H-20 is truly the white whale of the PLA. I would be rich if I were paid every time I’ve gotten my hopes up only for nothing to happen
H-20 bomber (with H-X, JH-XX)
- Thread starter Deino
- Start date
Yeah bet not many people expected China to show off two 6th gen before H-20
Also brings back memories to all the arguments over how supposedly advanced tailless flying wing flight controls are, bet nobody at the time would believe China will just go ahead and make two high supersonic tailless designs before H-20.
I'm holding out that they went back to drawing board and will have a supersonic H-20. Because honestly what's much the point of subsonic flying wing when China already has strike drones in that config?
Gentlemen, I appreciate your clear and confident no's!
Though please entertain me for a minute . . .
The models, renderings, drawings, patents and so forth representing and/or reportedly tied to the H-20, that have circulated in recent years, have generally speaking suggested a blended wing body design incorporating foldable tails, and/or some other fairly complicated and ambitious design features like variable geometry wings.
Assuming what we've been communicated is accurate, and not disinformation courtesy of MSS/PLA counterintelligence, then we have to ask ourselves:
- What's the point of all of this?
- Wouldn't it be easier, faster and cheaper for the PLAAF to stick to a relatively simpler flying wing design akin to the B-2 and B-21 (especially given the experience that the Chinese aerospace industry has visibly accumulated by way of the GJ-11, CH-7 and other flying wing designs)?
- Why bother with a more complicated and expensive proposal unless the PLAAF had requirements closer to the B-1 or Tu-160 rather than the B-2 or B-21 in terms of kinematics?
Now, it's completely possible both Xian's current and final H-20 design will look just like the B-2.
However, at this juncture in time, who is to say Xian is only finding inspiration in Northrop Grumman's stealth bomber designs, rather than actively working to outdo them?
It would certainly explain the H-20's extended timeline!
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Subsonic flying wing is only something assumed by the public. I'm only half joking when I say H-20 is Chinese NGAD. In fact just like NGAD that has never been shown, H-20 can be anything.
There is just a popular imagination it has to look a certain way (like the dorito for NGAD). In reality theres no knowing.
There is just a popular imagination it has to look a certain way (like the dorito for NGAD). In reality theres no knowing.
Well, Yangwei did say, on video, at a university talk, regarding B-21 that "in my opinion ours is better"
B-21 was made to be cheap because of the decay of the US industrial base. I would hope China’s is better
B-21 was made to be cheaper; $700 million per plane is not cheap. It is, however, cheaper than the B2 at 1 billion per copy.
Exactly. The nose/leading edge shape on those supposedly models suggest the plane is supersonic. Although that can change - my pure speculation is that if it was s simple subsonic fly wing, it won't take this long. Many years ago it was reported China wants Tu-160 but Russia decided not to sell. So maybe some Tu-160 features were highly desirable. Let's hope it is not over-engineered.