Datangshan Aviation Museum, Beijing, China.
by Jan Koppen
A couple of years ago I visited one of the most interesting aviation museum of Datangstan, China. Russia. Datangstan is situated 40 km. north of Beijing. There's so much to see at Datangstan, that you will need a full two days to explore every corner. I have photographed some, absolutely not everything, of the interesting and unique airplanes at display.
Enjoy the pics and captions.
Enjoy the pics and captions.
It's approximately one hour drive from Beijing's city center to Datangshan museum. The pollution in and around Beijing district bring a muddy haze over the city and its province.
The Chinese Aviation Museum, sometimes referred to the Datangshan Aviation Museum (due to its location adjacent to the mountain of the same name), is an aviation museum in Changping District, Beijing, China. The museum was first opened to the public on 11 November 1989, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Air Force.
The museum is located 40 km (25 mi) north of Beijing city. Part of the museum is located inside a cave in the side of Datangshan Mountain. The cavern was originally part of the tunnels and underground bunker system of Shahezhen Airbase, and is 586 metres (1,905 ft) long by 11 metres (36 ft) high by 40 metres (130 ft) wide. The road leading to the museum is actually also used as a taxiway between the base and bunker system.
"01" is a Nanchang J-12 with in the background the Datangshan mountain.
The road leading to the museum was in the past used as a taxiway between the base and bunker system.
A great looking brute, the Shenyang J-6III "51209".
The bright lit cockpit section of Chinese Air Force Ilyushin IL-18V "232" stands out against the muddy haze, of a May day in 2012, at Datangshan Aviation Museum.
Once used as Chairman Mao's personal aircraft, this classic beauty, now spends her days at the Datangshan Museum.
Beijing Yanjing Brewery is a brewing company founded in 1980 in Beijing, China. Yanjing Beer was designated as the official beer served at state banquets in the Great Hall of the People in February 1995. The company produced 57.1 million hectoliters of beer in 2013, making it the 8th biggest brewery in the world and the 3rd biggest in China.
The Ilyushin Il-18 (NATO reporting name: Coot) is a large turboprop airliner that first flew in 1957 and became one of the best known and durable Soviet aircraft of its era. The Il-18 was one of the world's principal airliners for several decades and was widely exported. Due to the aircraft's airframe durability, many examples achieved over 45,000 flight hours and the type remains operational in both military and (to a lesser extent) civilian capacities. The Il-18's successor was the long range Il-62 jet airliner.
Ilyushin IL-18V is a the standard Aeroflot version, which entered service in 1961. The IL-18V was powered by four Ivchenko AI-20K turboprop engines, seating 90-100 passengers.
Nose mounted air data probes festoon Chinese Air Force Ilyushin IL-18V "232".
Vickers Viscount-843 "50258" is a former aircraft of the Chinese Air Force's "airline".
Type 843 Viscount "50258", in People's Liberation Army Air Force colors, at the Datangshan Aviation Museum, China.
Pristine PLAAF Viscount 800 on a sweltering Datangshan tarmac in May 2012.
All production Viscounts were powered by the Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engine.
Found this piece of history on May 10, 2012....."4202" is an Ilyushin IL-14P.
"4202" is seen here displaying the, old-style bare metal, Chinese Air Force Ilyushin IL-14P livery.
Here, a Chinese Air Force Ilyushin 14P is caught, on a sticky day, at Datangshan in May 2012.
Port-side Shvetsov AS-82T radial engine of our Ilyushin Il-14.
"8205" is not a DC-3, but a Lisunov Li-2.
A total of 4,937 aircraft were produced of all Li-2 variants between 1940 and 1954 and it saw extensive use in Eastern Europe until the 1960s. The Li-2 also saw extensive service in the Chinese Air Force in the 1940s and 1950s.
Chinese Air Force Beriev Be-6P "9013" is seen here resting on a typical Beijing day with low level smog surrounding the city.
Tupolev Tu-2 bomber (NATO designation: Bat).
This is an Harbin HD-5, without a lick of paint on it’s dull, grimy hide other than the construction number, "H5-02708".
Billboard yellow serial "21112" on the port-side Klimov VK-01 turbojet engine.
"10290" is an Harbin HD-5, which is basicly a copy of the Russian Ilyushin IL-28 'Beagle'.
"10290".
