkers K 47 (09/1929; to China 06/1931) -- 2-seat fighter

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
7 purchased	K 47	BMW Hornet A-2 600hp	~290 km/h @ 3000m	2x7.9mm Madsen	1 rear-mounted machinegun
3 purchased	K 47	BMW Hornet A-2 with supercharger

 

Notes:

-- "... originally designed by Junkers in anticipation of a Soviet order for pattern aircraft ... spring 1928 ... mid-wing all-metal monoplane with the gunner seated in a special 'cradle mount' facing rearwards." (Andersson, 290-291)

-- designed by Fipl-Ing Karl Plauth and Hermann Pohlmann; built in Sweden by Junkers subsidiary AB Flygindustri (Green, 312)

-- 6 supplied to Chinese Central Government in June 1931 (Green, 312); 1 demonstrator was also purchased, and 3 more with a supercharger (Anderssson, 272)

-- the version supplied to China had a Hornet A-2 engine and an armament of two forward-firing 7.9mm Madsen machine guns, and a similar weapon on a Knauth mounting on the rear cockpit (Green, 312)

-- image

 

Blackburn Lincock III (06/1930) -- single-seat fighter -- first meaningful aerial combat with Japan

Blackburn F.2D Lincock III

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
2 purchased	F.2D Lincock III	Lynx Major 270hp	256 km/h @ 3050m	2x7.7mm Vickers (S)	None

 

Notes:

-- first flight June 6, 1930 (Green, 64)

-- implied all-metal material like Lincock II (Green, 64)

-- only 5 total were produced: 1 prototype, 2 for Japan, 2 for China (Mason, 204)

-- "It was inevitable that Japan and China would eventually go to war ... The first step to occupation was taken when Japan's Kwantung Army marched into Manchuria and turned it into a puppet state ... China appealed to the League of Nations, who started a boycott of Japanese goods.  On January 18 1932 rioting broke out in Shanghai against the invading army ... The first meaningful aerial engagement between the two forces occurred on February 5 [1932] when two bombers and three fighters from the [Japanese] carrier Hosho encountered a Blackburn F.2D Lincock III biplane fighter (one of only two supplied to China) over Shingu.  The pilot, Tsu Dah-Shien, played 'tag' with the formation through the clouds until he was hit and wounded after his guns jammed -- he managed to return to base." (Sakaida, 6)

-- [sidenote:  Robert Short was shot down the same month while flying a Boeing 218, February 23 1932 (source)]

 -- image 1 / image 2 / image 3

 

Sources:

The British Fighter Since 1916, by Francis K. Mason

 

Nakajima Type 91-1 (~1931; purchased 09/1934) -- single-seat fighter (already in game for Japan)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
~5 purchased	Type 91-1	Nakajima Jupiter VII 450-520hp (2-blade prop)	301 km/h	2x7.7mm	None

 

Notes:

-- Lennart Andersson claims the Kwangsi Air Force purchased 2 Type 91-1's in September 1934, with several more purchased in 1935 (source)

-- Lennart Andersson's claim is in agreement with the production chronology identified by Robert Mikesh in Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941 (Japanese production of the Type 92-2 ended in July 1934, replaced by the Kawasaki Ki-10) but it is a curious transaction because it occurred between the Shanghai Incident (January-March 1932) and the start of the war with Japan (1937) (Mikesh, 214-215).

-- "Pilots assigned to operational units liked these fighters, especially their ease of handling" (Mikesh, 214)

 

 

Fu-hsing ("Revival") (05/1936) -- two-seat multi-purpose

Tier I -- Fu-shing ("Revival")

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
5	Fu-hsing*	285-400hp engine
7	Hsin Fu-hsing 1**	Wright R-975-E3 Whirlwind 450hp	288 km/h	2x7.62 (W),  1x7.62 flexible (pilot),   1x7.62 rear	"bomb rack"
8	Hsin Fu-hsing 3 (AP-2)	IV Wright SR-1820-F53 Cyclone 785hp*	295 km/h	"single gun"

*this is the same engine found in the Hawk III, Northrop Gamma 2E, and Chinese modifications of the I-15 (Chung 28B) and I-16 (Chung 28A)

**one of these is known as the AP-1, but the text does not make it clear which one; "Hsin" = "new"

 

Notes:

-- first test flown May 20 1936; production plans for trainer versions and armed multi-purpose variants (Andersson, 238)

-- developed at Shiukwan Aircraft Works, owned by the Canton government; project started by Constantine L. Zakhartchenko in late 1934 (Andersson, 238)

-- originally intended as a trainer with 285-400hp engines, but higher-power engines became available (450hp, 785hp) (Andersson, 238)

-- guns were mounted over the wing to fire outside the propeller disc because synchronization gears were not available (Andersson, 239)

-- AP-2 to be built from local materials (plywood wings); intended to be a primary trainer (Andersson, 239)

-- another view

 

 

Liuchow Kwangsi Type 3 (07/1937) -- single-seat

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
1 prototype	Type 3	Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IIA 260hp @ 700m	"283 km/h"	1x7.7mm (S)	None

 

Notes:

-- first flight July 1937, "but performance proved insufficient to justify further development" (Green, 340)

-- built at Liuchow Mechanical and Aircraft Factory in the Chinese province of Kwangsi under the direction of Chee Wing Jiang [Yang Chi Wing] (Green, 340)

-- unequal-span biplane with spruce and plywood wings; fabric-covered welded steel-tube fuselage (Green, 340)

-- "Type 2" is a two-seat trainer prototype built at the same time (Green, 340)

-- 3-view

 

 

Yang Ch'eng -- unknown

 

Yang Ch'eng -- s/n 74-78 -- "cross between a Douglas O-2MC and Vought Corsair" and used Whirlwind 300hp, Hornet 600hp (Andersson, 36)

 

more information needed

 

 

Other Tier 1 aircraft -- (older, slower, general purpose, light bomber, recon, etc.) 

1931 -- Mitsubishi Type 92 -- 2-seat recon -- 221 km/h -- "2 purchased 1934, a few more 1935"

1931 -- Fairey Gordon -- 2-seat day bomber / general purpose -- Armstrong Siddeley Panther IIa 525hp engine -- 240 km/h -- 1x7.7mm Vickers and 1x7.7mm Lewis rear gunner

1930+ -- Avro 637 -- 2-seat patrol -- ~180 km/h -- 8 sold to Kwangsi Air Force; later incorporated by Nationalists in 1937 -- Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVc 210hp

1928 -- Polikarpov R-5 -- 2-seat recon/bomber -- 228 km/h -- not actually acquired until 1937

1927 -- Polikarpov PO-2 -- 2-seat general purpose -- 152 km/h -- not actually acquired until 1945

1927 -- Westland Wapiti -- 2-seat general purpose -- 4-5 to China as Wapiti IV and Wapiti VIII (powered by Panther II engine)

1925 -- Armstrong Whitworth Atlas II -- 2-seat co-op -- >228 km/h -- same engine as Armstrong Whitworth A.W. 16 (Panther II engine) -- "15 built for Kwangsi Air Force; later incorporated by Chinese Nationalist Air Force in 1937"

 

unverified

 

Avia Ba.33

 

"1 sent to China demonstration March 17 1930; assembled for test flight June 12, to be compared to Dewoitine D27 and Letov S131 October 5; captured by Japanese forces September 19 1930; used by Japan until 1932 despite protestations by Czech government."

 

Skoda 450hp     298 km/h      2x7.7mm Vickers

 

http://en.wikipedia....ns_.28BH-33L.29

 

Dewoitine D.27

 

Hispano-Suiza 12mc    312 km/h     2x7.5mm Darne

 

 

Letov Š-31

 

348 km/h   

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by J311yfish, 03 November 2016 - 05:52 PM.

[J311yfish]

Tier II

 

Boeing Model 281 (P-26) (03/1932; to China 1936) -- reference: P-26 (II)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
11 purchased	Model 281	II  Pratt & Whitney R-1340-27 Wasp 600hp	377 km/h

 

Notes:

-- "One of the greatest monuments in American fighter designs ... stubby, all-metal Pursuit design ... by Boeing Engineers of Seattle ... first all-metal production fighter designed for the U.S. Army Air corps ... also the first monoplane fighter design ... offered many new innovations over contemporary biplane pursuits such as the older P-6E and P-12.  Prior to the P-26, many of the monoplane designs submitted to the Army were too weak in wing structure to take the stress loads imposed upon the pursuit in aerial maneuvers.  The P-26 was an entirely new design ... and while structural features were drawn from the all-metal Boeing Monomail Model 218, the use of wire braced wings and a non-retractable landing gear seemed to be a step backwards.  However, this was the year of 1932, and retractable landing gears were not as yet in vogue.  Cantilever wings were also in style; however, the external bracing allowed a much lighter structure for the P-26.  The wing wires produced less drag than would rigid struts." (Maloney, 2)

-- "The P-26A [first production model] ... was the most beautiful and exciting aircraft of the day.  It heralded the end of the biplane pursuit -- namely, the P-12 and P-6.  It was a good performer, with the look of a thoroughbred.  Speed was built into it, yet it was also very maneuverable." (Maloney, 3)

-- Began as private-venture Boeing model 248 in September 1931; contract for three placed December 1931 by U.S. Army; construction began January 1932; prototype first flight March 20, 1932; first production delivery to U.S. Army Air Corps late 1933. (Maloney, 2-4)

-- eventually replaced by Seversky P-35 and Curtiss P-36 [also known as Curtiss Hawk 75] (Maloney, 5)

-- "... nearly 64 km/h faster than the best U.S. pursuit planes of the day." (Boeing Frontiers April 2007, 9)

-- this picture of 10 lined up may be their delivery to China (11 total if you count the crashed demonstrator) prior to paint scheme above

-- color image

-- Boeing P-26 for U.S.A. (in-game)

 

 

Curtiss Hawk II/III

 

see Premiums below

 

 

Polikarpov I-15 (10/1933; to China 1937+) -- reference: I-15 (II)

Tier II fighter -- Polikarpov I-15

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
	I-15	II Shvetsov M-22 473hp	350 km/h	4x7.62mm PV-1 or 2x12.7mm [edited]
289 delivered	I-15bis	III Shvetsov M-25 700hp	367 km/h @3000m	4x7.62mm ShKAS
30 adapted	Chung 28B	IV Wright SR-1820-F53 Cyclone 745hp
76 delivered	I-153	V Shvetsov M-62 800-1000hp	444 km/h	4x7.62mm ShKAS (cannon variants)

 

Notes:

-- this is not simply copy/paste of the I-15 from the Soviet tech tree.  The engines used by the I-15 in game are:

     Shvetsov M-22 480hp -- same
     Shvetsov M-25 625hp -- same
     Shvetsov M-25E 710hp -- different

-- therefore the Chinese variants and adaptations above indicate a slightly faster I-15 can be expected with the Hawk III engine mod (Chung 28B)

-- the prototype for the I-15 flown in October 1933 actually used a Wright SGR-1820-F-3 Cyclone 715hp (Green, 473)

-- the Shvetsov M-62 used by the I-153 variant is currently in-game for the Tier IV I-16 (late mod).  I-153 is also made faster due to retractable landing gear.

