China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft
- Thread starter Totoro
- Start date
Honestly, we've seen the J-20 already a few weeks before its maiden flight and in regard to this huge type I can't think that it is possible to hide it.
(At least I hope so)
Deino
J-20 is purposely allow to have its test flight in Chengdu for PR show.. They could have do it in inner mongolia to be away from public eyes. China is so huge. Don't tell me they can't find an isolated places for a military transport plane test flight, right?
Surely they could ... but why !?? ... and at what cost ?
IMO it would require a huge completely new facility somewhere at a highly secret place to build that huge plane, perform the flight test secretly and then put it back to Xian later to do a public PR-unveiling ! ... highly unlikely.
If the Y-20 is designed by Xian it will be build there too and so there's no chance to hide that beast in preparation to a first flight, which will mosdt likely be done at Yanglian.
Deino
IMO it would require a huge completely new facility somewhere at a highly secret place to build that huge plane, perform the flight test secretly and then put it back to Xian later to do a public PR-unveiling ! ... highly unlikely.
If the Y-20 is designed by Xian it will be build there too and so there's no chance to hide that beast in preparation to a first flight, which will mosdt likely be done at Yanglian.
Deino
Surely they could ... but why !?? ... and at what cost ?
IMO it would require a huge completely new facility somewhere at a highly secret place to build that huge plane, perform the flight test secretly and then put it back to Xian later to do a public PR-unveiling ! ... highly unlikely.
If the Y-20 is designed by Xian it will be build there too and so there's no chance to hide that beast in preparation to a first flight, which will mosdt likely be done at Yanglian.
Deino
China do not allow failure at all cost.. If the plane failed the first flight and crashed. No amount of money can compensate the embarrrassment and lost of confidence projected to the outside world.
They will do it at all cost. Ship the parts bit by bit. Assemble at some secret area ,tested it and once everything ok. You will see it on internet soon.
No
That I don;t agree.
Chengdu is easier to leak because the airport is very close to urban area. not so with Xian.
Surely they could ... but why !?? ... and at what cost ?
IMO it would require a huge completely new facility somewhere at a highly secret place to build that huge plane, perform the flight test secretly and then put it back to Xian later to do a public PR-unveiling ! ... highly unlikely.
If the Y-20 is designed by Xian it will be build there too and so there's no chance to hide that beast in preparation to a first flight, which will mosdt likely be done at Yanglian.
Deino
They might do a company unofficial first flight the invite the dignitaries for the official one.
but nothing that crazy.
Like I "wanted to say" (sorry if I was misleading); something that crazy wouldn't be worth the prize to pay it would require to do.
IMO we will see - hoppefully sooner than later - a nice roll-out, followed by some taxi test at varying speeds during spring and summer ... and finally a perfect first flight later this year.
Deino
You are absolutely correct, the only thing they've done too ensure successful maiden flight is the internal test flight, we've seen that happen with the FC1 already. But I don't think in recent Chinese have they ever ship a new plane to a remote test facility to conduct maiden flight.
A roll out has no risks at all, I don't see any reason why would they try to conceal it. So far the Y20 project has way more official information leaked out than J20, indicating a lower level of security clearance. Besides, it's almost impossible to conduct such a test flight covertly. The only air base capable of performing test flight and it's out of the public view is Dingxin, but you'd be crazy to think they can actually ship the plane there in bits via rail and then assemble it at the few hangars at Dingxin.