"2806501" is a Tupolev Tu-4. The Tupolev Tu-4; (NATO reporting name: Bull) is a piston-engined Soviet strategic bomber that served the Soviet Air Force from the late 1940s to mid-1960s. It was reverse-engineered from the American Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
Tu-4 AWACS. Chinese prototype with KJ-1 AEWC, "AWACS" radar and powered by Ivchenko AI-20K turboprop engines. They were used by the Chinese to monitor US nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific. In 1969, China developed its first airborne early warning aircraft based on the Tu-4 airframe. The project was named KJ-1 and mounted a Type 843 rotodome above the fuselage of the aircraft.
Powerful Ivchenko AI-20K turboprop engines, our mounted on the T-4's.
"225008" is a Tupolev Tu-4.
On 28 February 1953, Joseph Stalin gave China ten Tu-4 heavy bombers and in 1960, two additional aircraft configured as navigational trainers arrived in Beijing. 11 Tu-4s were refitted with AI-20K turboprop engines between 1970 and 1973. The last PLAAF Tu-4 retired in 1988.
Tupolev Tu-4 "225008", on a broiling hot Datangshan tarmac in May, 2012.
Found this piece of history at Datangshan, on a sticky May day in 2012.
"10794" is a Xian H-6A. The Xian H-6 is a license-built version of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 twin-engine jet bomber, built for China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
Delivery of the Tu-16 to China began in 1958, and the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) signed a license production agreement with the USSR to build the type in the late 1950s. The first Chinese Tu-16, or "H-6" as it was designated in Chinese service, flew in 1959. Production was performed by the plant at Xian, with at least 150 built into the 1990s.
An airplane stored outside will be subject to streaking down the paintwork from dust and dirt deposits unless washed regularly.
Interesting modification of an An-24 with a camera blister for Tu-16 bomber crew training.
Chinese Air Force Antonov An-24 equipped with cameras for bomber training.
"02" is an Harbin SH-5. The Harbin SH-5 (Shuishang Hongzhaji), literally "seaborne bomber") is a Chinese maritime patrol amphibious aircraft intended for a wide range of duties, including aerial firefighting, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and air-sea rescue (SAR). One prototype and six production aircraft have been built.
This stunning photograph help capture the essence of the lost age of the flying boats.
The vintage Harbin SH-5 turboprop-engined transport forms a fitting frame for the Orbis Project Douglas DC-8-21 N220RB. This aircraft first flew, as a model "10" from Long Beach in January 1959 and was the fourth DC-8 off the line. She became N8003U, "Mainliner Capt. Ralph J. Johnson" with United, after conversion to a series -21. After 20 year of faithful service with United, she was donated to the Project ORBIS (eye-clinic) and re-registrated N220RB. The airplane's last duty with Project Orbis was on April 15, 1994. During 1995 she was acquired by the Datangshan museum and put on display.
Heads and tails; Douglas DC-8-21 N220RB sticks its nose into a gaggle of the Harbin SH-5.
This DC-8 stood outside for over two decennia at Datangshan without any maintenance and minimal cleaning. Dirt has gathered in all the panel lines showing most clearly around the nose and engine pylons.
The DC-8-10 was powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3C turbojets and had a 273,000 lb (124 t) MTOW, the DC-8-20 had more powerful JT4A turbojets for a 276,000 lb (125 t) MTOW.
Built in 1971, as line no. 11-01, Ilyushin IL-62 B-2024 is preserved at the China Aviation Museum, Datangshan, since the early 1990's.
CAAC aircraft livery featured the CAAC logo on a white fuselage.
Early NK-8-4-engined Il-62's suffered from performance problems including fatigue and overheating issues with the engines, sometimes leading to false fire alarms which could possibly cause the crew to accidentally shut down paired engines to prevent contiguous engine and fuselage damage.
One of two unmarked C-46's at Datangshan.
What a treasure.
Both legendary Curtiss Commando's are devoid of registration or marks.
Man-made beauty!
"5116" is an Ilyushin IL-12.
The Ilyushin Il-12 (NATO reporting name: Coach) was a Soviet twin-engine cargo aircraft, developed in the mid-1940s for small and medium-haul airline routes and as a military transport.
"3884" is an Harbin Y-11.
Also at Datangshan, one can find, this sturdy DHC-2 Beaver with c/n. 1610.
She has a non-standard air scoop on top of her nose cowling.
She has a non-standard air scoop on top of her nose cowling.
XT-115 is a Douglas TS-62 of China National Aviation.
Snagged this photo on May 10, 2012.
Never get tired of looking at XT-115…. She is one beautiful TS-62.
The absence of a right hand pax door and the double freight doors on the left side make this a C-47, which was re-engined with Russian ASh-621R's, thus making it a TS-62 version.
"XT-610" is a Convair 240 and was operated by Central Air Transport.