 

 

Northrop Gamma (~1932; to China 02/1934)

Tier II attack -- Northrop Gamma

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
1	Gamma 5D*	II  Pratt & Whitney S3H-1 550hp
2 assembled + 25 in parts for assembly by CAMCO	Gamma 2E	IV Wright R-1820-F53 Cyclone 750hp***	326 km/h	4x7.62mm**   1x7.62mm rear	up to 727kg**
7	Gamma 2EC	***
15	Gamma 2ED	***

* purchased by Japan, given to Nakajima for study, then to Manchurian Air Lines where it was used for aerial reconnaissance (Andersson, 278)

** the original Model 2E used 2x7.62mm and carried up to 450kg of bombs (Andersson, 303); the addition of heavier armament mentioned by Andersson in his book on Chinese aircraft may have been the field modifcation referred to here by Rosholt

*** Rene Francillon instead claims that the engine used by the Gamma 2E, 2EC, and 2ED was Wright SR-1820-F3 710hp driving two-blade propeller (Francillon, 135) [same engine used in the Hawk II]

 

Notes:

-- "... low-wing all-metal cantilever monoplane with a fixed undercarriage in large streamlined metal trousers ... two-seater with enclosed cabin" (Andersson, 303)

-- "... externally similar to the Gamma 2C in its original configuration.  However, a major recognition feature was the addition of a partially retractable bomb-aimer's tub beneath the fuselage just aft of the wing [pictured above].  During normal operations, the bomb-aimer/gunner sat facing forward, behind the pilot, under the canopy which covered the two cockpits.  To man the flexible 0.30" machine-gun, he swivelled his seat to face aft.  From this position, he could also slide down into the tub to aim the bombs through a forward-facing window."  (Francillon, 135)

-- "[serial numbers 14-27, 30-37, 45-46, and serial numbers 48-72 in parts] ... built by Northrop in the Mines Field plant [Los Angeles] and shipped to China ... assembled by the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) at Loiwing and joined the assembled Gamma 2E's, 2EC's, 2ED's in service with the Chinese Army Air Arm.  All 49 aircraft were rapidly destroyed in training accidents and during the early phase of the second Sino-Japanese conflict." (Francillon, 135-136)

-- "The first aircraft was delivered on 19 February 1934, the last on 21 September 1934." (Francillon, 135)

-- "... characterized as being very stable and easy to fly." (Andersson, 303)

-- a version of the Gamma was flown by Howard Hughes for a speed record flight

-- assembly / after assembly / painted / unknown field modifications

-- encountered Japanese Mitsubishi A5M's during an attack on Kaga November 11 1937. (Januszewski, 19)

 

 

 

---

 

 

Premiums

 

Curtiss Hawk II (09/1932; to China 03/1933+) -- reference: Hawk II (II)

Tier II Premium -- Curtiss Hawk II

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament		Bombs
52 purchased	Hawk II	Wright R-1820F-3 Cyclone 710hp @ 1676m	335 km/h @ 2100m	2x7.62mm (S)	None	None

 

Notes:

-- export version of Curtiss XF11C-2; offered with wheel or float undercarriages (Green 131-132)

-- Jimmy Doolittle in a Hawk II in China, 1933, 9 years before the Doolittle Raid (Rosholt, 23) [Bower claims that Doolittle demonstrated Hawk I Model 35 powered by a Conqueror water-cooled engine, but later describes Hawk II as Model 35 (Bowers, 278)]

-- Jimmy Doolittle demonstrated the Hawk II at Shanghai, Nanking, Hangchow, and Canton (Beuschel, 118)

-- delivery of all Hawk II's to China occurred between March 7, 1933 and September 1933 (Bueschel, 118-119; Bowers, 281) 

-- also sold to Columbia (26), Turkey (19), Thailand (12), Bolivia (9), Chile (4), Cuba (4), Germany (2), Norway (1)

-- "The Hawk II became the leading fighter plane of the Fukien People's Republic Air Force.  A number were destroyed by the Nationalists during the Fukien Rebellion, including some in air combat over Foochow" (Beuschel, 119)

-- "The Hawk II, sometimes called Goshawk, was an extensively redesigned model with a Wright Cyclone radial engine and single-leg undercarriage that preceded the U.S. Navy F11C/BFC design." (Bowers, 281)

-- "The export Hawk II design preceded the U.S. Navy F11C-2." (Bowers, 282)

 

 

Curtiss Hawk III (1933; to China 03/1936) -- reference: Hawk III (II)

Tier II Premium gift plane -- Curtiss Hawk III

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament		Bombs
102 purchased	Hawk III	IV Wright SR-1820F-53 Cyclone 785hp	386 km/h @ 3505m	I  2x7.62mm (S)	None	up to 4x53kg

 

Notes:

-- export version of BF2C-1; differed in that it used the wooden wing structure of the F11C-2 [to eliminate vibration (Bowers, 283)], and different engine (Green, 132)

-- Delivery to China began in March 1936; the majority (90) were assembled by the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) at Hangchow (Green, 132)

-- Delivery March 1936 to June 1938 (Bowers, 284)

-- also sold to Thailand (24), Argentina (10), Turkey (1) (Green, 132)

-- ROCAF Hawk III at Chinese Aviation Museum

-- hangar image

-- "Export versions of both Goshawk variants reverted to wooden wing structures, the fixed-gear plane being called the Hawk II and the retractable model the Hawk III.  Powered by a 740-horsepower Wright R-1820-F53 radial engine, the Hawk III had a top speed of 240 miles per hour, mounted two .30-caliber Browning machine guns, and served in the air arms of Thailand and Argentina as well as China, which imported its first twelve in [03/1936].  Another 90 arrived in crates and were assembled at the Central Manufacturing Company at Hangzhou.  The Chinese had 72 operational when the Japanese invaded, as well as 50 Hawk II's." (Guttman, 139)

 

 

Hawk II vs. Hawk III

	Hawk II	Hawk III
Tier	2	2
HEALTH	105	95
Weight	1958 kg	1958 kg
FIREPOWER	19	19
Armament	2x7.62mm M1919 (S)	2x7.62mm M1919 (S)
Overheat time	16 s
Rate of Fire		540 rounds/min
Muzzle Velocity		850 m/s
Damage/s		31
AIRSPEED	302.6	319
Top Speed @ Sea Level	313.5 km/h	344 km/h
Top Speed @ Best Alt	330 km/h	362 km/h
Max Dive Speed	450 km/h	450 km/h
Stall Speed	70 km/h	70 km/h
Climb Rate	10.5 m/s	10.6 km/h
Optimum Speed	210 km/h	210 km/h
Boost time	10 s
MANEUVERABILITY	403.9	391
Time to turn 360-degrees	9.7 s	8.8 s
Roll rate	90	80
Controllability	96.3	94
Optimum Altitude	500	500

 

 

Alternates

 

Curtiss A-12 Shrike (1933; delivered to China 05/1936)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
20 delivered (05/1936)	Model 60 (A-12)	Wright R-1820-21 690hp	285 k/mh	4x7.62mm   1x7.62mm rear	10x13.6kg or 4x55.2kg bombs

 

Notes:

-- Development began 1930 as the [Model 59] XA-8 ... "This was a major advance for Curtiss in several respects -- the first Curtiss military monoplane, the first with both all-metal structure and covering, the first Curtiss to use trailing-edge flaps, full-span leading-edge slats, and enclosed cockpits and undercarriage that were designed-in instead of being added later.  In spite of these advances, however, the XA-8 and its derivatives featured wire-braced wings which, with the exception of the contemporary Douglas O-31 and Boeing P-26, were an anachronism not seen on military monoplanes since early in the first World War."  (Bowers, 326)

-- "The crew sat in two widely-separated cockpits.  The pilot controlled four .30-calibre machine-guns mounted in the undercarriage fairings where their rate of fire would not be slowed by synchronization gear.  The rear cockpit was fitted with a single .30-calibre flexible gun.  Racks beneath the wings could carry up to 400 lb (181 kg) of bombs or chemical tanks.

