WesWorld

Addendum: If the Chinese lack radial engine of this power category the SAE aircraft indusry might offer something adequate. Both the Rayton Double Pegasus as used in the F-14 and the BMG Twin Hornet used in the F-11 could be used instead of your X24 engine.

Harbin Ha-236
Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation Ltd.
TYPE: Heavy Night Fighter



Versions:
Ha-236A: Prototype 10 built
Ha-236B: Night Intruder, 45 built
Ha-236C: High Altitude Night Fighter, 70 built
Ha-236D: Night Intruder, 25 built



Ha-236B

Quoted

General characteristics:
Dimensions:
Length: 17,68 m
Height: 5,00 m
Wing span: 19,00 m
Wing area: 56,60 m²
Empty Weight: 8730 kg
Max. Combat Weight: 15900 kg

Engine:
2x 14 cylinder two row radials with each 1558 hp takeoff

Performance:
max. Speed: 520 km/h at 4000m
Cruise Speed: 465 km/h
Range: 2050 km
Ceiling: 9000 m

Crew:
3 men

Armament:
Guns:
4x 20mm machine cannon forward firing in ventral gondola with 250 rpg
4x 7,92mm machine gun in nose with 1000 rpg
2x 13mm machine gun in dorsal and ventral position with 500 rpg

Bombload:
up to 1500kg in different options

Radar:
different radar installations

Ha-236C

Quoted

General characteristics:
Dimensions:
Length: 16,80 m
Height: 5,00 m
Wing span: 20,64 m
Wing area: 68,00 m²
Empty Weight: 8730 kg
Max. Combat Weight: 13590 kg

Engine:
2x EWIL R-2400 24 cylinder supercharged liquid cooled radials with each 1870 hp (cruise) / 2400 hp takeoff
1x GWM V-1500 inline with 1475hp driving Central Altitude Installation supercharger in fuselage

Performance:
max. Speed: 588 km/h at 4000m
Cruise Speed: 465 km/h
Range: 1540 km
Ceiling: 16155 m

Crew:
3 men

Armament:
2x 20mm machine cannon in nose with 250 rpg
4x 7,92mm machine gun in nose with 1000 rpg
4x 20mm machine cannon (oriented 70° above horizontal mounted in fuselage), 100 rpg
8x RUG-132, 4 under each wing

Radar:
different radar installations

Ha-236D

Quoted

General characteristics:
Dimensions:
Length: 18,10 m
Height: 5,00 m
Wing span: 19,00 m
Wing area: 56,60 m²
Empty Weight: 8730 kg
Max. Combat Weight: 15900 kg

Engine:
2x 12 cylinder inverted V-inline engine with each 1750 hp takeoff

Performance:
max. Speed: 536 km/h at 6800m
Cruise Speed: 510 km/h at 5200m
Range: 2500 km
Ceiling: 8200 m

Crew:
3 men

Armament:
Guns:
4x 20mm machine cannon forward firing in ventral gondola with 250 rpg
2x 7,92mm machine gun in nose with 1000 rpg
2x 13mm machine gun in dorsal and ventral position with 500 rpg

Bombload:
up to 1500kg in different options

Radar:
different radar installations

Well, that's an interesting idea.

I think the third engine powering the supercharger was only done on one or two series-built aircraft, though I may be forgetting something. In both cases, it was a much larger bomber, and the engine used was smaller in size and horsepower. At least when the French trialed it IRL, the design didn't provide all that much benefit, particularly in comparison to the costs involved with the weight, fuel use, and most particularly maintenance.

In WW, the French did use that setup briefly on a production bomber, but it was retired relatively quickly.

I think there were a couple of German projects, possibly Soviet ones too with similar layouts.
Not unreasonable given the state of progress Chinese has likely made.

the Petlyakov Pe-8 IIRC used a 5th engine in the nose.

Quoted from "thesmilingassassin"

the Petlyakov Pe-8 IIRC used a 5th engine in the nose.

That's correct, though I think later models removed it as a source of problems (fire, maintenance, weight, etc) once more up-to-date technology became available.

I agree with Hood that it's a quirky-but-reasonable choice for China to use to conquer a technological hurdle, although I still think that APU engine is much larger than it needs to be.

Hmmm... nice targets for my flying AT gun.

