Air Force Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (afamf) Chu X-PO

By AviatorDB Data Bureau

Overview

The Chu XP-0 was a rare indigenous Chinese single-seat fighter prototype of the Second World War, representing an effort by the Republic of China to develop local aviation capabilities.

Aircraft Information

ICAO Code
CHXP
Manufacturer
Air Force Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (afamf)
Model
Chu X-PO
Primary Role
Fighter
Engine Type
Radial

Technical Data

Engine Model
R-1830-S1C3-G Twin Wasp
Production Years
1943
Units Produced
1
First Flight
1943
Warbird
Yes
Notable Operators
Republic of China Air Force

The Chu XP-0 was a rare indigenous Chinese single-seat fighter prototype of the Second World War, representing an effort by the Republic of China to develop local aviation capabilities. Built by the Air Force Aircraft Manufacturing Factory, this single-engine aircraft featured mixed construction and was designed to serve as both a fighter and a fighter-bomber.

The Chu XP-0 (ICAO designator CHXP) was a wartime Chinese fighter prototype designed in 1941 by Major General Chu Chia-Jen, who served as the Chief of the Chinese Air Force Technical Bureau. The project was initiated to reduce China's reliance on foreign aircraft suppliers during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The aircraft was designed as a versatile single-seat fighter-bomber capable of performing ground-attack and dive-bombing missions. To achieve this, it was equipped with a centerline rack for torpedoes or bombs and underwing mountings for four 20 mm Hispano-Suiza cannons.

Construction of the XP-0 reflected the industrial constraints of wartime China. The aircraft utilized mixed construction, featuring a welded steel-tube fuselage, plywood skinning, and wooden three-spar wings. Its general layout was heavily influenced by the American Curtiss Hawk 75 (P-36 family). The sole prototype was manufactured in 1943 by the Air Force Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (AFAMF), a military facility operated by the Republic of China Air Force. While the prototype was built by AFAMF, the government intended for series production to be carried out at the AFAMF No. 1 factory located in Kunming, Yunnan Province.

Power was provided by a single Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3-G "Twin Wasp" air-cooled, 14-cylinder two-row radial piston engine, producing 894 kW (1,200 hp). Design specifications targeted a maximum speed of 504 km/h, a cruise speed of 450 km/h, and a service ceiling of 9,850 m, with an estimated range of 1,400 km. The aircraft had a wingspan of 11.4 m, a length of 8.8 m, and a gross weight of 2,990 kg.

The XP-0's operational history was brief. During its maiden flight in 1943 at Yangling in Shaanxi Province, the aircraft circled the airfield but landed at an excessive speed. This resulted in a ground-loop that wrote off the airframe. Due to this accident and the increasing availability of U.S. Lend-Lease fighters, the program was cancelled and no further aircraft were produced. Today, no examples of the Chu XP-0 survive, and much of its detailed flight-test data has been lost.

Operators

Republic of China Air Force