-- XA-8 first flight June 1931; 46 A-12's delivered to U.S. Army 1934; 20 export versions of the A-12 sold to China 1936. (Bowers, 330) 

 

-- (Andersson, 260)

 

 

Henschel Hs123 (1936) -- premium for Germany

 

"9-12 purchased"

 

341 km/h   2x7.92mm   up to 450kg

 

Aichi E13A (~1941)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
Captured	E13A	Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 1000hp	385 km/h	1x7.7mm and 1x20mm	1x250kg / 4x60kg

 

Notes:

-- "Japanese Navy's most widely used reconnaissance floatplane of World War II ... over 1,400 produced between 1940 and June 1945" (Bueschel, 208)

-- "The E13A operated in China and across the Pacific as a reconnaissance plane and light bomber, and was even used as a dive bomber.  It was catapult-launched from cruisers or battleships and often operated from sheltered island bases across the southeast Pacific during the Pacific war years.  Its last major wartime use was as an antisubmarine patrol plane carrying magnetic submarine-detection gear.  In this guise it operated out of bases located along the coast of mainland China in order to protect the Japanese shipping lanes in 1944 and 1945, with many remaining at their bases at the war's end to be picked up by the Nationalists and the Chinese Communists." (Bueschel, 209)

-- "Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 1000hp; top speed 239mph" (Bueschel, 209)

 

 

Yenchu XP-1 (1943)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
1 prototype	XP-1	Wright SGR-1820 710hp

 

Notes:

-- design by Constantine L. Zakhartchenko, started 1942 as the D-2; crashed during test flight (Andersson, 243)

-- XP = "experimental pursuit" aircraft; inverted, forward-swept gull wing; metal fuselage and wings

-- may have adapted a C-47 engine

-- XP-2 project known to exist but no details

 

 

Kawasaki Ki-10 (03/1935; captured by China 1939) -- reference: Ki-10 (II)

Tier II​ -- Kawasaki Ki-10 -- "Perry"

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
4 total	Ki-10 prototype	II/III [BMW VI] Kawasaki Ha-9-IIa 850hp (2-blade prop)		2x7.7mm Type 89 (S)	None
	Ki-10 prototype	II/III [BMW VI] Kawasaki Ha-9-IIa 850hp (3-blade prop)		2x7.7mm Type 89 (S)	None
300	K-10-I	II/III [BMW VI] Kawasaki Ha-9-IIa 850hp	400 km/h @ 3000m	2x7.7mm Type 89 (S)	None
1	Ki-10-II prototype	II/III [BMW VI] Kawasaki Ha-9-IIa 850hp		2x7.7mm Type 89 (S)	None
280	Ki-10-II	II/III [BMW VI] Kawasaki Ha-9-IIa 850hp	400 km/h @ 3000m	2x7.7mm Type 89 (S)	None
1	Ki-10-I KAI	II/III [BMW VI] Kawasaki Ha-9-IIa 850hp	420 km/h @ 3000m	2x7.7mm Type 89 (S)	None
2	Ki-10-II KAI	II/III [BMW VI] Kawasaki Ha-9-IIb 850hp	445 km/h @ 3800m	2x7.7mm Type 89 (S)	None

*above details are Japanese developments

 

Notes:

-- the Japanese Army's last operational fighter biplane

-- "With the appearance of the Ki-10 the classic biplane fighter design reached its peak in Japan and the aircraft marked the end of an era.  However, its superior maneuverability and supreme dog-fight agility were to influence the thinking of Japanese fighter pilots who, for many years after the introduction of the monoplane fighter, kept insisting that these aircraft be equally maneuverable." (Francillon, 86).

-- "...saw service with units of the Japanese Army in Japan, Formosa, Korea and Manchuko and participated in combat operations in China and Manchuria during the second Sino-Japanese conflict and the Nomonhan incident." (Francillon, 89).

-- "...saw action against Polikarpov I-15bis fighters supplied to China by the Soviet Union." (Jackson, 220)

-- "Ki-10-II captured by the Chinese in 1939" (source)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by J311yfish, 30 September 2018 - 11:31 PM.

[J311yfish]

Tier III

 

Curtiss Hawk 75M (05/1935; to China 1937+) -- reference: Hawk 75M (III)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
1 demonstrator* (delivered 1937)	Hawk 75H*	III Wright R-1820-G3 Cyclone 875hp		1x7.62mm 1x12.7mm(S)	2x7.62mm (W)
30 ordered     (delivered 05/1938)	Hawk 75M	III Wright GR-1820-G3 Cyclone 875hp	451 km/h @ 3048m	4x7.62mm
2 demonstrators	Hawk 75Q	IV  Wright R-1820-G105 Cyclone 1000hp
1 pattern aircraft	Hawk 75A-5	IV  Wright R-1820-G205A Cyclone 1200 hp	~520 km/h
1 Prototype + 9 completed	Yenchu XP-0	IV  Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3-G Twin Wasp 1200 hp (3-bladed prop)		2x or 4x20mm	Yes

 

Notes:

-- Hawk 75H purchased by the Chinese Nationalist government, then given by Madame Chiang Kai-shek to Chennault (leader of the Flying Tigers) for personal use.

-- Hawk 75H was fitted with wing bomb racks (Bowers, 355)

-- Hawk 75A-5 contract dated May 21 1939 was for 1 pattern aircraft and components to build 54 more under license in China by CAMCO; due to evacuation and relocation only the 1 pattern aircraft was completed; the remaining components were either used as salvage or found their way to the RAF as Mohawk IV's (Andersson, 260); Bowers claims that the evacuation was to Bangalore, India, that CAMCO was reorganized there as Hindustan Aircraft Ltd, and that 6 H75-A5's were completed before the remainder was absorbed by the RAF. (Bowers, 352)

-- these are not simply copy/paste variants from the U.S. tech tree.  The Hawk 75 currently in-game for the U.S. tree uses these engines:

       Wright R-1670-5 800hp
       Wright R-1820-G3 840hp (in common with the first Chinese variant above)
       Wright R-1820-G5 950hp

-- therefore it would be reasonable to expect the Chinese Hawk 75's to be faster, and extendable to to Tier IV with the 75Q, 75A-5, and the Chinese adaptation XP-0

Yenchu XP-0:

-- several English names:  Yenchu XP-0, Yench'u XP-0, Chu X-PO

-- design based broadly on Curtiss Hawk 75A ... intended to use indigenous materials ... of mixed construction, with wooden three-spar wings, welded steel tube fuselage, and the whole covered by plywood skinning" (Green, 113)

-- design initiated early 1941 by Maj Gen Chu Chia-Gen, Chief of the Air Force Technical Bureau, at the Air Force Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (AFAMF) No. 1 (Green, 113); [sidenote: wiki entry claims he studied at Aerospace Engineering at MIT 1920-1926; another entry claims he led assembly of American aircraft and Soviet Polikarpov I-15's; later exiled to Taiwan and designed helicopters]

-- "It was anticipated that the X-PO would be manufactured in series at the AFAMF No.1 at Kunming, and the sole prototype was flown for the first time in 1943 at Yangling, northeast of Kunming.  After circuiting the field, the aircraft landed too fast, ground-looped and was written off.  In the meantime, the US entry into World War II and the consequent release of supplies of fighters to China had removed the need for indigenous fighter manufacture, and further development of the X-PO was discontinued.  No data have apparently survived." (Green, 113)

-- "... intended to carry two or four 20mm cannon in underwing fairings, and a centerline bomb rack was to have enabled the fighter to fulfill a secondary role of dive bomber." Green, 113)

-- Andersson claims that 1 prototype + 9 were completed (Andersson, 233)

 

unverified:

"Following the failure of Hawk 75 production, the CAMCO factory planned to organize assembly of the export version of the Curtiss-Wright CW-21 Demon, light fighter. Three aircraft and 32 sets of components were ordered from the USA. The factory at Loiwing worked until April 1942, when on account of Japanese attacks it had to be evacuated to Kunming, while its American personnel set up shop in India. From 1943 to 1946 the aircraft factory, which was dispersed in the ravines neighboring Kunming, assembled an experimental series of nine fighter monoplanes, probably from components of the Hawk 75M and 75A-5, and CW-21. To a degree they were similar to the American prototypes and their further fate is unknown. In western sources the first example figures under the strange designation XP-0."

 

 

Curtiss Demon CW-21 (09/1938; to China 1939+)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
1 demonstrator (02/1939) 31 ordered, 4 delivered, all destroyed*	CW-21 (NX19431) CW-21	Wright R-1820-G5 850hp IV Wright R-1820___ 1000hp	476 km/h @ 2285m*	2x12.7mm	2x7.62mm

*CW-21B 505 km/h @ 3719m, faster due to flush undercarriage (Bowers, 463)

 

Notes:

-- "...light-weight single-seat interceptor design ..." (Bowers, 461)

-- all metal stressed-skin structure with semi-monocoque fuselage (Green, 144)

-- "With simple structure and minimum equipment, the Demon was intended as an economical yet high-performance design for small-country air forces.  No armor or fuel tank protection was provided; armament was light by European standards, with two guns in the nose and one in each wing.  The first CW-21 flew in September 1938." (Bowers, 461)

-- CW-21A was a proposal to use the Allison V-1710 engine [same engine found in P-40] in the CW-21 airframe with a redesigned flush inward-retracting undercarriage, as found on 24 CW-21B's sold to Netherlands East Indies 1941." (Bowers, 462-463)

-- *1 prototype demonstrator delivered [sometime after 02/1939]; 3 built by Curtiss [March 1940] lost due to engine failures (dirty fuel suspected) while being ferried from Lashio to Kunming; 27 to be built in China by CAMCO at Loi-Wing were destroyed on May 1, 1942 to prevent capture by Japanese (Green, 144)

-- "A correspondent in China is of opinion that the Japanese bombers will shortly receive the biggest surprise of the war, the Chinese Government having ordered a number of American Curtiss-Wright interceptor monoplane fighters. // The machine concerned is known as the CW-21 and has the following characteristics: Initial rate of climb, 5,000 ft/min; climb to 10,000 ft, 2.8min; climb to 20,000 ft, less than 6 min; service ceiling, 35,000 ft; top speed, over 300 mph; normal gross weight, 4,092 lb. The armament comprises [1x0.30" Colt-Browning] with 500 rounds of ammunition and [1x0.5" Colt-Browning] with 200 rounds. // The pilot's seat is armoured to deflect bullets coming from behind and below. // The engine is a 9-cylinder Wright Cyclone with a two-speed supercharger and drives a constant-speed Hamilton airscrew. // Use is made of the new Curtiss-Wright 'tell-tale' instrument panel which is designed immediately to attract the pilot's attention to improper operating conditions and to indicate the specific item or items at fault." (Flight Magazine 03/02/1939 p.223)

-- A CW-21 was captured by the Japanese ... details here

-- 3-view / wheels up

 

 

Polikarpov I-16 (12/1933; to China 1937+) -- reference: I-16 (III/IV)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
197 delivered*	I-16 Type 10	IV  Shvetsov M-25B 750hp	440 km/h @3000m	4xShKAS mg (2xS + 2xW)
197 delivered*	I-16 Type 17	IV   Shvetsov M-25V 750hp		2xShKAS mg   2xShKAS cannon	1x12.7mm Berezin UB
~19 adapted	Chung 28A	IV Wright R-1820-F53 Cyclone 770hp**
197 delivered*	I-16 Type 27	V Shvetsov M-62 800hp		4x7.62mm  2x20mm (W)

*197 total

**Hawk III engine

 

Notes:

--The I-16's currently in-game use these engines:

     M22 480hp (early I-16)
     M25A 730hp (early I-16)
     M25V 750hp (early I-16 / late I-16) -- Tier III/IV -- in common with middle engine above
     M62 830hp (late I-16) -- Tier IV
     M63 930hp (late I-16) -- Tier IV

-- therefore it is reasonable to expect that I-16's available to China will be very similar, but potentially faster at Tier III due to the Hawk III engine mod (Zhong 28A) and M-62 if permitted.

