Chinese-European transport helo project

Totoro

Major
VIP Professional
E175 is a 7 ton helicopter, meaning its maximum take off weight is 7 tons. Empty weight isnt listed but it could be around 3.5 tons.

Blackhawk weight little under 5 tons empty and its mtow weight is some 10.5 tons.

Mi-17 weighs some 7 tons empty and its mtow is some 13 tons.

So those three are definitly each in its own class. Z15/e175 will definitely be a huge step up in the asw role and utility role, replacing z9 series (z9 being 2 tons empty and 4 tons mtow), but it wont quite be what blackhawk is. That being said, US doesnt really use anything in the mi17 class so it may be china will just take another road and skip the 10 ton class helo and replace it with two classes, one a bit lighter (z15) and one a bit heavier (mi17 or z8)
 

montyp165

Senior Member
E175 is a 7 ton helicopter, meaning its maximum take off weight is 7 tons. Empty weight isnt listed but it could be around 3.5 tons.

Blackhawk weight little under 5 tons empty and its mtow weight is some 10.5 tons.

Mi-17 weighs some 7 tons empty and its mtow is some 13 tons.

So those three are definitly each in its own class. Z15/e175 will definitely be a huge step up in the asw role and utility role, replacing z9 series (z9 being 2 tons empty and 4 tons mtow), but it wont quite be what blackhawk is. That being said, US doesnt really use anything in the mi17 class so it may be china will just take another road and skip the 10 ton class helo and replace it with two classes, one a bit lighter (z15) and one a bit heavier (mi17 or z8)

The EC725 weighs about 5 tons empty and 11.2 tons MTOW, that's the closest to the Blackhawk in performance and the PLA already has Super Pumas available.
 

Totoro

Major
VIP Professional
Well, EC 725 certainly is in the blackhawk class but how do you figure it is readily available to the PLA? What such aircraft are in service with the PLA? What are the future plans of introducing them into service? I must confess I know of no such plans.
 

montyp165

Senior Member
Well, EC 725 certainly is in the blackhawk class but how do you figure it is readily available to the PLA? What such aircraft are in service with the PLA? What are the future plans of introducing them into service? I must confess I know of no such plans.

As the EC725 is a modernized version of the Super Puma, and since the PLA does operate some it wouldn't be too difficult to develop a Chinese equivalent, especially as the civilian version (EC225) was just purchased by the Ministry of Communication, so there is a base of understanding already available.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
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As the EC725 is a modernized version of the Super Puma, and since the PLA does operate some it wouldn't be too difficult to develop a Chinese equivalent, especially as the civilian version (EC225) was just purchased by the Ministry of Communication, so there is a base of understanding already available.
I think it would be better just to accelerate development of the existing 10 ton helicopter programme - the current helicopter fleet is quite small, but with more Z-8's coming and the ability to build Z-9's they work for the moment.
A blackhawk/nh90 class helicopter would probably come sometime this decade and the heavy lift helicopter they are making with Russia a bit later after - which would satisfy the PLA's demands if they can produce enough of both to replace the existing Z-9, Z-8.

Developing an indenginous super puma would take too much time - better to use efforts on existing projects.
 

tphuang

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they do have a 10 tonne helo project going right now. It may look a lot like black hawk. I don't know. But that I guess would be the perfect fit for PLAN to replace Ka-28. Z-15 certainly would more than replace Z-9Cs role in PLAN and Z-9As in PLA LH
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
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I just hope they get the 10 ton chopper built before the end of this decade - China seems to be more incompetent at building helicopters than planes...
It'd be a bit of a shame to have a stealth fighter take off but not be able to get the indigenous medium lift chopper to take to the skies...
 

noone536

Junior Member
that is because the pla put more emphasis on plane rather than helicopter because plane take air supiority while the role of helecopter is more of a secondary
 

In4ser

Junior Member
I disappointed about the tonnage too but supposed for troop transport its on par wit the blackhawk if not better and doubt people and their equipment are going to go over 7tons.
I am surprised that China has not tried to reverse engineer the Black Hawks it had be given Pre-Arms ban.
 
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