PB4Y-2 Privateers & F-84 Thunderjets of Nationalist Chinese Air Force National Archives Airailimages

Take a look at PB4Y-2 Privateer patrol bombers and F-84 Thunderjet fighters in the service of Nationalist China in this rare film archived by the U.S. Army.
A variety of published sources indicates the Nationalist Chinese Air Force had PB4Y-2 Privateers between mid-1952 and into the early 1960s. The Nationalists received F-84G Thunderjets as early as 1953, and may have phased them out in 1958. This suggests a five-year window in the 1950s for the date of this film, which was not tagged by year in the National Archives caption sheet.
The presence of a groundlooped F-47N Thunderbolt beside the runway in one scene is an interesting sidelight, ignored by the roaring Privateers on takeoff.
Author Al Lloyd said 38 Privateers, designated P4Y-2 by 1951, were received by Nationalist China between 1952 and 1956. As many as nine Privateers can be seen in the air in some of these scenes. In contested skies over Southeast Asia, at least two of the Chinese Privateers were shot down over their years of service.
I'm Fred Johnsen for the Airailimages Channel. Our time spent in archival sources yields rare finds like this film, which we are happy to bring to you on Airailimages. Like it? Give it a Thumbs Up, and help this video on its way.
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We captured this Privateer flying at the Planes of Fame air show in Chino: • Chino Warbirds 2019 Su...

[@airailimages]

More Privateers: U.S. Navy World War II operations captured in this film from the National Archives: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqWUdYhui7mgnaM

[@twogamer7149]

For people who don’t know, the “Nationalist Chinese” were stationed in today known as Taiwan.

[@熊國大熊熊]

ROC

[@theochan2911]

🇹🇼🇹🇼🇹🇼

[@熊國大熊熊]

@@theochan2911 ROCT

[@wrightflyer7855]

I spent the 5th and 6th grades in Taiwan (1959-1961) when my late father was a MAAG army advisor to the Nationalists. This confirmed aviation addict wished he were Air Force instead of Army, but I had plenty of oportunities to fly space available, get Jeep rides to school and play on military vehicles. In retrospect those two years were the best of my young life. Wright Flyer, USAF (1968-1972).

[@airailimages]

I can imagine how interesting those years would have been. Thanks for watching and adding a bit of your history.

[@BaltimoreAndOhioRR]

This was interesting to watch! Not something that I'd normally see. 👍✔✈

[@airailimages]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@palerider7171]

After seeing a Privateer at the Pima Air and Space Museum they have become one of my favorites!

[@airailimages]

Very understandable! And that is a great restoration at Pima.

[@m3a3m5a1]

感謝美國支援!

[@ChiefAUS]

Nice find! Looks like a lot of USAF advisors in the film. Thanks for the effort to find these films.

[@airailimages]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@joevaccaro6655]

The F84G was a nice jet for its time, thanks for the upload.

[@airailimages]

You are very welcome!

[@leonhank4448]

Thank! Great film great find!

[@airailimages]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@chairmanhsu4997]

Thanks for making this great video - Sure brought back lots of memories. I also really like the first music you used in this video. Do you know what is the name? Thanks in advance.

[@airailimages]

Thank you; glad you enjoyed it. We experimented with an AI music generation program for this audio.

[@raymondyee2008]

When the ROCAF fell back to Taiwan. It has come a long way now to have F-16s.

[@limingchung9130]

Excellent video first time see

[@airailimages]

Glad you liked it

[@張洪鈞]

Good day. Thank you for sharing this history. Is PB4Y-2 Privateer the early electronic warfare aircraft of the ROCAF?

[@jb6027]

A date clue might be when the Nationalist Chinese retired the P-47s shown in the background. Edited to add: Or maybe not. A Nationalist Chinese F-47 was listed as shot down by AAA as late as 1957.

[@airailimages]

Because they are N-models, I think they were around several years into the 1950s; not sure when they retired from Nat China.

[@jb6027]

@@airailimages The Nationalist Chinese Air Force receiver 102 D and N model Thunderbolts post war. One F-47 was listed as shot down by AAA in 1957, so I guess they were kept for quite a while.

[@moonbeamchaos]

WOW! All those PBY4s!

[@allgood6760]

Thanks and new to me 👍

[@airailimages]

You are welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@熊國大熊熊]

Is there any relevant information or images of B-17 and B-24?

[@airailimages]

We are always looking for more information and images in the archives. If we find more, we will use it. Thanks for watching!

[@theochan2911]

Hi, what's the colour of the privateer in that time?

[@FrancoWang]

ROC(Taiwan) Air Force.

[@thomasmu1879]

I knew ROCAF had PB4Y，but so many....

[@HongyaMa]

You know the quality of personal when he picks up a hammer while installing rockets - just before the 1:00 mark. BooM!

[@scottfw7169]

I can't give the details, but there was at least one instance of a US Navy missile being returned to functional status via judicious application of percussion in the 1980s. So, I at least, do not apply a blanket judgement to the employment of hammers.

[@airailimages]

And I worked with a former B-52 crew chief who said the huge wooden wheel chocks were used as mallets more than once to close stubborn engine cowlings.

[@scottfw7169]

I dunno, man, that ground looped F-47 might not have been ignored by the Privateer crews, might have been a case of _"You see that -- doing that is not on our flight plan, make sure you aren't the one who adds it."_

[@migmadmarine]

Thunderhogs! Need LOTS of runway

[@sung-linlee7296]

PB4Y-2 @ R.O.C, Tawian, Hsinchu Air Force Base

[@theochan2911]

Hi, what's the colour of the privateer in that time?

[@theochan2911]

Hi, what's the colour of the privateer in that time?

[@southernpilot]

What aircraft are those in the background at 03:45?

[@limingchung9130]

Looks like AT-6 Texan

[@FlightSimHistorian]

mixture of AT-6 Texans and P-47 Thunderbolts.

[@DBAllen]

Fighter planes so old they probably had a three on the stick transmission. LOL!

[@scottfw7169]

Some now classic mid-century airplanes there.

[@scottfw7169]

Is interesting how you can mishear things when your now disabled body is being difficult to get along with, had to go pull up the transcript to get the correct words, my brain misheard "over their years of service" as "over the near subsurface". 🤔🤨

[@airailimages]

Happens to us all! Thanks for watching.

[@davidrivero7943]

Great OHE personnel. Yaiks !!

[@brianlinke1856]

Some background, "There was finally recognition of China as a great power at the FOREIGN MINISTERS CONFERENCE in 1943. CHIANG KAI-SHEK was at last the acknowledged equal of FDR, CHURCHILL and STALIN. Chiang would now attend the Cairo Conference. Chiang would need Stilwell more than ever here to carry the burden of military planning and logistics in a show before the ALLIED COMBINED CHIEFS...a task for which the Chinese staff WAS NOT ADEQUATE. In addition, Chiang's virtually putting a monetary price on his continuing in the war aided increasing disenchantment". From the book .... The Am. Experience in China by Barbara Tuchman. (Chiang would be defeated on the mainland ,1949...and leave the mainland)

[@dy031101]

>>In addition, Chiang's virtually putting a monetary price on his continuing in the war aided increasing disenchantment".