-- the first prototype was flown on December 30 1933 using the M-22 480hp engine [same as found in the I-15] (Green, 473)

-- the second prototype was flown on February 18 1934 using Wright SGR-1820-F-3 Cyclone (Green, 473)

-- encountered Japanese Mitsubishi A5M's over Nanking beginning November 20 1937. (Januszewski, 18)

 

 

Vultee V-11 (09/1935; to China 07/1937+)

Tier III attack -- Vultee V-11

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
1 1	V-11 prototype V-11-A	III  Wright SR-1820-F53 750hp III  Wright GR-1820-G2 850hp*	370 km/h ****	2x7.62mm (W)     1x7.62mm rear	up to 454kg (1000 lbs)
29	V-11-G	III  Wright GR-1820-G2 850hp	354-369 km/h	4x7.62mm (W)    1x7.762mm rear	20x30lb  /4x300lb / 1x1100lb **
25 delivered unassembled	V-12-C	IV  Wright GR-1820-G205B 1100hp
51 ordered, __ built	V-12-D	V  Wright GR-2600-A5B 1600hp	435-452 km/h	1x7.62mm and 1x12.7mm (N)   2x7.762mm rear	20x30lb  / 1x1100lb

*the first in series used a Wright SR-1820-F53 Cyclone (Andersson, 258; Bowers, 155))

** about 270kg of bombs internal bomb bay, 550kg external (Andersson, 259)

 

Notes:

V-11

-- the V-11 formed the basis of the Soviet BSh-1 attack aircraft in game ... which eventually became the IL-2

-- "...semi-monocoque stressed-skin structure of elliptical cross-section, incorporating an internal bomb-bay.  A continuous four-section canopy joined the two cockpits and the stepped aft section of the canopy was pivoted at its base to permit deployment of an aft-firing machine gun.  The fuselage structure included four strong longerons but no stringers and the metal skin was of 1.5-2.5mm thickness." (Andersson, 259)

-- "Originally the V-11 had no armor protection for the crew, power plant or fuel tanks" [the BSh-1 added armor] (Andersson, 259)

-- "...attack bomber based on the design of the Vultee V1 ... first flight September 17 1935 ... second prototype V-11A ready by October 9 1935 ... order for 30 placed by the Chinese Nationalist Government ... shipped between July 1937 and April 1938, all without engines and the later batches as sub-assemblies and parts which were assembled at Shanghai and Hangkow.  The Wright R-1820-G2 850hp engines were acquired separately and this powerplant resulted in the designation V11-G.  In service at Hangkow with the 14th Squadron, an international unit of American and French pilots and Chinese gunners, they saw limited action against Japanese forces in 1938." (Bowers, 156)

V-11 design lineage to Ilyushin IL-2

-- The V-11-GB variant was not used in China, but was studied by the Soviets as a basis for the armored BSh-1 development, arriving eventually at Ilyushin IL-2.

-- "The V11-GB attack-bomber had a third crew member in the lower aft fuselage, who acted as a bomb-aimer/camera operator and, in a prone rearward-facing position, as a second gunner with a retractable 7.62mm gun.  Four more 7.62mm guns were wing-mounted.  Four were acquired by the Soviet Union along with a license to manufacture the type.  The first was flown on January 31 1937 [and again February 26 1937] ... both with -G2 engines.  The other two were delivered engineless and the first was dismantled for parts.  At least thirty-one were built (some reports suggest thirty-five) as the BSh-1 at the Moscow Menzhinskii factory up to December 1938 with a M-62 920hp (license-built Cyclone).  With armor plate the Bronirovanny Shturmovik-1 (armored attacker 1) had a reduced performance and was rejected by VVS. 

-- V-11-GB variant added a third crew member as bomb-aimer, observation windows in rear fuselage sides for bomb aiming, and may have reduced wing armament to 2x7.62mm (Andersson)

V-12

-- first flight September 13 1938 as model AB-2 ... "Incorporating the Twin Wasp R-1830-S1C3, it featured a streamlined canopy faired into a deeper rear fuselage, a fully -- instead of partially -- retractable tailwheel, and two 12.7mm and two 7.62mm guns.  China ordered 26 aircraft, designated V-12C, with the Wright GR-1820-G205B 1100hp.  The prototype flew in February 1940 but was damaged in a taxiing accident on January 25 1941, and was still stored at Nashvile in August 1944.  The other 25 were shipped as parts for assembly by CAMCO at Loiwing.  China also ordered 52 V-12D's with Wright GR-2600-A5B 1600hp and these had a similar canopy and fuselage shape to the V-11, but a taller fin and rudder.  One pattern aircraft was shipped to China in 1940 but few aircraft had been completed locally before the factory was bombed by the Japanese on October 26 1940.  Production resumed on behalf of the Chinese by Hindustan Aircraft Ltd at Bangalore in India, but only three were completed.  [some found their way to Pakistan]. (Bowers, 156-156)

-- sideview in United States / front-view in China / 

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

Premium

 

Breda Ba.27 Metallico (1933; to China 1935+)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
18 purchased,  11 delivered	III  Ba.27 Metallico	III  Alfa-Romeo Mercury IVA 540hp (3-blade prop)	380 km/h @ 5000m	III  2x12.7mm	None

 

Notes:

-- "...entirely of metal construction, the wing being of steel and duralumin with duralumin skinning, and the corrugated skinning of the fuselage gave place to a smooth duralumin covering." (Green, 87)

-- designed by Parano and Panzeri

-- image

-- stats

-- encountered Japanese Mitsubishi A5M's October 12 1937 over Nanking. (Januszewski, 18)

 

 

 

Alternates

 

Gloster Gladiator Mk-I (09/1934) -- reference: F3F (III), CR.42

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
36 ordered, 36 delivered*	Mk-I	III  Mercury IX 795-825hp**	407 km/h	2x7.7mm Browning (S)	2x7.7mm Browning (W)

*36 delivered; assigned to 17th, 28th, and 29th squadrons (Lennart Andersson, 313)

** The Gladiator Mk-1 imported by the Soviets used Bristol Mercury IV S2 645hp, max speed 375 km/h (Andersson, 283)

 

Notes:

-- one of the last biplane fighters with non-retractable undercarriage (Andersson, 283)

-- over 300 built for the Royal Air Force and for export to Belgium, China, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Sweden; also used by the air forces of Finland, Egypt, Iraq, Ireland, South Africa (Andersson, 283)

-- [Gladiator Mk. I and II could be better used for Sweden because they ordered more and ordered both versions (37 Mk I, 18 Mk II)] (Green, 247)

 

Sources:

A History of Chinese Aviation, by Lennart Andersson

Soviet Aircraft and Aviation 1917-1941, by Lennart Andersson

The British Fighter Since 1916, by Francis K. Mason

 

 

Neman R-10 (06/1936)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs*
8 total	R-10	III M-25A 650-730hp**	~388 km/h	2x7.62mm ShKAS (W)   1x7.62mm ShKAS rear in MV-3 turret	300kg internal
		IV M-25V 750-770hp***	~388 km/h	2x7.62mm ShKAS (W)   1x7.62mm ShKAS rear in MV-3 turret	300kg internal

*6x50kg / 12x25kg / 30x10kg

** license-built Wright Cyclone

*** same engine used in I-16

 

Notes:

-- details (Andersson, 182-183)

 

 

Dewoitine D.510 (10/1936; to China 1938)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
24 ordered, 6 delivered	D.510	Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs (HS 77) 775hp	402 km/h @ 5000m	1x20mm HS.9	2x7.5mm MAC 1934 (W)

 

Notes:

-- 41st French Volunteer Squadron

-- for details on the D.510 in France see here

-- image

 

 

Sources:

A History of Chinese Aviation, by Lennart Andersson (2008)

Flight in the China Air Space 1910-1950, by Malcolm Rosholt (1984)

The Complete Book of Fighters, by William Green and Gordon Swanborough (2001)

 

 

Nakajima Ki-27b (10/1936)

Nakajima Ki-27b

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
Captured	Ki-27b	IV  Nakajima Ha-1b 710hp	470 km/h @ 3500m	II  2x7.7mm Type 89	4x25kg

*for original Ki-27 configurations see here

 

 

Mitsubishi Ki-30 (02/1937; captured by China ___)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament		Bombs
Captured	Ki-30	Nakajima Ha-5 KAI 950hp	432 km/h @ 4000m	1x7.7mm Type 89 (W)	1x7.7mm Type 89 rear	300-400kg

 

Notes:
-- "Although remembered as the first Japanese light bomber fitted with double-row air-cooled engine, variable-pitch propeller, internal bomb-bay and split flaps, the Ki-30 cannot boast any claim to fame.  Its operational career was inconspicuous as it served mainly in China at a time when little or no enemy opposition faced the IJA, but, being a remarkably easy aircraft to fly and maintain and possessing few or no vices, the Ki-30 was long remembered by its crews." (Francillon, 164)
-- "The Ki-30 began its operational career on the Chinese mainland in 1938 where it proved to be one of the Japanese Army's most reliable aircraft, and losses caused by enemy aircraft were low as it operated within the range of the Ki-27 fighter." (Francillon, 167)

 

 

Mitsubishi Ki-51 (~1939; captured by China ___)

Mitsubishi Ki-51 -- "Sonia"

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament		Bombs
2	Ki-51 prototype	Mitsubishi Zuisei 15 Ha-26-II 940hp	424 km/h @ 3000m	2x7.7mm Type 89 (W)	1x7.7mm Type 89 rear	200-250 kg
11	Ki-51 service trials	Mitsubishi Zuisei 15 Ha-26-II 940hp	424 km/h @ 3000m	2x7.7mm Type 89 (W)	1x7.7mm Type 89 rear	200-250 kg
2372	Ki-51	Mitsubishi Zuisei 15 Ha-26-II 940hp	424 km/h @ 3000m	2x12.7mm Type 1 (W)	1x7.7mm Type 89 rear	200-250 kg
3	Ki-71	Mitsubishi Kinsei Ha-112-II 1500hp	470 km/h @ 3000m	2x20mm Ho-5 (W)	1x7.7mm Type 89 rear	200-250 kg

*details above are Japanese development -- see here for more current info

 

Notes:

-- "Japanese involvement on the Chinese mainland, and the continuous state of guerrilla warfare faced by their ground forces there between late 1937 and August 1945, led to the requirement for counter-insurgency aircraft for use against small mobile Chinese resistance units." (Bueschel, 156)

-- Ki-30 and Ki-32 competed for the same role, and Ki-51 was developed from Ki-30. (Francillon, Bueschel)

-- "As compared to its forerunner [Ki-30], the new aircraft, designated Ki-51, was to be smaller, and emphasis was placed on maneuverability, protection, and ability to operate from short fields close to front lines." (Francillon, 178).