Civil Air Transport (CAT) was a Nationalist Chinese airline, later owned by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), that supported United States covert operations throughout East and Southeast Asia.
CAT was created by Claire Chennault and Whiting Willauer in 1946 as Chinese National Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (CNRRA) Air Transport. Using surplus World War II aircraft such as the C-47 Dakota and the C-46 Commando, CAT airlifted supplies and food into war-ravaged China. It was soon pressed into service to support Chiang Kai-shek and his Kuomintang forces in the civil war between them and the communists under Mao Zedong.
"476650" is a Douglas TS-62. Unfortunately she has an unknown construction number. The TS-62 is painted to represent the USAAF aircraft that carried Chairman Mao to the Chongqing negotiations in 1945.
"351" is an Harbin Y-11.
Her bright livery, still gleaming in the strong spring sunlight.
Displaying the olive drab, Lisunov LI-2 "3029" at Datangshan.
"50051" is an HS-121 Trident-1E. The Hawker Siddeley HS-121 Trident (originally the de Havilland DH.121 and the Airco DH.121) is a now-retired British short- (and later medium-) range airliner. It was the first T-tail rear-engined three-engined jet airliner to be designed. It was also the first airliner to make a blind landing in revenue service in 1965.
The Trident emerged in response to a call by the state-owned British European Airways Corporation (BEA) for a jet airliner for its premier West European routes. BEA had been induced by the government to issue this call despite its unwillingness to buy a large jet fleet. Adherence to BEA's changing specification was widely seen as limiting the Trident's appeal and delaying its service entry. BEA's requirements fluctuated greatly in the 1950s and in the 1960s and 1970s ended up differing considerably from what the Trident could offer.
During its gestation, the Trident was also involved in a government drive to rationalise the British aircraft industry. The resulting corporate moves and government interventions contributed to delays causing it to enter service two months after its major competitor, the Boeing 727, losing further potential sales as a result. By the end of the programme in 1978, only 117 Tridents had been produced. BEA's successor British Airways withdrew its Tridents from service in the mid-1980s, and the Trident was withdrawn from service altogether in the mid-1990s.
During its gestation, the Trident was also involved in a government drive to rationalise the British aircraft industry. The resulting corporate moves and government interventions contributed to delays causing it to enter service two months after its major competitor, the Boeing 727, losing further potential sales as a result. By the end of the programme in 1978, only 117 Tridents had been produced. BEA's successor British Airways withdrew its Tridents from service in the mid-1980s, and the Trident was withdrawn from service altogether in the mid-1990s.
The Trident was a jet airliner of all-metal construction with a T-tail and a low-mounted wing with a quarter-chord sweepback of 35 degrees. It had three rear-mounted engines: two in side-fuselage pods, and the third in the fuselage tailcone, aspirating through an S-shaped duct. One version, the 3B, had a fourth "boost" engine aspirated through a separate intake duct above the main S-duct. All versions were powered by versions of the Rolls-Royce Spey, while the boost engine was also by Rolls-Royce: the RB.162, originally intended as a lift engine for VTOL applications.
The Trident experienced some key export sales, particularly to China. Following a thawing of relations between Britain and the People's Republic of China, China completed several purchase deals and more than 35 Tridents were eventually sold.
An interesting line-up consisting of a Trident 2E and two Lisunov Li-2's.
"5070" is a Lisunov Li-2.
Several airlines operated Lisunov Li-2s, among others Aeroflot, CAAK, CSA, LOT, MALÉV, Polar Aviation, TABSO and Tarom.
Snagged this photo on May 10, 2012.
"311" is a Lisunov Li-2 of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
This stunning photograph help capture the details of this Lisunov Li-2.
The Li-2 saw extensive service in the Chinese Air Force in the 1940's and 1950's.
The vintage Antonov turboporp-engined transport, form a fitting frame for this beautiful CAAC Douglas T-62 "311".
"4060" is an An-24RV and powered by 2 x Ivchenko AI-24A's + 1 x auxiliary turbojet engine.
"1151" is a CAAC Antonov An-12.
The Antonov An-12 (NATO reporting name: Cub) is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10 and has many variants. For more than three decades the An-12 was the standard medium-range cargo and paratroop transport aircraft of the Soviet air forces. A total of 1,234 were eventually built.
Developed from the Antonov An-8, the An-12 was a military version of the An-10 passenger transport. The first prototype An-12 flew in December 1957 and entered Soviet military service in 1959. Initially, the aircraft was produced at the State Aviation Factory in Irkutsk. From 1962, production was transferred to Tashkent, where 830 were built. Later, production moved to Voronezh and Kazan.
