China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft

Viktor Jav said:

LOL, they should at least get the pasted on pictures right, the middle one shows a boom type which China does not operates, while the right hand pic shows a drogue type station.

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They might not operate the boom type but they are working on it for sure and the photo is more about the console and not about the delivery system. so yeah in the future they can operate boom type

Interesting how worry-wart Raj is complaining about the same innocuous thing.

Hendrik_2000 said:

空中加油操控台/Air Refueling Control Console

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my $.02 because everyone else has, The PLAAF needs Tankers. We all know that.
There are two concepts for this Flying boom and Probe and Drogue.

1. Flying boom is rarer, it has a major advantages. You can fuel up faster because of the pipe, but only a hand full of users use it. Thus far if the PRC invested in it, I can only think for export. As none of the PLA aircraft have a flying boom receptacle. US made Fighters that started in the USAF like the F15 and F16 demand Booms same for Some older F4 and A Flying boom Can be modified to tank Aircraft with a Probe and Drogue system. Downside it's heavy, demands an Operator and you can only mount one.
2. Probe and Drogue is far more common and already the standard of PRC. It's 1 easier to build, you can tank multiple aircraft meaning if you build a large tanker you can get more use from that tanker per flight than a flying boom. it's more universal in that it allows tanking of not just fighters and bomber but also Helicopters. Again meaning you can get more use from the tanker as you have a expanded envelope. Down side is not as easy to tank up with because it's subject to turbulence and it has a slower refuel speed. There is some risk of fuel or the Drogue damaging the receiving aircraft. The Russians and Chinese as well as all the Tanker operators of the World already have provisions for Probe and Drogue. Even flying boom tankers can be fitted with an adapter to fuel Probe an Drogue aircraft however Probe and Drogue tankers can not.

Now If it is a study for export that could make some sense a few F16 and others who use older USAF type F4 have shall we say fallen from US favor. As I stated above A Flying boom Tanker can be modified to refuel a Aircraft using Probe and Drogue via an adapter.
So from an Export perspective if one of the PRC builders was looking to offer a Tanker program for both the PLA and possible Export to it's allied states a Flying boom like system would be a good option as you could mount one. If the End customer says They don't use it. Then you can modify the system to a Probe and Drogue.
So if you are building it off say a Comac 919 ( Hypothetical here) you can then have 3 refueling points One center line with a flying boom system installed but able to be modified for Probe and Drogue and 2 Probe and Drogue systems on the wings.
meaning that a 3 ship formation of fighters could be tanked at the same time. And this is a real configuration used on some MRTT like the A310, A330, KC46 ( troubled though it is)
Of course it could just be that they thought it looked cool. But I think my little Theory works well as you see the a Flying boom but the picture to the right ( our perspective) is clearly a Probe and Drogue receiving aircraft.

vincent said:

Gonna add a comment @Jura would love (i think ): would US navy procure LCS and Zumwalt if they knew the number of 052D and 055 PLAN is gonna get by 2020?

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LOL I think I know what you mean, but I'm afraid the USN would still have procured the LCSs because of the political engineering involved
(not even Sen. McCain (R-AR hahaha) has been able to axe the LCS trash)

it's veering off topic of
China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft
though

Jura said:

LOL I think I know what you mean, but I'm afraid the USN would still have procured the LCSs because of the political engineering involved
(not even Sen. McCain (R-AR hahaha) has been able to axe the LCS trash)

it's veering off topic of
China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft
though

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Thanks for pointing out and I admit at least IMO all arguments are on the table ... let's agree to disagree, but it's enough.

Deino

Via LKJ 86. Come on guys let just enjoy the picture The photo is probably release by some one working on the project to refit boom refuelling on the new Y 20 Here it is
No it is not for export . The simulation image clearly show it is intended for domestic use

I just realized that the Y-8, Y-9, and Y-20 do not have aerial refueling probes. This seems to be a significant shortfall in light of the PLAAF's greater emphasis on projection and transport.

Hendrik_2000 said:

Via LKJ 86. Come on guys let just enjoy the picture The photo is probably release by some one working on the project to refit boom refuelling on the new Y 20 Here it is
No it is not for export . The simulation image clearly show it is intended for domestic use

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Interesting, as I stated before though none of the known PLA aircraft can take the Flying boom system it would require a change in the design of there fighters. It would be easier to standardized on probe and Drogue and build up numbers of tankers.