-- "Use of the fixed landing gear on the Ki-51 may have seemed archaic, but it had a very practical purpose: it kept the aircraft relatively simple to maintain at fields deep in China." (Bueschel, 156)

-- the final (proposed) engine of Ki-51 (Ha-112-II) is also found in the Ki-45/96 and Ki-102.  It was to be used in a modified Ki-51 (dubbed Ki-71 Army Experimental Tactical Reconnaisance Plane) that also featured retractable undercarriage.  Though the design was not accepted for production, the Allies discovered it and assigned it a new code name, "Edna." (Francillon)

-- "... more than 100 Mitsubishi Ki-51 Type 99 ground-attack and Kawasaki Ki-48 Type 99 two-engine light bombers captured [from the Japanese] in Manchuria." (Bueschel, 14)

-- for specs see here and scroll down

 

 

 

 

Omitted

 

Northrop A-17 (~1935)

 

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
	A-17	Pratt & Whitney R-1535-11 Twin Wasp Junior 750hp	332 km/h @ SL	4x7.62mm (W)   1x7.62mm rear	4x100lb (up to 1200lbs)
	A-17A	Pratt & Whitney R-1535-13 Twin Wasp Junior 750-825hp	354 km/h @ 762m	4x7.62mm (W)   1x7.62mm rear	4x100lb (up to 1200lbs)

 

 

Notes:

-- No evidence to indicate that the Northrop A-17 was ever there.

-- [having trouble finding the exact amount used in China, if any; it may be that it was given first to RAF then to China, or French Air Force then to China; or else it may be that the A-17 has been confused with the Northrop Gamma from which the A-17 was derived.  This unattributed photo described as a "Northop Nomad in Chinese service" may be the source of the error.  It is actually a Tachikawa Ki-55 (look at the wheels and tail).  Moving A-17 to alternate list until evidence shows up]

-- "As the performance of the Gamma 2A and 2B exceeded substantially that of the Curtiss Shrike, the U.S. Army Air Corps' then current attack aircraft, Northrop had decided early in 1933 to undertake as a private venture, the development of an attack version of the Gamma.  Retaining the wings and trousered undercarriage of the earlier aircraft, the Gamma 2C was fitted with a new fuselage housing a pilot and radio operator/gunner under an enclosed canopy located further forward to improve visibility ... [further modifications of the Gamma 2C led to Gamma 2F, which led to the A-17 and A-17A; not to be confused with the earlier Gamma 2E, 2EC, 2ED which were designations made for the delivery to China]" (Francillon, 127-138, 195-208)

-- " ... [A-17] differed from the production prototype in being fitted with three-segment perforated dive-brakes extending between the ailerons [pictured above] ... first production delivery 23 December 1935, last production delivery 5 January 1937 [delivery date to China needs to be confirmed]." (Francillon, 197)

-- "A-17A was a development to feature fully retractable main undercarriage ... required the extension of the inboard wing leading edge to provide space for the wheels [pictured above] ... expected to increase weight by ~104kg ... first flight 16 July 1936, first production delivery 12 August 1936 ... production delays .. a total of 129 A-17A's ordered, last delivered September 1938 ... 93 A-17A's were returned to Douglas on 20 June 1940 for delivery to the French Armee de l'Air." (Francillon, 197-199)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by J311yfish, 30 September 2018 - 11:29 PM.

[J311yfish]

Tier IV

 

Curtiss Hawk 75A-5

 

-- see progression from Tier III

 

 

Vultee P-66 Vanguard (09/1939; to China 1942+)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
79 or 81 delivered   (1 adapted) (not built)	Model 61 Model 48X Model 48C   Model 48C refurbished Model 83	IV  Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S2C6-G 1050hp      Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3-G      Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S2C4-G V   Pratt & Whitney R-1830-33 (SC34-G) 1200hp      Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92      Pratt & Whitney R-1830-C4G turbosupercharged	547 km/h @ 4602m   660 km/h @ 10360m est.	2x12.7mm (S)   4x7.62mm (W)

*Gray text above indicates related development not carried out in China

 

Notes:

-- [design based on the Model 48 Vanguard, which was in turn pattered after the H-1B racer designed for Howard Hughes] ... "With a similar fuselage and the same tail, wing center section and retractable undercarriage (including the tailwheel) as the BC-51 and Model 54 trainers ... armament of ten 7.62mm machine guns was originally proposed, including two firing rearwards aimed by mirrors, but this latter idea was abandoned during development and a conventional layout, two 7.62mm guns in the cowling and four wing-mounted 12.7mm guns." (Bowers, 161)

-- "...the first Vanguard was changed to [Model] 61 [and offered with R-1830-S2C6-G 1050hp Twin Wasp] ... "the engine was almost completely enclosed in a low-drag cowling with a retractable air intake positioned beneath, directly behind the massive spinner ... company demonstrator first flown September 8 1939" ... cooling issues led to the adoption of a conventional R-1830-S1C3-G and cowling ... "In this form the prototype was designated Model 48X and was flown in this configuration for the first time on February 11 1940 ... (Bowers, 161)

-- contract for 144 aircraft agreed by Sweden May 1940 ... to be designated Model 48C ... first flight September 6 1940, production began November 1 ... "both were fitted with -S2C4-G engines." (Bowers, 162)

-- the order for Sweden was denied due to war-time export restrictions, so the aircraft were assigned to Britain under lend-lease for use as trainers in Canada ... Britain released them May 1941 for supply to China ... 144 aircraft were given the USAAF designation P-66 ... delivered between October 24 1941 and April 20 1942 ... "However, the first three aircraft were painted in RAF markings and one carried Swedish roundels for photos." (Bowers, 162)

-- "Official records show that 104 aircraft were received by the Chinese Air Force ... although the actual number that reached China was probably less.  About twelve were on strength with the 76th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group, at Kunming but saw little use.  Others saw action with two Chinese squadrons at An-Su from August 1943.  Many were lost on the ground during Japanese attacks and because the overall appearance of the P-66 was similar to the Japanese Oscar or Tojo, at least two were shot down in error by their own side.  Still others were placed in caves for storage at Chungking for use in the coming civil war against the communists and many were reported still in crates as late as 1947." (Bowers, 162)

-- "The first shipment for China finally left Long Beach in February 1942, followed by 40 more two months later..." (Bowers, 162)

-- "Many Chinese pilots, having trained on nosewheel Bell P-39's, were unqualified for the P-66 and several were lost during tests or en route; others remained unairworthy at Karachi.  One was rebuilt from several wrecked aircraft and flown with an R-1830-92 engine." (Bowers, 162)

-- 3-view

 

 

Polikarpov I-16 (12/1933; to China 1937+) -- reference: I-16 (III/IV)

 

-- see progression from Tier III

 

 

Vultee V-12 (~1939)

 

-- see progression from Tier III

 

 

 

---

 

 

Premium

Tier IV​ Premium -- Nakajima Ki-43  Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon)  隼  -- "Oscar" (01/1939)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament		Bombs
Captured	IV  Ki-43-Ic	IV  Nakajima Ha-25 950hp	495 km/h @ 4000m	IV  2x12.7mm Type 1	None	2x15kg

 

Notes:

-- "The perfect platform for a 'dogfighting' air force, the Ki-43-Ic was arguably the most maneuverable monoplane fighter of World War II." (Bueschel, 19).

-- "It was noted for its exceptional maneuverability, and was favored by many Japanese Army pilots over other Japanese fighters that later appeared in service." (Bueschel, 158)

-- "Allied pilots soon learned that past passes at a Hayabusa, with a complete avoidance of close-quarters combat, gave their heavier aircraft an advantage." (Bueschel, 8).

-- "Workhorse fighter of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force ... various models ... spread out all over North China and Manchuko...." (Bueschel, 158)

-- for Japanese version details see here.

-- Manchuko paint scheme

-- image

 

Ki-43-Ic stat comparison:

	A5M	Ki-33	Ki-43-Ic	A6M1
Tier	3	3	4	4
HEALTH	100	90	130	120
Weight	1625 kg	1462 kg	2089 kg	2540 kg
FIREPOWER	49	24	42.6	99
Armament	2x13.2mm Type 2 (S)	2x7.7mm Type 97 Model 1(S)	2x12.7mm Ho-103 (S)	2x7.7mm  |  2x20mm
Overheat time			12 s
Rate of Fire	720	800	600	800  |  520
Muzzle Velocity	750	750	780	750  |  600
Damage	74	42	62	46  |  82
AIRSPEED	386	411	420.4	415
Top Speed @ Sea Level	405 km/h	427 km/h	445.5 km/h	432 km/h
Top Speed @ Best Alt	450 km/h	474 km/h	495 km/h	480 km/h
Max Dive Speed	500 km/h	500 km/h	510 km/h	530 km/h
Stall Speed	80 km/h	80 km/h	95 km/h	90 km/h
Climb Rate	14.3 m/s	16.4 m/s	15.6 m/s	14.7 m/s
Optimum Speed	198 km/h	220 km/h	218.4 km/h	194 km/h
Boost time			10 s
MANEUVERABILITY	409	426	417.9	406
Time to turn 360-degrees	10.0 s	9.6 s	10.1 s	10.5 s
Roll rate	87 degrees/s	90 degrees/s	90 degrees/s	80 degrees/s
Controllability	100	100	100	100
Optimum Altitude	800 m	550 m	1200 m	900 m

 

Sources:

Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa, by Richard M. Bueschel

Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, by Rene Francillon

 

Alternates

 

Bellanca 28-90B "Flash" (1934; to China 1937)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
20 purchased	28-90B	IV  Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp 960hp	447 km/h @ 3048m	"2 fixed guns and 1 movable gun"	8x 54kg

