3th AFAMF & Chengdu Aviation Research Institute

In 1941, due to Japanese blockades of the Burma road, foreign aid could no longer enter China. Up to that point, China heavily relied on foreign equipement, including aircraft. Therefore, the Central Aviation Commision granted approval to construct a 3th Aircraft manufacturing plant in Chengdu, sometimes also called 成都飞机制造厂 / 成都飛機制造廠 (Chéngdū fēijī zhìzào chǎng, Chengdu Aircraft manufacturing Plant) or 成都三厂 / 成都三廠 (Chéngdū Sān Chǎng, Chengdu 3th Factory) . The main purpose of the factory was to train aviation personel and manufacture domestic aircraft. The factory was opened early April 1942, next to the Chengdu Aviation Research Institute. The personnel and equipment of the 8th Repair Factory formed the backbone of the new facility, which employed over 400 workers and produced 69 Fleet Model 11 aircraft.

Test flights were performed at 成都太平寺机場 (Chéngdū Tàipíngsì Jīchǎng, Chengdu Taipingsi Airport), which was located a few kilometers away.

In November 1948 the factory wsa restructured into the 空軍第二后勤供應区部 (Kōngjūn dì èr hòuqín gōngyìng qū bù, 2nd Air Force Logistics and Supply Division) and stopped manufacturing aircraft.

The 成都航空研究所 (Chéngdū Hángkōng Yánjiū Suǒ, Chengdu Aviation Research Institute) or 航空研究院 (Hángkōng Yán Jiù Yuàn, Aviation Research Institute) //TODO stukje uitbereiden

XB-3 / 研轟三式

On August 21, 1937, the ROC and the Soviet Union would sign the Sino-Soviet. As part of Soviet anti-imperialist efforts at the time, they would supply the ROC with large amounts of military and technical resources under “Operation Zet”. This included 288 Tupolev SB bombers, both M-100A and M103 engine variants. By 1942 the ROC was already underway with some indigenous aircraft projects. To also offset losses in bombers and reduce reliance on foreign aid, in September 1942 the 3rd AFAMF started on the design of a medium bomber. The design team would be lead by factory chief 鄭葆源 (Zhèng Bǎoyuán) and chief designer 唐勳貽 (Táng Xūnyí).

The new bomber design would largely be based on the SB, sharing many common parts such as engines, instrumentations and landing gear. The skin and frame were however of Chinese design, and show many changes such as the nose and tail section. Like other projects, due to scarecity of resources the plane was largely made out of wood and bamboo. No original sources exist to give dimensions or flight performances.

The first, and only XB-3 was completed in October 1943. Due to constant Japanese air raids no further (likely) XB-3’s would be build.. In January of 1944 the plane was disassembled and transported to Chengdu Taipingsi Airport for testing. Three flights were performed. The maiden flight by test pilot 黃榮想 (Huáng Róng Xiǎng) was without major issues and was to test the taxi and take-off performance. The second flight was done by pilot 唐勳貽 (Táng Xūnyí), and tested maneuverability with low-level flights around the airfield.

The thirth flight, done by an unknown pilot, resulted in a crash after 30 minutes of flying. Allegedly, one of the landing gears didn’t deploy, resulting in the other breaking off and sending the plane into a spin upon landing and gliding for dozen of meters. The pilot was heavily injured and a wing section was destroyed. The wreck was dumped outside the airport.

As the design was based on a pre-war design, and the SB themselves were already no longer being used for front-line service, it is debatable how effective the aircraft would have been. Delivery of B-25 Mitchell bombers under the Lend-lease act also reduced the need for an indigenous bomber. Therefore, all work on the XB-3 was stopped after the crash of the prototype.

Certain ROC publications on the contrary state that development continued, with a second prototype being finished in October 1944, . Two more aircraft were allegedgly under construction. The project was only cancelled in 1946 when staff was relocated to Taiwan. It is possible that both are true, with the project officially being cancelled in 1943, with the factory continuing the project on their own.

