- Yes
- No
Background
Spoiler
Pilot Tu Zhanghan was given the task of infiltrating the Russian Volunteer group in Chinese territory to steal an I-15 aircraft. The relationship between China and Russia was quite complex. On one hand, Russia had an interest in not getting involved in China’s conflict with Japan, but they also saw the advantage of protecting China as a potential customer for their military industry. In secret, the Russians had agreed to supply China with a significant number of I-15 and I-16 aircraft, even assisting in the construction of a maintenance workshop for these planes. However, on the other hand, China was negotiating for the local production of Russian planes, particularly the Mig-1 and DB-3. Russia was reluctant to provide China with their more advanced aircraft due to a recent conflict during the Interwar period. They did not want to arm China with materials that could potentially be used against them. To mitigate this risk, they allowed the shipment of older aircraft like the I-15 and I-16, which were already considered outdated compared to newer models.
As Ty Zhangan approached the Denjiatan station, he was mistakenly shot down by friendly anti-aircraft gunners. It seemed that a little earlier, a plane had been delivered to the local aircraft factory for study, and perhaps the gunners mistook Ty Zhangan’s aircraft for that one, possibly based on the drawings they had obtained.
During the period from 1939 to 1943, the First Aircraft Manufacturing Factory of the ROCAF undertook the task of modifying the Soviet I-152 fighter plane. In this process, the original engines were replaced with Wright SR-1820-F53 engines, some of which were spare engines while others were salvaged from damaged Hawkfield fighters. Consequently, alterations were made to the nose fairing and exhaust pipe, and the previously concealed aileron controls were now operated using an exposed joystick. Additionally, the original Hawker three-blade propeller and tail wheel were utilized instead of the tail skid. By 1943, a total of 30 aircraft had been completed, but their performance fell short and they were solely employed for training purposes.
Video Containing Zhong 28Yi
Technical Data
Specifications
Length - 6.27 m
Height - 3.07 m
Wingspan - 10.2 m
Gross Weight - 1,839 kg
Engine - 1 x Wright R-1820-F53 engine (548 kW)
Max Speed - 370 km/h
Rate of Climb - 13.7 m/s
Crew - 1 Pilot
Armament
4 x 7.62mm M1919 Browning machine guns.
(or)
4 x 7.62mm PV-1 machine guns.
Images
Spoiler
Sources