 

Notes:

-- militarized version of racing aircraft that set a transatlantic record in 1936; to be used as a high-speed fighter-bomber

-- Developed from the Bellanca 28-70 long-range racer which designed and built for James Fitzmaurice of Ireland to be flown in the 1934 MacRobertson Race from England to Australia [aircraft name "Irish Swoop"].  The aircraft was not allowed to enter the race because it hadn't been tested, so it was sent back to the United States for testing but was damaged in a landing accident.  Rebuilt 1936 as Bellanca 28-90 with Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp 960hp .. aircraft renamed "Dorothy" and piloted by Captain James A. Mollison for transatlantic speed record ... October 30 1936 crossed Atlantic in 13 hours ... sold to Spanish Republican government 1937, presumed lost in reconnaissance mission. (Abel, 47)

-- "The plane was a low-wing with retractable landing gear ... Most unique was the fact that the wings were braced with guy wires strung from two downward-protruding steel supporting struts beneath the fuselage ... upper "landing" wires ran from the main spars of the wings to the upper portion of the fuselage.  The wing had two wooden spars and wooden ribs.  It was covered in fabric and had trailing edge flaps.  The fuselage was built of welded steel tubing faired to a circular section ... covered with fabric.  The tandem cockpits were covered with sliding hatches.  The undercarriage used two separate legs.  Each wheel incorporated a Cleveland oleo shock absorber.  The gear folded well into the wing.  Bendix wheels and hydraulic brakes were standard equipment." (Abel, 47)

-- "Provision was made for two fixed guns and one movable gun ... could also carry bomb racks bearing eight 120-lb bombs, a radio and landing flare equipment.  Service ceiling 30,500'.  If needed it could carry 150 gallons of fuel for a range of 800 miles." (Abel, 47)

-- After complicated trade ordeal with Spanish government, the aircraft ultimately arrived in Hangkow, China in 1937, where bomb racks were fitted ... destroyed by Japanese bombers before even getting airborne. (Abel, 47)

-- "20 purchased through complicated deal via Air France ... 20 still had Air France logo" (Rosholt)

-- gun mounted for observer in rear cockpit (view / view); side view

 

 

Lockheed A-29 Hudson (12/1939)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
33 allocated, 19 received by AVG	IIIA	2x Wright R-1820-87 (G205A) 1200hp		5-7x7.62mm   1x12.7mm	up to 635kg

 

Notes:

-- crew of 5, among other things, might push this out of bounds, but included here because there are not many options

 

 

Republic P-43 Lancer (03/1940) 

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
125 ordered, 108 delivered	P-43A-1	V  Pratt & Whitney R-1830-57 1200hp	573 km/h @6100m	2x12.7mm (S)    2x12.7mm (W)	up to 91kg

 

Notes:

-- self-sealing fuel tanks, but considered by AVG to be unreliable; difficulties also with turbo-supercharger (Green, 492)

 

 

Nakajima Ki-43 (01/1939; captured by China 1943)

Nakajima Ki-43  Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon)  隼  -- "Oscar" (01/1939)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament		Bombs
Captured	Ki-43-Ic	Nakajima Ha-25 950hp	495 km/h @ 4000m	2x12.7mm Type 1	None	2x15kg

 

Notes:

-- "The perfect platform for a 'dogfighting' air force, the Ki-43-Ic was arguably the most maneuverable monoplane fighter of World War II." (Bueschel, 19).

-- "It was noted for its exceptional maneuverability, and was favored by many Japanese Army pilots over other Japanese fighters that later appeared in service." (Bueschel, 158)

-- "Allied pilots soon learned that past passes at a Hayabusa, with a complete avoidance of close-quarters combat, gave their heavier aircraft an advantage." (Bueschel, 8).

-- "Workhorse fighter of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force ... various models ... spread out all over North China and Manchuko...." (Bueschel, 158)

-- for Japanese version details see here (scroll down a short way)

-- Manchuko paint scheme

 

 

Kawasaki Ki-45

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by J311yfish, 03 November 2016 - 05:59 PM.

[J311yfish]

Tier V

 

Curtiss P-40 (10/1938+) -- reference: P-40 (V), Tomahawk IIb (V)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
100 delivered	V  H81A-3 ("Tomahawk IIB")	V  Allison V-1710-33 1090hp	555 km/h @ 4575m	IV  2x12.7mm M2 (S) and III  4x7.62mm M1919-A4 (W)	Yes
**	P-40E	V  Allison V-1710-39 1150hp*	583 km/h @ 4572m	6x12.7mm (W)	Yes
**	P-40K	Allison V-1710-73 (F4R) 1325hp
**	P-40M	VI  Allison V-1710-81 1200hp
**	P-40N	VI  Allison V-1710-81 1200hp	608 km/h @ 3048m	4-6x12.7mm (W)
**	P-40N-40-CU	Allison V-1710-115 1360hp

* engine also used by P-51A

** exact totals for each variant need confirmation; 400-1000

 

Notes:

-- the engines highlighted above are those that are currently in game for the P-40 found in the American tech tree (which also has a V-1710-85 1200hp); therefore the P-40's in the Chinese theater have potentially greater capability with the V-1710-73 and V-1710-115.  

-- The V-1710-33 is also found in the Tomahawk IIB premium, and is comparable to the Soviet P-40 premium, which uses M-105-PA 1100hp engine for 547 km/h.

-- [based on the Allison engines now in game for the P-38, it may be possible to stretch P-40 to cover Tier V and VI with 5 engines, as the P-38 for U.S.A. is stretched across Tier V and VI with 4 engines]

-- image 1 / image 2 / image 3 / image 4

 

-- "Curtiss P-40 equipped with 1000 lb bomb" (source)

 

 

 

Zero 3372 (Mitsubishi A6M2) (01/1940; captured by China November 21 1941; refurbished mid 1942) -- reference: A6M2 (V)

 

Notes:

-- Captured November 26 1941 ... 11 days before Pearl Harbor ... flown by 5 Flying Tiger pilots ... More pictures/details

-- modules in-game

 

Timeline 

 

01 Apr 1939  Mitsubishi A6M1 prototype first flight

28 Dec 1939  Mitsubishi A6M2 first flight with Sakae 12 engine

__ Jul 1940  Mitsubishi A6M2 flight trials complete

21 Jul 1940  15 pre-production Mitsubishi A6M2's assigned to the 12th Rengo Kokutai (12th Combined Naval Air Corps) for combat trials in China

31 Jul 1940  Mitsubishi A6M2's accepted for production

13 Sep 1940  Pre-production Mitsubishi A6M2's first used in combat ... destroyed 99 Chinese aircraft while losing only 2 A6M2's to ground fire

__ Jun 1941  Mitsubishi A6M3 development begins [date approximate]

__ Sep 1941  Mitsubishi A6M2's redeployed for impending war with Allies

__ Nov 1941  1st American Volunteer Group assembles for training in Burma; employer of record = CAMCO

26 Nov 1941  Mitsubishi A6M2 "Tiger Zero" (Zero 3372) recovered in China; restored by summer 1942

07 Dec 1941  Pearl Harbor

20 Dec 1941 1st American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) official start

07 May 1942  Coral Sea

__ Jun 1942  "Akutan Zero" crash lands on Akutan Island near Alaska

03 Jun 1942  Battle of Midway

04 Jul 1942   1st American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) end; becomes 23rd Fighter Group as part of China Air Task Force under command of Brigadier General Claire Chennault; subordinate to Tenth Air Force in India

__ Nov 1942  Technical Air Intelligence Unit formed; others formed 1943-1944

 

Source: Francillon

 

 

 

Kawasaki Ki-61-I (12/1941) -- reference: Ki-61 (VI)

Kawasaki Ki-61 (captured)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament		Bombs
Captured	Ki-61-Ib*	Kawasaki Ha-40 1100hp	592 km/h @4860m	2x12.7mm Type 1 (F)	2x12.7mm Type 1 (W) or 2x20mm MG 151/20 (W)*	None
Captured	Ki-61-I KAIc*	Kawasaki Ha-40 1180hp	590 km/h @ 4260m	2x20mm Ho-5 (F)	2x12.7mm Type 1 (W)*	2x250kg

 

Notes:

-- *captured variants identified by Bueschel; details by Bueschel and Francillon here.  

-- Rosholt claims that an unarmed Ki-61 was captured after Japan surrendered; no speculation is made about its potential armament or use.

-- Bueschel claims that "both the Nationalists and the Chinese Communists picked up examples in good condition." (Beuschel, 137)

-- for Japanese development see here.

 

 

Vultee V-12 (~1939)

 

-- see progression from Tier III

 

 

 

---

 

 

Premium

 

Curtiss Tomahwak IIB (~1941) -- reference

Tier V Premium -- Curtiss Tomahawk IIB

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament		Bombs
100*	V  Tomahawk IIB	V  V-1710-33 (C-15)	555 km/h @ 4575m	IV  2x12.7mm M2 (S)	III  4x7.62mm M1919-A4 (W)	Yes

 

Notes:

-- Tomahawk IIb (World of Warplanes Encyclopedia)

 

P-40 stat comparison: revision needed, see link above instead for comparison

	U.S.A. P-40 @ max	Chinese Tomahawk IIB
Tier	5	5
HEALTH	235	210
Weight	3056 kg	3604 kg
FIREPOWER	89	91.7
Armament	6x12.7mm M2 (W)	2x12.7mm M2 (S)  |  4x7.62mmM1919-A4 (W)
Overheat time		12s  |  16s
Rate of Fire	700 rounds/min	700   |  540  rounds/min
Muzzle Velocity	890 m/s	890  |  850 m/s
Damage/s	73	73  |  31
AIRSPEED	511	504.3
Top Speed @ Sea Level	472 km/h	472 km/h
Top Speed @ Best Alt	590 km/h	555 km/h
Max Dive Speed	780 km/h	750 km/h
Stall Speed	150 km/h	150 km/h
Climb Rate	13.9 m/s	14.2 km/h
Optimum Speed	322 km/h	311.5 km/h
Boost time		10 s
MANEUVERABILITY	279	285.9
Time to turn 360-degrees	20.3 s	20 s
Roll rate	114 degrees/s	110 degrees/s
Controllability	91	92.5
Optimum Altitude	1650	1200

 

 

Alternates:

 

Petlyakov Pe-2

 

 

 

 

 

Northrop P-61 Black Widow (05/1942)

 

 

Notes:

-- night fighter, also painted black

-- may have been credited with the last take-down of a Japanese aircraft before the end of the war

-- 2 squadrons featuring P-61A night fighters (426th and 427th squadrons), reached China in the last months of WWII; all in USAAF markings (Rosholt, 157)

-- 1 is currently in a museum in Beijing with USAAF markings (captured by PLAAF?) -- image 1 / image 2

-- [so far no evidence to suggest that P-61 was ever used by RoCAF or PLAAF]

 

 

Edited by J311yfish, 03 November 2016 - 06:02 PM.