In terms of configuration, size, and capability, the aircraft is similar to the United States-built Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Soviet military and former-Soviet An-12s have a defensive tail gun turret.
In the 1960s, China purchased several An-12 aircraft from the Soviet Union, along with a license to assemble the aircraft locally. Due to the Sino-Soviet split, the Soviet Union withdrew its technical assistance and the first flight of a Chinese-assembled An-12 was delayed until 1974. After USSR ceased production in 1973, the Xi'an Aircraft Company and Xi'an Aircraft Design Institute reverse-engineered the An-12 for local production.
In 1981, the Chinese version of the An-12, designated Y-8, entered production. Since then, the Y-8 has become one of China's most popular military and civilian transport/cargo aircraft, with many variants produced and exported. A Tu-16/H-6 bomber navigator cockpit design was chosen for the Y-8 instead of the original An-12 shorter navigator cockpit design, as the H-6 bomber had been in serial production for some time.
"50256" is a Tupolev Tu-124V.
The success of the medium-range Tu-104 led Tupolev to develop a derivative to meet an Aeroflot requirement for a short to medium-range airliner to replace the Ilyushin Il-14. While a completely new aircraft, the Tu-124 was essentially a 75%-scale variant of the Tu-104 and the two were difficult to distinguish from a distance. In comparison with the larger aircraft, the Tu-124 introduced several aerodynamic refinements including extension of the wing trailing edge roots and addition of double-slotted flaps, automatic lift dumpers, and a large center-section airbrake to improve takeoff and landing performance. The Tu-124 was also fitted with a brake parachute for use in case of emergency landing as well as low-pressure tires for rough-field operations. In addition, the Tu-124 introduced much more fuel efficient turbofan engines, being the first short-range jet aircraft in the world to be so equipped.
The initial production model carried up to 44 passengers while the definitive Tu-124V could handle 56. Other notable variants included the Tu-124K and Tu-124K2 VIP transports and Tu-124Sh-1 and Tu-124Sh-2 navigator trainer aircraft. Some 110 civil and 55 military examples were built by the time production ended with the majority serving Aeroflot. Export sales were weak since most potential customers awaited the improved Tu-134, but VIP transports were operated by the Indian Air Force. Other Tu-124s found their way into the militaries of Iraq and China.
Pristine "50257" is a Tupolev Tu-124V of the Chinese Air Force on a sweltering Datangshan tarmac in May 2012.
The Tupolev Tu-124 powerplant: 2 × Soloviev D-20P turbofan engines, 53.1 kN (11,900 lbf) thrust each.
The Tupolev Tu-124(V) (NATO reporting name: Cookpot) was a 56-passenger short-range twinjet airliner built in the Soviet Union. Tu-124/Tu-124V was the first production variant. International demand was small, as most foreign airlines were waiting to buy the improved Tupolev Tu-134.
"208" is an CAAC Ilyushin IL-18D and festooned with a variety of aerials for direction finding and communications..
"50256" and sistership "50257".
"35141" is a Ilyushin IL-12T.
The Shvetsov ASh-82 (M-82) is a Soviet 14-cylinder, two-row, air-cooled radial aircraft engine developed from the Shvetsov M-62. The M-62 was the result of development of the M-25, which was a licensed version of the Wright R-1820 Cyclone.
The port side wing of Ilyushin IL-12T "35141" pistonprop-engined transport forms a fitting frame for her sistership, 35046, lined-up at Datangshan in 2012.
The Il-12 (NATO reporting name: Coach) was a Soviet twin-engine cargo aircraft, developed in the mid-1940s for small and medium-haul airline routes and as a military transport.
The pollution in and around the Beijing district bring a muddy haze over the museum surroundings on this sticky day in May 2012.
"808" is a CAAC Antonov An-26 and is seen here on display in the China Aviation Museum.
The Jiefang CA-30 is a military truck used widely by the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It is a licensed-produced Soviet ZIL-157 and Hino TH-series 6x6 army truck, and looks similar to original, except that it has square fenders rather than round fenders as on the Soviet-produced ZIL-157.
Throughout the 1950s, the Soviet Army helped China to build up their heavy industries. As part of this plan, China established the First Automobile Works (FAW) in Changchun Northern China. Soon after, in July 1956, they introduced the Jiefang CA-10 4x2 army truck, a copy of the Russian or Japanese ZIS-150 Hino TH-series Models ln 1958-1959 the first 6X6 CA-30 lorries for the People's Republic of China army were introduced and made by the then called FAW Jiefang company.
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