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China Aircraft

Aircraft Pre 1937

This is a partial list of aircraft China purchased prior to 1937
  • Rumpler Taube
  • Caudron G.3
  • Handley Page Type O
  • Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2
  • Avro 504, Vickers Vimy
  • Breguet 14
  • Breguet 273
  • Curtiss Model D
  • Curtiss HS-2L
  • Aeromarine 39
  • Curtiss JN-4
  • Polikarpov R-1
  • Caudron C.59
  • Schreck FBA_17
  • Schreck FBA-19
  • Raab-Katzenstein Pelikan
  • Fairchild KR-34CA
  • Focke Wulf S-24
  • Focke-Wulf Fw 44
  • de Havilland Gipsy Moth
  • Junkers F.13
  • Junkers W 33
  • Junkers W 34
  • Junkers A 20
  • Junkers A 35, Junkers K-47
  • Junkers Ju 52
  • Junkers Ju 86
  • Junkers Ju-160
  • Junkers K-53
  • Ryan Brougham
  • Potez 25
  • Potez 33
  • Blackburn Lincock
  • WACO 240A

Chinese Aircraft WW II

In 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.27
​Chu 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 War

The 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
  • 1st Group, (bombers), Tupolev ANT 40 SB III, VI, North American B-25 Mitchell, Northrop Gamma 2E, Northrop A-17
  • 2nd Group, (bombers), Tupolev ANT 40 SB III, Northrop Gamma 2E, Northrop A-17, 19 A-29, 8 Avro 627 China built domestically as scout-bombers at Guangxi
    • 30th Squadron: 20 Fiat BR.3
  • 6th Group, (light bombers/scout-bombers), 21 O3U/V-92C, Douglas O-2MC
  • 7th Group, (light bombers/scout-bombers), 42 O2U Corsair, Douglas O-2MC
  • 8th Group, (bombers), 2 Northrop Alpha 4 (converted locally to scout-bombers), 30 Ilyushin DB-3 (later into the Composite Group), Consolidated B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
    • 10th Squadron: 10 Savoia-Marchetti S.72, 6 Caproni Ca.111
    • 19th Squadron: 6 Heinkel He 111, 6 Tupolev TB-3
    • 30th Squadron: 6 Martin B-10
  • 12th Group, (bombers)
  • 10th Squadron, (bombers), 4 Vultee A-19
  • 3rd Group, (fighters) Fiat CR.30, 9 Avro 626, Polikarpov E.15bis, E.15ter (E.15III, E.153), and E.16, P-40C, P-51D, P-36 Hawk, 36 Gloster Gladiator Mk-1, P-66 Vanguard
    • 8th Squadron (fighters), 9 Fiat CR.32
    • 17th Squadron (fighters), 11 Boeing Type 281 (P-26 Peashooter)
    • 28th Squadron (fighters), Gloster Gladiator Mk-1
    • 29th Squadron (fighters), Gloster Gladiator Mk-1
    • 32nd Squadron (fighters), Gloster Gladiator Mk-1
  • 4th Group, (fighters) Curtiss (Hawk III), Polikarpov E.15bis, E.15ter (E.15III, E.153) and E.16, P-40, 41 P-43 Lancer
    • 22nd Squadron (fighters): 9 Curtiss 68C Hawk III (F11C-3)
  • 5th Group, (fighters), Polikarpov E.15bis, E.15ter (E.15III, E.153), P-40N, P-51D, P-66 Vanguard
    • 17th Squadron (fighters), 12 Dewoitine D.510
    • 28th Squadron (fighters), 49 Curtiss Hawk-II (F11C-2)
  • 9th Group, (fighters) 120 Curtiss 68C Hawk III (F11C-3), 20 A-12 Shrike
    • 26th Squadron A-12 Shrike
    • 27th Squadron A-12 Shrike
  • 11th Group, (fighters), P-40N
  • Russian Volunteer Group, (pursuit), Polikarpov E.15bis, E.15ter (E.15III, E.153) and E.16
  • Russian Volunteer Group, (bombers), Ilyushin DB-3, Polikarpov R-5 Scout-bombers
  • American Volunteer Group 'Flying Tigers', (fighters), P-40B, P-40E
  • Composite Group
  • Temporary Organised Group-Air Cadet Flying School.(Fighter), Curtiss 68C Hawk III (F11C-3)
  • 12th Squadron (Reconnaissance): 9 P-38/F-5
  • 13th Squadron (bombers & transports): 3 Savoia-Marchetti SM.81, 1 Spartan Executive Model 7W (lost on Dec 12, 1937).
  • 14th International Volunteer Squadron (bombers): 20+ Vultee A-19, Northrop Gamma 2E, Northrop A-17, 3 Martin B-10
  • 15th Squadron (dive bombers): 10 Henschel Hs 123
  • 18th Squadron (Scout-bombers): Caproni Ca.101 and Douglas O-2MC; originally stationed at Guangdong, later changed to fighters with Curtiss Hawk 75M.
  • 27th Squadron (light bombers): 9 Bellanca 28-90B
  • 29th Squadron (fighters): 6 Breda Ba.27
  • 32nd Squadron (fighters): Nakajima Type 91 fighter
  • 34th Squadron (fighters and bombers): 14 Armstrong Whitworth Atlas, 6 Westland Wapiti, Mitsubishi Type 92.
  • 41st French Volunteer Squadron (fighters): 6 Dewoitine D.510
  • 20 Focke-Wulf Fw 44 of various units
  • 30+ de Havilland Gipsy Moth of various units, including 13 seaplane versions of Chinese navy. (All lost by the end of 1937).
  • Central Aviation School (trainers): 16 Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16, also used as fighters in the early stage of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
  • Luoyang Aviation School (trainers): Breda Ba.25, Ba.28
  • Liuzhou Aviation School (trainers): Around 20 Avro Avian(616 IVM), 6 Avro Cadet, 5 Avro Tutor, 7 Nakajima Ko-4 (Japanese license produced Nieuport-Delage NiD 29 C.1)
  • 3rd Reserve Squadron: 5 Loening C-2-H (Seaplane version of Loening OA-1)
  • Aerial Survey Squadron: 1 Spartan C-4, 1 Messerschmitt BFW M18d, Junkers W 33, Junkers W 34
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