[J311yfish]

Tier VI

 

Curtiss P-40N

 

-- see P-40 progression from Tier V

 

 

Nakajima Ki-44-II

*According to Bueschel, the captured Ki-44 above is a "Type 2" and was used by the Communists against the Nationalists early in the civil war.  

See here for Ki-44-II specs (scroll down a short way)

 

Sources:  

Ki-44 'Tojo' Aces of World War 2, by Nicholas Millman

Communist Chinese Air Power, by Richard M. Bueschel (1968)

 

 

Kawasaki Ki-61-II

 

-- research needed to see if Ki-61-II was actually captured by the Chinese or Soviets (Operation August Storm)

-- for Japanese development see here under Ki-61. 

 

 

Ilyushin IL-2m3 (to China 1943+)

 

-- see IL-2m3 in-game

 

 

 

Tier VII

 

North American P-51C/D/K (to China 1943+) -- reference: P-51A (VI), P-51D (VII), P-51H (VIII), P-51K (VII)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
48 delivered	P-51C	VIII Packard V-1650-7  1490-1720hp*	707 km/h @ 7620m	4x12.7mm M2	bombs/rockets
261 total **	P-51D	VIII Packard V-1650-7  1490-1720hp	703 km/h @ 7600m	6x12.7mm M2 (W)	bombs/rockets
261 total **	P-51K	VIII Packard V-1650-7  1490-1720hp	703 km/h @ 7600m	6x12.7mm M2 (W)	bombs/rockets

*this is the same engine used by the P-51 in the U.S. tree (2nd of 3 engines); therefore the Chinese P-51 is likely middle-of-the-road with respect to speed

** 261 total P-51D and P-51K; 624 total implied for all P-51's

*** a photo reconnaissance version was also used, designated F-6

 

Also P-51A, P-51B

 

Notes:

-- "The Nationalist Chinese had four fighter groups equipped with P-51D by the end of 1947, making it the major fighter in the Nationalist Air Force during the civil war.  An additional 95 were earmarked for Nationalists in 1948, and ultimately reached them on Taiwan" (Bueschel, 161)

-- Bueschel claims that whole squadrons of Nationalist P-51D's were captured by the Communists during the summer of 1949, and that they were the standard PLAAF fighter in the closing months of the Chinese civil war.

-- "...a remarkably well preserved P-51D of the PLAAF is on display at the revolutionary museum in Peking (Bueschel, 161)

 

Lavochkin La-7 (02/1944; to China 1950+) -- reference: La-7 (VII)

 

 

 

Yakovlev Yak-9P (1942+; to China 19__) -- reference: Yak-9U (VII)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
	Yak-9P (1943)     Yak-9P (1947)	VI  M-105PF 1180hp @ alt     VII M-107A (VK-107A) 1650hp	505 km/h @ SL 576 km/h @ 3950m   590 km/h @ SL 660 km/h @ 5000m 673 km/h @ 5700m*	2x20mm     1x20mm and 2x12.7mm

*Bueschel claims 668 km/h @ unspecified altitude.  Other data from Gordon and Khazanov

 

Notes:

-- "second-generation Yak-9" (Green, 602)

-- "In the immediate postwar years, the Soviet Union exported substantial number of Yak-9U's and Yak-9P's ... China ... was a recipient of a number of Yak-9P's ..." (Green, 602)

-- "... quickly became Russia's major export fighter and it soon showed up in just about every country receiving military aid from the Soviet Union in the late 1940's and early 1950's" (Bueschel, 210)

-- "... became a standard fighter of the PLAAF in 1950, just prior to the Korean War." (Bueschel, 210)

-- "... considerably smaller and lighter than the North American P-51D, an aircraft with which it was often compared." (Bueschel, 210)

-- all-metal construction (Bueschel, 210)

-- "P" designation = "Pushyechnyi" meaning "cannon armament"

-- China later gave some Yak-9P's to North Korea; "A Yak-9P of the North Korean Air Force was the first Communist aircraft to fly over the 38th parallel in June, 1950, dramatically announcing the start of the Korean War." (Bueschel, 210)

 

 

Ilyushin IL-10 (04/1944; to China 1950+) -- reference: IL-10 (VII)

 

Notes:

-- details later

-- image

-- PLAAF Il-10 at Chinese Aviation Museum

 

 

 

---

 

 

Alternates

 

Lockheed P-38 Lightning​ ​-- reference: P-38F (V), P-38J (VI)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
36 total *	F-5B		**
14 delivered	F-5E  (P-38H)	VII 2x Allison V-1710-89/91	<667 km/h @ 7620m**
36 total *	F-5F	VII 2x Allison V-1710-111/113 1600hp @ 8075m	**
36 total *	F-5G (P-38L)	VII 2x Allison V-1710-111/113 1600hp @ 8075m	667 km/h @ 7620m**

* 36 total F-5B, F5F, F-5G

** confirm

 

image

 

Source:

 Lockheed P-38 Lightning in USAAF, French, Italian, Chinese Nationalist Service, Arco-Aircram Aviation Series No.10, by Ernest R. McDowell and Richard Ward (1969)

 

de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito​ -- reference: Mosquito (VI), Mosquito 26 (VI)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament		Bombs
		VII 2x Packard Merlin 225 1620hp

 

Notes:

-- "By late 1947 negotiations were underway between the Nationalists and Canada for 150 Mosquitoes at a price of $10,000 each.  Ultimately some 250 were shipped to China, where they served in the civil war, with their last stand being made in round-the-clock Mosquito raids against the mainland from the last remaining Nationalist bases on the island of Hainan in February 1950." (Bueschel, 120)

-- "A substantial number of the Canadian Mosquito bombers and fighters fell into Red Chinese hands." (Bueschel, 120)

-- variants used: T Mk27, FB Mk26, T Mk29, B Mk25, T Mk22 (Andersson)

-- PLAAF Mosquito at Chinese Aviation Museum

 

 

Republic P-47D/N ​-- reference: P-47B (VI), P-47N (VII)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament
	P-47D	VI Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 2535hp	697 km/h @ 9145m	VI 8x12.7mm M2	bombs/rockets
	P-47N	VII Pratt & Whitney R-2800-57© 2800hp (early), -77 (late)	752 km/h @ 9905m	VII 8x12.7mm M2

^ Kangwan airfield is in Shanghai, roughly midway between Beijing and Taiwan (approximately 1200km from Beijing)

 

Notes:

-- P-47D flown by USAAF in China beginning April 1944, to defend B-29 bomber bases against Japanese aircraft (Bueschel, 173)

-- after the war, 3 squadrons of P-47D and a few of the faster P-47N purchased by Nationalists for use in the civil war; many went to Taiwan; those that didn't were captured by the PLA (Bueschel, 173-174)

-- Not a favorite because it used 50% more fuel than the P-51, and all aviation gas in China during the war years had to be flown in over the "hump" from India (Bueschel, 173)

-- picture showing conversion from USAAF to Chinese Nationalist

-- Republic P-47N for U.S.A. (in-game)

 

 

Nakajima Ki-84 ​-- reference: Ki-84 (VII)

 

Notes:

-- According to Bueschel, the Ki-84 Type 4 was one of the two types of aircraft forming the backbone of the early Red Chinese fighter units (the other being captured P-51D's).

-- for Japanese development of the Ki-84 see here.

-- image 2

 

Sources:

Flight in the China Air Space 1910-1950, by Malcolm Rosholt

Communist Chinese Air Power, by Richard M. Bueschel (1968)

 

 

 

 

Edited by J311yfish, 03 November 2016 - 06:09 PM.

[J311yfish]

Tier VIII

 

Gloster CXP-102 (05/1947+) -- reference: JL-1A-37 (VIII)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
Design	CXP-102	VIII           de Havilland Ghost VIII or IX  Rolls-Royce Nene	___ km/h @ ____m est. 965 km/h @ 3048m est.	4x20mm Hispano (N)

 

Notes:

-- "...developed to produce a fighter closely resembling the Gloster E.1/44 in configuration and armed with four fixed 20mm cannon in the nose." (James, 212)

-- developed to CXP-1001 below

-- "The Chinese Nationalist Government was eager to modernize its Air Force and in mid 1946 sent missions to both the United States and Great Britain.  The British Mission was split into three with one section investigating the design and construction of a jet fighter, the second a bomber and the third a jet engine.  Negotiations brought proposals to collaborate with Gloster on the fighter.  An agreement dated July 18 1946 stated that, as part of a plan to assist the build-up of a Chinese aircraft industry, 30 Chinese personnel were to be given facilities for 12 months instruction at the Design and Drawing Offices at Hucclecote.  After six months, the Chinese Government could request Gloster to design and built three prototype fighter aircraft to a specification supplied by China and agreed by the firm.  The aircraft were to have Rolls-Royce engines and be delivered in 30 months.  China then had the option of acquiring the manufacturing rights to the airplane." (Buttler, 123)

-- "The 30 trainees arrived in September ... during these early days security aspects presented formidable difficulties.  For example, the Gloster Meteor and E.1/44 Ace fighters and Rolls AJ.65 and Nene II engines were all secret with little likelihood of information on them being cleared for the Chinese ... Approval of a manufacturing license for the Nene I was given but, as a result of misgivings expressed by the Air Ministry, Rolls-Royce was asked to defer completion of the contract for as long as possible.  In November the Chinese Government asked Gloster to prepare a contract for the design of a single Nene powered fighter aircraft to be schemed with the assistance of the Chinese draftsmen." (Buttler, 123)

