Here's another from Litvyak's AltBC series...
Having overseen BC production of the Parnall Plover, designer Harold Bolas moved to Vancouver in early 1930. His first BC commission was from Hoffar Aircraft Engines.
HAE had a buy-back arrangement with the Royal British Columbia Air Force and had exported some refurbished HIV-12A Harrier air-cooled V-12s to Kwangsi to re-engine worn DH-4s and DH-9s. Now the Kwangsi Air Force was looking for a Harrier-powered fighter trainer.
The result was the Hoffar Bolas Fighter HBF-1 aka Bolas Bolo Mk.I biplane. Twenty were built for the Kwangsi AF, entering service in 1931. By 1935, the Bolos were wearing out and Kwangsi returned them to Hoffar for modernizing and rebuilding.
The HBF-1A (Bolas Bolo Mk.IA ) was similar but replaced the Harrier V-12 with a 450 hp HLR-9A Alcyone 9-cyl radial. Kwangsi arranged for shipment from Vancouver to Hong Kong but the aircraft never arrived. Some time later, the mystery ship showed up in Barcelona harbour - the fighter-trainers had been diverted to the Spanish Republicans!
After assuring the BC government that Hoffar had nothing to do with breaking the boycott on arms shipments to Spain, the HBF-2 (aka Bolas Boxer) light fighter was developed for export. This aircraft was to have a 750 hp 18-cyl HLR-18A Procyon radial but as that engine was late, a P&W Wasp was installed instead.
With no interest in the HBF-2 shown in China, a sales tour of Central America was planned. On the advice of Hoffar de México SA, the Bolas name was dropped and the light fighter redubbed the Hoffar Halcòn for the Latin American market.
The HBF-2 demonstrator was sold to the Nicaraguan Guardia Nacional and further development of the dated Hoffar Bolas Fighter series was abandoned.