...I know I promised, but in a meantime I've found a great book "A History of Chinese Aviation - Encyclopedia of Aircraft and Aviation in China until 1949".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pibwl
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Strangely, the author calls it Hawk I, but it is commonly referred elsewhere as Hawk II. First delivered in 3/33 and used until around 1940. Icon 844 fits quite well (He 66/Hs 123), or here is an upper view:
http://rsmodels.cz/galerie/produkty/...avd2_large.jpg and line drawing
http://www.aviapress.com/magaz/avv/avv200704_2.jpg
Quote:
402 Type 97 Ki-27 - very little chance, that the Chinese captured(?) a significant number of newest Japanese fighters. One is known to be captured only in 1942: http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww15/f/1017/10/0
It might be replaced eg. with Curtiss Hawk 75M, used from late 38
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Definitely they weren't used in any significant number - the book doesn't mention any, apart from Manchukuo. Icon 847 looks good for Hawk 75 as well.
The Chinese used also quite a number of rare birds, like
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vultee_P-66_Vanguard and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_P-43_Lancer which both could also share the same icon, but they were strafers, used from around mid-42 only, so they are probably not worthy to bother.
Quote:
As for 413, searching of P39 Airacobra + China in google shows no results - while there always can be found color drawings of other Chinese aircraft... Unless this is US air support.
418, 419 P-38 Lightning - the Chinese had some P-38, but a positive information is only about reconnaissance F-5s...
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Indeed, P-39 definitively weren't used by the Chinese, and as for Lightings, only F-5 were delivered from late 1944 (AFAIK reconnaissance variants were unarmed).
Rest in order of appearance:
397 Douglas O-2MC - first delivered in 6/30 (now 6/32). Alternative heavier bomb load 2 x 120lb described in action (book p.115). Used also after Japanese attack in 6/37, until some 1939.
398 Breda Ba.27 - delivered in early 1935 (now 6/36). Already in 1937 withdrawn for training.
399,400 V-92C Corsair - V-92C were delivered only in mid-34 (now 6/32). Similar V-65C "New" Corsairs were delivered from the end of 1933, so they might be named just Vought Corsair. However, there was also O2U-1D "Old" Corsair used from 1/30, with weaker engine (425 vs 600 hp) (text attached). I don't know what was a practical difference, so it might be just made one aircraft, from 1/30. Maybe old Corsair should carry only light bombs - while New Corsair carried in action 2 x 120lb, as described in a book (unit 400 now has 1x110 lb).
I'll attach a photo, and here's another
http://celticowboy.com/corsair_china.jpg (now it has clear Siamese markings).
Old Corsair could be the earliest aircraft, after removal of wrong 396 Kwangsi 3. Or there could be added
Breguet 14, which was the most typical light bomber of different Chinese air forces until the end of 1920s (eg. Thai unit 302 with icon 837 of O-2MC). Typical WW1 era bomb load of Bre 14 was 32 x 8kg or 16 x 20kg or 16(8?) x 40kg, I don't know about heavier bombs.
Old Corsair could be also used as an AOP aircraft from 1/30, instead of 440 Kwangsi 3
403 Fiat Cr.32 - weren't listed as operational by 10/40 (now 7/41)
404 Boeing P-26 - precisely, Boeing 281 export model. A nice Chinese picture attached.
405 Heinkel He 66CH - it seems, that it didn't exist: "Twelve were allegedly ordered in July 1934, but not delivered." Information, that a second order for 12 was fulfilled by sending ex-Lufwaffe He 50 "is pure fiction". (text attached)
407,415 A-12 Shrike - known just as Curtiss Shrike (Model 60). A cool photo
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ls...p3pqo1_500.jpg - possibly American, but the rudder looks very Chinese-like as well
409 Henschel Hs-123 - were available only from 4/38 (now 4/36 - text attached)
412 Type 97 Ki-30 - captured(?) Ki-30 were by no means standard bombers - the book even doesn't mention any. On the other hand, the icon 845 would be ideal for
Vultee V-11 (
http://www.airwar.ru/image/idop/aww2/a19/a19-1.gif) - 30 were ordered and operational from 1/38, being one of typical Chinese modern bombers. Used until around 1940.
According to
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vultee_V-11 it carried 1080 lbs of bombs, had a crew of 3 and max speed 370 km/h (although Chinese ones had 1000 hp instead of 1200 hp engine). It isn't clear, if they had the same armament of 4 MGs.
Same for 429 Type 97 Ki-30 level bomber.
Also, a cool monoplane bomber was
Northrop 2E Gamma - 49 delivered in a course of 1934
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1057/...948e6b2d84.jpg
http://i.guancha.cn/News/2013/8/7/63...6077964475.jpg
upper view
http://www.skytamer.com/1.2/Northrop...C-Vol1p216.jpg
I have no exact specs, but according to Russian page
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/aww2/a17.html Chinese 2E had 725 kg of bombs, 4 MGs ("or according to other sources 2") and 710 HP engine. A closer model 2C (XA-16) with 925 hp engine carried 500kg of bombs developed 341 km/h
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/aww2/a13.html
414 P-51 Mustang - delivered from 12/44 (now 3/44 - text attached)
Level bombers:
428 Fiat Br.3 - available only from late 1932 (now 1/30). It could take in a heavier variant 6 x 250lb or 2 x 500lb bombs (confirmed in a book). Weren't operational by 6/37 (now 12/40 - it could stay until advent of 435 Martin 139 in mid-37, or there could be added Northrop Gamma as level bomber as well).
The earliest level bomber could be Breguet 14.
431 Fiat Br.20 - only one is known to have been captured
432 SB-2 - it has clearly Spanish markings, I'm attaching Chinese ones.
433 B-25b Mitchell - there were used D,H,J models, operationally from 1943 (now 6/42) (text attached)
434 DB-3 - delivered already in 6/39 (now 1/40). Weren't operational in 11/41.
435 Martin 139W - delivered already in mid-37 (now 6/38)
436 Heinkel 111B-2 - a designation was He 111K (export version of 111A). Arrived in 8/36 (now 7/37).
437 Douglas A-20 - they were to be delivered under lend-lease, but these plans were cancelled.
It could be replaced with A29 Hudson, used from 8/42, but it had quite lousy bomb load (340 kg according to
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Hudson) - the icon could do.
Right after the war in 1945 B-24M bombers were received. Also, after the war there were used a number of Japanese Ki-48.
I don't plan any further digging