Experimental Type 3 Medium Bomber
研轟三式中型轟炸機 / Yán Hōng Sān Shì Zhōngxíng Hōngzhàjī
Length~13 meterCrew1 pilot, 3 gunners
Wingspan~20 meterCruising Speed
Height~3.3 meterMaximum Speed380 km/h (design requirement)
Empty WeightRange1000 km (design requirement)
Gross WeightCeiling9000 meter (design requirement)
Powerplant2* 960 hp Klimov M103Number build1
Fuel capacity
Armament3 machine guns, likely 7.62mm ShKAS or .30 cal
500 kg bombs
alleged piece of skinning

XG-1 / 研滑一

The 研滑一 (Yán Huá Yī, Experimental Glider 1) , also called XG-1 or XGC-1 was an experimental troop glider devoped under Wong Tsu. It was again a plane with a wooden structure with bamboo composite skin. It could carry 30 troops or cargo of equal weight. It was completed somewhere 1944-1946, sources don’t agree. Calls were made to the ROCAF to conduct testing, but major internal reorganizations meant the project was stopped. After the project Wong resigned.

CJ-1 / 初教一

The 初教一 ( Chū Jiào Yī, Basic Trainer 1) also called CJ-1, was a imitation of the Steelman PT-17 trainer. In 1942, the ROC received 150 PT-17’s under the Leand-lease act. These were used to train Chinese pilots in the aviation school in Punjab, India. After the war in 1946 they flown to 杭州笕桥航校 (Hángzhōu Jiǎnqiáo Háng Xiào, Hangzhou Jianqiao Aviation School). In 1947, 104 copies were made on basis of original factory drawings and parts under direction of 云鐸 (Yún Duó), the director of the 3th AFAMF. This plane was called the CJ-1.

XT-1 / 研教一式

The 研教一式 (Yán Jiào Yī Shì /Experimetal Type 1 Trainer), also called XT-1 was a single-engine trainer. The design team was lead by 王助 (Wáng Zhù, also Wong Tsu of Wong Tsoo). The 3th AFAMF had previously produced copies of the Model 11 after obtaining the blueprints for them, but material shortages led to the need for an cheaper alternative. The XT-1 was developed from the Model 11, but it’s frame was made out of wood instead of welded steel tuped, with it’s skinning made from wood and bamboo. Usage of metal was limited to joints and load-bearing parts. The XT-1 used the same engine as the Model 11. Test flights showed that, aside from a slightly lower climb rate compared to the original Fleet design, its overall performance surpassed the original. A total of 15 units were constructed, with mass production taking place at the 3th AFAMF.

Experimetal Type 1 Trainer
研教一式 / Yán Jiào Yī Shì
Length7.2 metersCrew2
Wingspan8.53 metersCruising Speed192 km/h
Height2.16 metersMaximum Speed207 km/h
Empty Weight641kgRange580 km
Gross Weight885kgCeiling5035 meter
Powerplant100 hp Kinner R-5Number build15
Armamentnone

XT-2 / 研教二式

The 研教二式 (Yán Jiào Èr Shì / Experimental Type 2 Trainer), also called XT-2 was a low-wing monoplane with a cantilever structure, stressed skin, semi-monocoque bamboo-wood construction, serving as a primary trainer aircraft.

In 1941, during a particularly difficult phase of the war, international routes were completely blockaded, making the import of weapons and equipment impossible. This created an urgent need for domestically manufactured aircraft. In repsonse Wang Zhu personally designed a new trainer. This design was driven by the prevailing circumstances: the disruption of metal material supplies, the abundant bamboo and wood resources in Sichuan and other rear areas, and the relative simplicity of processing these materials.

The XT-2 made it’s succesfull maiden flight in the first half of 1943 at Chengdu Taipingsi Airport. The plane was planned to put into mass producion, but limited resources, funding and access to American trainers put a halt to that. In total, 13 planes were build and all were scrapped after the 2nd world war was over.

Experimetal Type 2 Trainer
研教二式 / Yán Jiào Èr Shì
Powerplant125 hp Kinner B-5Crew2
Experimetal Type 1 Trainer
研教一式 / Yán Jiào Yī Shì
Length7.19 metersCrew2
Wingspan8.6 metersCruising Speed192 km/h
Height2.16 metersMaximum Speed207 km/h
Empty Weight641kgRange580 km
Gross Weight885kgCeiling5035 meter
Powerplant100 hp Kinner R-5Number build15
Armamentnone

XT-3 / 研教三式

The 研教三式 (Yán Jiào Sān Shì / Experimental Type Trainer), also called XT-3 was a single-engine trainer developed in 1945. It used a for the time innovative V shaped tail design. Due to lack of resources the project was halted during testing and no records of test flights have been found. The engine of this plane is unknown, but is sometimes states to have been a Lycoming horizontal engine of 185 hp.

Sources