Quote:
Originally Posted by ElAurens
I have seen a photo of the UTI-4 on an airfield in China being looked over by AVG pilots.
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It appears that the Soviets provided a few UTI-4 as conversion trainers for the I-16 and as squadron hacks. Total numbers were probably less than 10(?).
After Japan got Germany to stop supplying arms to China in 1937, China bought a lot of military equipment from the USSR, and accepted a lot of Soviet military aide in the form of advisors. This lasted until 1941 when the Japanese and Soviets signed a non-aggression pact and the Soviets pulled out of China.
There was even a Soviet "Volunteer" Group (AKA secretly deployed VVS personnel) in China from 1937 until 1941. It consisted of about 450 pilots and technicians, and about 150 fighters (I-15, I-15bis, I-16 Type 5 and 10, with a few Type 17 and UTI-4), plus a few bombers (mostly SB-2). In total, there were about 900 aircraft of all sorts shipped to China, half of which were given to China. Over 200 Soviet pilots died in the conflict, which is far greater than AVG losses or VVS losses during the Spanish Civil War.
Very interesting stuff for students of Soviet aviation history.
Good info here:
http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/G..._sky_of_ch.htm