-- "Gloster requested Ministry permission to adapt to Chinese requirements the E.1/44 aircraft already building, but not to go into production, and this was agreed (the proposal was called CXP-102, dated May 14 1947).  But Colonel Ku, who conducted the negotiations with Gloster, wished to secure a more advanced design in view of the length of time needed to get a Chinese factory in operation.  The Ministry refused because it objected to an overseas Air Force being equipped with a British design comparable to or in advance of that currently in UK service and, with available design capacity in the UK limited and the E.1/44 rejected, Gloster was to be invited to prepare a design to one of the specifications (F.43 and 44/46) shortly to be released.  The Foreign Office opposed exporting arms to China because of the conflict between the Kuomintang (Nationalists) and the Communists, but did not object to a manufacturing license as production was at least two or three years away." (Buttler, 124)

-- "In the end, the E.1/44 was thoroughly redesigned as the CXP-1001 though, at one stage in late 1946, the Meteor and Nene Vampire were also considered as alternatives by the MoS.  The biggest change from the E.1/44 was the nose intake ....[detailed specs] .... CXP-1001 was considered a fairly efficient design, power coming from a single 5000 lbf Nene engine.  Four 20mm Hispano cannon were placed in the nose, two above and two below the intake, and top speed was expected to be 965 km/h @ 3048m (600mph @ 10,000') with sea level rate of climb 1829m/min (6000'/min). (Buttler, 124)

-- "Progress was slow and by early 1949, with just two prototypes on order, only a mock-up and some components had been manufactured.  By now the Nationalists were suffering at the hands of the Communists and on February 3 Colonel Lin contacted Air Marshal Coryton to inform him that the contract was to be cancelled and all work cleared up by the month's end.  (This at last allowed Gloster to increase Drawing Office strength on the F.4/48).  Gloster received confirmation to discontinue work on February 28 except for the completion and dispatch of unfinished drawings, a model and part of the mock-up." (Buttler, 124)

-- "In fact, after the Chinese Communist takeover in 1949 the project continued in Formosa, but release of drawings and components was frozen in October 1950 after Nationalists attacked a British merchant ship, the Achises.  On November 25 1952 Gloster decided to dispose of all remaining material without consulting the Chinese Central People's Government.  The MoS said this should be acceptable as the aircraft was now an out of date design, but also stated it was not responsible for the firm's actions (Buttler, 124)

 

 

Lavochkin La-9 (08/1946; to China 1950) -- reference: La-9 (VIII)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
(08/1946)	La-9	VII  Shvetsov M-82FN 1850hp	690 km/h @ 6250m	VII  4x23mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-23
(~1947+)	La-11 (La-9M)	VII  Shvetsov M-82FN 1850hp	674 km/h @ 6200m	VII  3x23mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-23

 

Notes:

-- La-11 was a longer-range variant of the La-9; "... fundamentally similar, but provision made to attach auxiliary fuel tanks at the wingtips ... [and] the ventral oil cooler was incorporated in the engine cowling ..." (Green, 329)

-- La-11 was the last piston-engine fighter from the Lavochkin bureau (Green, 329)

 

 

Yakovlev Yak-17 (06/1947; to China 1950) -- reference: Yak-15 (VIII)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
150 by USSR; 1 to China	Yak-17UTI trainer	IX  RD-10A 1000kgp	726 km/h	1x23mm NS-23
430 total by USSR; 43 to China	Yak-17 (Yak-15U)	IX  RD-10A 1000kgp	750 km/h @ 6000m	2x23mm NS-23

 

Notes:

-- derived from the Yak-15; originally referred to as the Yak-15U (U = "Uluchshennyi" = improved); changes made to undercarriage,wheels, and tail (Green, 604)

-- Yak-17UTI was used to train Chinese pilots for the MiG-9

 

 

 

Tier IX

 

Gloster CXP-1001 (1946+)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
Mockup	CXP-1001	VIII or IX  Rolls-Royce Nene	965 km/h @ 3048m est.	4x20mm Hispano (N)

 

Notes:

-- see development from CXP-102 above

 

 

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 (04/1946; to China 1950) -- reference: MiG-9 (IX)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
	MiG-9 FS	IX  2x RD-20	864 km/h @ SL  /  911 km/h @ 4500m	VIII  1x37mm N-37 and VIII  2x23 NS-23
	MiG-9 FF*	IX  2x RD-21 (RD-20F)  1000kgp each	950 km/h @ SL

*FF had improved pilot protection (12mm front and back armor, 44mm windscreen)

 

Notes:

-- the first Soviet turbojet-powered fighter of indigenous design; developed in only 14 months (Green, 389)

-- RD-20 engine = reverse-engineered BMW-003A (Green, 389)

-- RD-21 engine = afterburning derivative of RD-20, also known as RD-20F (Green, 389)

-- MiG-9 in blue at Beijing Aviation University Musuem (source)

 

 

 

Tier X

 

North American F-86F (10/1947+; to Taiwan 12/1954+) -- reference: F-86A (X)

 

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
320 delivered from U.S.	F-86F-40	General Electric J47-GE-27	1091 km/h @ SL  / 964 km/h @ 10670m **	6x12.7mm Browning M3 **	2x454kg

** For reference, the Supermarine Swift in game has a max speed of 1127 km/h at best altitude and the F-86A in game has the same armament

 

Notes:

-- Used by 29 countries and United Nations

-- the F-86 on display in the China Aviation Museum has the markings of Pakistan, not Taiwan (defection to PLAAF); interesting because the Pakistan Air Force split from India, analogous to Taiwan split from China

 

 

Shenyang J-2 (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis) (12/1947+; to China 1950) -- reference: MiG-15bis (X)

Production	Airframe	Engine	Speed	Armament	Bombs
1460 imported*	X  Shenyang J-2	X  Klimov VK-1   26.5kN thrust	1033 km/h @ 5000m**	X  1x37mm N-37 and X  2x23 NS-23	2x50kg or 2x100kg

*654 MiG-15, 1460 MiG-15bis, 357 MiG-15UTI trainers

** Green indicates speed as 1076km/h @ SL  /  1107 km/h @ 3000m

 

Notes:

-- PLAAF MiG-15bis at Chinese Aviation Museum

-- PLAAF Mig-15bis at Beijing Aviation University Museum (image 1 / image 2)

-- tiger camo

-- defection to Taiwan

 

 

 

---

 

 

Alternates

 

Republic F-84G (02/1946; to Taiwan 06/1953) -- reference: F-84B (IX), F-84F (X)

 

 

Notes:

-- 

 

 

Lavochkin La-15 (01/1948; to China 19__) -- reference: La-15 (X)

 

 

"22 to China"

 

 

Ilyushin IL-28 (07/1948; to China 1952+)

 

 

 

Notes:

-- defection to Taiwan

 

 

others?

 

Douglas A-26 (07/1942; received by RoCAF ____)

B-26

Black Bat Squadron 1953+

image

 

Republic F-84 Thunderjet (02/1946; received by RoCAF 06/1953)

earlier variants?

F-84G Thunderjet

RF-84F Thunderflash -------> replaced by RF-101A

 

Lockheed T-33A (03/1948; received by RoCAF ____)

T-33A

RT-33A

 

North American F-100 Super Sabre (05/1953; received by RoCAF 10/1958)

F-100A

 

Martin B-57 Canberra (07/1953; received by RoCAF ____)

RB-57A

RB-57D(11/1955; received by RoCAF ____)

 

McDonnell F-101 Voodoo (09/1954; received by RoCAF 1959)

RF-101A

 

http://www.taiwanair.../defection.html

http://www.taiwanair...shootdowns.html

 

 

 

 

Edited by J311yfish, 03 November 2016 - 06:14 PM.

[Wolcott]

Somehow I don't find this interesting at all. I'm seeing an awful lot of copypaste planes. I never approved of the Chinese Chi Ha, so when the Japanese version came out I was really turned off because the tank already exists.

 

Well I'm honestly disappointed but what the heck, it has always been about the money. As long as they get the markings right then I'm fine with it. Aircraft like the P-51 officially served with the ROC, whereas the PLAAF merely captured them and as such shouldn't count. I would've said the same for the M5A1 Stuart in WoT.

Edited by Wolcott, 14 April 2014 - 03:22 AM.

[Demon93IT]

Nice detailed job! In any case i hope not to see the Chinese tech tree anytime soon since most of the planes you quoted are already present. In any case we have to wait and see what will happen

[J311yfish]

Thanks.

 

Updated to add premiums and stat comparisons, starting here

[Demon93IT]

J311yfish, on 17 April 2014 - 08:23 PM, said:

Thanks.

 

Updated to add premiums and stat comparisons, starting here

I wonder how the Tomahawk is able to have superior firepower in comparison to the fully upgraded P-40 from the US tree. In any case good work!

[J311yfish]

First major update:

-- Soviet Volunteer Group and American Volunteer Group are included; there is no realistic way around that

-- rough tree in place based on engine developments; the Russian aircraft are related to the American by the M25 engine which is a license-built Cyclone

-- Chinese salvage aircraft will be included under the original airframe when possible (Example:  "Zhong 28B" is an adaptation of the I-15bis to use the Hawk III engine)

-- horizontal progression is necessary to take advantage of multiple aircraft with limited module upgrades in the Chinese theater (Example: P-66 --> P-43)

-- Tier 1 remains highly variable due to warlord factions and imports; it will be done towards the end of the project

-- detailed entries for each aircraft are coming soon

[rdizz81]

Great work bro!

 

 

 

[GUNDY_]

Good work! I'd like to see a new Nation, including Italy and France as well.

[J311yfish]

Update:

-- The project is essentially done; Tier 1 variable still needs to be considered closely, that will be done soon.

-- technological progression from ROCAF to PLAAF is not possible, so it is instead a political transition via aircraft of similar roles known to have served both factions.  More on that later.

-- captured Japanese aircraft have been sidelined for several reasons:

--- 1) chronology doesn't fit with the rest of the progression; aircraft captured at the end of the war would be retro-filling earlier tiers, when in reality those aircraft were not actually prominent

--- 2) very difficult to know which variants were actually captured and used; a playable progression would likely have to rely on very detailed research in Chinese, or reasonable fiction, and I'm not going there.

--- 3) cannibalizing the Japanese Army tree wouldn't be wise anyway before it is introduced for the Japanese; more will likely be indicated here once it is revealed there

-- details, notes, implications, coming soon

 

Edited by J311yfish, 25 April 2014 - 03:09 PM.