World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseZhu Jiaren was born in Hanshou, Hunan Province, China to a local official. In 1920, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Massachusetts, United States, graduating in 1926 with a degree in aviation engineering. After working for several American aircraft manufacturers (including Hughes), he returned to China in 1928 to work at Hongqiao Aircraft in Shanghai. In 1930, he was given 20,000 Yuan to start his own project. His first design, nicknamed Suzhou, was completed in the spring of 1937. Later in 1937, he became the chief of the Chinese Air Force's No. 3 aircraft repair facility in Luoyang, China and was given an officer rank. In Jul 1939, he was named a member of the country's Aviation Committee. In Apr 1941, he became the chief of the No. 1 aircraft manufacturing plant in Kunming, China. In 1943, his X-PO fighter design was completed and took the first flight, but the American entry into the war meant there would be no need to put this design into production. In 1944, he began his research in helicopters, completing the Hummingbird Type A single seat helicopter in the fall of 1945, the first Chinese helicopter. In Jul 1948, the Hummingbird Type B helicopter took flight. In Sep 1948, he was named the chief of the Chinese Air Force's No. 3 aircraft manufacturing plant in Taizhong, Taiwan Province, China. He completed the CJC-3A dual-rotor helicopter design in the 1950s, which took flight on 9 Mar 1956. Later in the same year, he was named the chief of the Technical Bureau of the Republic of China Air Force at the rank of major general, placing him in personal charge of the main aircraft production facility in Taiwan. He retired from military aviation on 31 Dec 1962. In Aug 1965, he visited the United States using his own personal funding, touring American aircraft manufacturing facilities. In 1980, he moved to the United States, and lived there until his passing in 1985.

Zhu Jiaren Timeline