Simviation Forums

Hmm...this is awfully specific, but one of you history buffs might know...

Anyone know how many Chinese Nationalist Air Force P-51s served in WWII, and later the Chinese civil war? And the pilots that flew them?

Damn...apperantly there were more than 100 by 1949...

...but what about during World War II?

"Planes were a tough problem.  China had been a long-time, profitable customer for Curtiss-Wright, so my old friend, Burdette Wright, Curtiss Vice-President, came up with a proposition.  They had six assembly lines turning out P-40's for the British, who had taken over a French order after the fall of France.  If the British would waive their priority on 100 P-40B's then rolling off one line, Curtiss would add a seventh assembly line and make 100 later-model P-40's for the British.  The British were glad to exchange the P-40B for a model more suitable for combat.



from http://www.flyingtigersavg.com/tiger1.htm

http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/Geor ... _japan.htm

THis page has an interesting synonpsis of the CHinese Nationalist Air Force in WW2.  

It seems that the P51 arrived in Chinese hands early in 1945, and the source indicates only 50 were received before the war ended.