Nanchan Ying ("Bussard")
Nanchan Aircraft Inc. Ltd.
Type: high speed target tug



General characteristics:
Dimensions:
Length: 14.50 m
Height: 4.34 m
Wingspan: 17.15 m
Wing area: 46.5 m²
Empty weight: 7,190 kg
Max. takeoff weight: 9,560 kg

Engine:
2 × 14-cylinder radials with each 1,268 kW (1,700 hp) takeoff

Performance:
max. speed: 530 km/h at 4,500 m
Cruise speed: 425 km/h at 4,500 m
Range: 4,430 km
Service ceiling: 8,840 m
Rate of climb: 5 minutes to climb to 10,000 ft

Crew:
2 men (pilot, target operator)

Armament:
None

Guizhou GA-2

The experience of the Sino-Chosen War have shown that the chinese medium bombers are either too slow or have an insufficient bomb load. So Guizhou was commissioned to develop a bomber with appropriate bomb load and speed.

The GA-2 is an all-metal high-wing monoplane with twin tail. It has a fully retractable nose gear. The GA-2 has a spacious internal 5.7m long bomb bay and also additional bomb racks between fuselage and engines.

Based on experience, the Guizhou Aviation owns in aircraft, the chinese HQ has been dispensed the usual prototypes for testing and ordered 200 aircraft from the drawing board; The maiden flight was on June 26 1945.


GA-2
Guizhou Aviation Industry
Type: Medium Bomber


General characteristics:

Dimensions:
Length: 20,30 m
Wingspan: 25,30 m
Wing area: 78,8 m²
Height: 4,70 m
Empty weight: 12173 kg
normal takeoff weight: 15500 kg
Max. takeoff weight: 18000 kg

Engine:
2x 18-cylinder air cooled radial EWIL R-2800-18W engines with turbocharger each 2200 hp

Performance:
Max Speed: 570 km/h at 9500m
Cruise Speed: 456 km/h at 4000m
Service ceiling: 11500m
Range: 3740km

Crew:
5 (Pilot, Copilot, Navigator, Top Rear Gunner; Buttom Rear Gunner)

Armament:
1x 7,62mm machine gun in nose section with 1500 rpg
2x 20mm machine cannon in upper rear with 1000 rpg
1x 20mm machine cannon in lower rear with 1000 rpg

Bombload:
up to 4000 kg

Gangchuan A-6
Gangchuan Aviation
Type: Attack Plane & Bomber Aircraft

The Gangchuan A-6 is a twin engined attack aircraft built by Gangchuan Aviation . It was a direct competitor to the Guizohou GA-2 bomber.

The aircraft is designed as a cantilever mid-wing monoplane. The central part of the wing is straight and in the leading edge of the wings are the air intakes for the radiators, also it has elliptical tapered outer wings. The nacelles of the motors are used for receiving the main landing gear wheels, the tail wheel is also retractable. The vertical fins are designed as two end plates, and are integrated left and right of the horizontal stabilizer. The front and the lower part of the bow are glazed for improved visibility.

The production was closed in December 1945, after a little over 100 built aircraft, in favor of the Guizhou GA-2 bomber. And Gangchuan Aviation focused on the successor of the Gangchuan F-5 Heavy Fighter.


Variants:
A-6A: fast light bomber
A-6B: medium bomber with higher bombload
A-6D: for dive bombing modified version of A-6A


Gangchuan A-6A:
General characteristics:

Dimensions:
Length: 13.8 m
Wingspan: 17.80 m
Wing area: 43.16 m²
Height: 4.03 m
Empty weight: 6.821 kg
Gross weight: 8.736 kg
Max takeoff weight: 9.800 kg

Engine:
2 × air-cooled 12 cylinder inline turbosupercharged piston engines with 1,850 hp each

Performance:
Maximum speed: 700 km/h at 9.000m / 575 km/h near ground
Cruise speed: 450 km/h
Service ceiling: 12000m
Range: 2250 km with max bombload

Crew:
3 (Pilot, Copilot & Navigator, bombardier)

Armament:
1x 20mm machine cannon remote-controlled rear turret
Bombs: up to 2000 kg


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Gangchuan A-6B:
General characteristics:

Dimensions:
Length: 15.1 m
Wingspan: 20.60 m
Wing area: 48.0 m²
Height: 4.03 m
Empty weight: 6.922 kg
Gross weight: 9.400kg
Max takeoff weight: 10.600 kg

Engine:
2 × air-cooled 12 cylinder inline turbosupercharged piston engines with 1,850 hp each

Performance:
Maximum speed: 660 km/h at 5.800m / 540 km/h near ground
Cruise speed: 400 km/h
Service ceiling: 10500m
Range: 2000 km with 2000kg bombload

Crew:
3 (Pilot, navigator & bombardier, fuselage rear gunner)

Armament:
1x 12.7mm remote controlled front rear machine cannon with 700 rpg
2x 20mm upper rear machine cannon with 1000 rpg
1x 12.7mm remote controlled bottom rear machine gun with 1500 rpg

Bombs: up to 4000 kg