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China Aircraft
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Aircraft Pre 1937This is a partial list of aircraft China purchased prior to 1937
Chinese Aircraft WW IIIn 1940 the Russian Volunteer Group was stood down. By the end of 1941 the airforce had 364 operational aircraft of which 100 P-40s were operated by the American Volunteer Group. US replacement aircraft began to arrive in March 1942. They included A-29, P-40, P-43, and P-66 types, and in 1945 B-25s and P-51Ds.
In 1944, the USAAF 15th Airforce commenced joint operations in the China theatre. By this time the Chinese Airforce was mostly equipped with current operational aircraft types and was superior in all respects to the opposing Japanese air forces which remained. Chu Hummingbird Model A
Fighter Aircraft Armstrong Whitworth A.W.35 Scimitar Breda Ba.27Chu X-PO Fighter D2 Fighter Curtiss Hawk 75 H, M Curtiss Hawk 75Q Curtiss 68C Hawk III Curtiss 81-A3 (P-40C Tomahawk) Curtiss 87-V (P-40N Warhawk) Curtiss Wright CW.21 Gloster Gladiator Mk I North American P-51D Mustang Polikarpov I 15bis Polikarpov I 153 Polikarpov I 16 type 10, I 16UTI Vultee V-48C Vanguard Bomber, Ground Attack and Torpedo Aircraft Curtiss A12 Shrike Curtiss Wright CW-19R Ilyushin DB-3 Lockheed B-14L Hudson Martin B-10B North American B-25 Mitchell Northrop Gamma 2B Tuplev ANT 40 SB Vultee V-11G Vultee V-12C Vultee V-12D Transport, Reconnaissiance and Communication Aircraft Curtiss Wright C-46 Commando Douglas C-47 Dakota Focke-Wulf FW 58 Mitsubishi Ki 57 Republic RP-43 Lancer Training Aircraft Avro 626 Prefect Avro 621 Tutor Breda Ba.28 Fleet 10C, D and licensed assembly North American AT-6 Harvard |
Aircraft in Sino-Japanese WarThe Sino-Japanese war started on the 7th July, 1937. At that time Chinese sources estimated that the Japanese could field approximately 600 aircraft (from a total of 1,530) against China’s 230 combat aircraft. During the first phase up to 1939, aerial bombing of enemy bomber formations was tried with indifferent results, and leaflet dropping raids carried out over Japanese cities. The Japanese bombing raids were also fiercely contested, sometimes with significant Japanese losses. After suffering heavy losses in the battle of Wu-han in October 1938, most airforce units were withdrawn for reorganisation and training.
It was reconstituted into seven Groups, one separate Squadron and four Volunteer Groups. Fighters Bregeut Bre.19 (74) Fiat CR.30 (2) Fiat CR.32 (16) Operational Units of the Chinese Airforce 1937-45.Some of the operational units of the Chinese Airforce 1937-45
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