H-6 Bomber Aircraft Discussions

SinoSoldier

Colonel
That doesn't seem to leave much ground clearance. If the missile isn't fired. It probably has to be jettisoned because it would be scary to land with that thing under the belly.

I was having a similar discussion with RAJ47 over on CDF. Do we know what would be the gap between the under-slung missile and the belly of the aircraft? A Q-5 Fantan was able to land with a 1-ton thermonuke in the 1970s without any issue following a failed drop, so just how much more difficult would landing this H-6N be? I guess it's a matter of pilot selection in this case.
 

subotai1

Junior Member
Registered Member
I was having a similar discussion with RAJ47 over on CDF. Do we know what would be the gap between the under-slung missile and the belly of the aircraft? A Q-5 Fantan was able to land with a 1-ton thermonuke in the 1970s without any issue following a failed drop, so just how much more difficult would landing this H-6N be? I guess it's a matter of pilot selection in this case.

DF-21 has a diameter of 1.4M.
And I seriously doubt they would design a regularly used weapon and platform pairing where you have to dump a missile if you cannot fire it. That could lead to a lot of wasted missiles. Especially when you are carrier hunting and its going to take a number of sorties before you find a target.
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
DF-21 has a diameter of 1.4M.
And I seriously doubt they would design a regularly used weapon and platform pairing where you have to dump a missile if you cannot fire it. That could lead to a lot of wasted missiles. Especially when you are carrier hunting and its going to take a number of sorties before you find a target.
Also mainly a weapons load, mass problem H-6 as Tu-16 can all host 9 tons H-6K known 6 KD-20 each do 1.8 tons i am not sure a 7th can be also in the bays even witt it do 12.6 tons and the DF-21 do 15 tons ...
 

Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
From Jane
Images indicate possible precision-guided version of China's KD-20 LACM

Neil Gibson and Richard D Fisher Jr - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
10 August 2017
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An image appearing on the PLAAF-affiliated 'Blue Sky' website showing a Xian H-6K bomber being loaded with two KD-20 LACMs with nose covers: an indication it uses an optical seeker. Source: Blue Sky web page
Key Points
  • China may have developed a new optically guided version of the KD-20 land attack cruise missile
  • Such a weapon would allow aircraft like the H-6K bomber to conduct attacks from greater stand-off ranges
An image appearing on a People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)-linked webpage suggests that China has developed a new optical precision-guided version of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) CJ-10K/KD-20 land attack cruise missile (LACM).

In mid-July the 'Blue Sky' web page, sponsored by the Society of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, featured an image of a Xian Aircraft Corporation H-6K bomber being loaded with two KD-20 and two YJ-63/KD-63 LACMs in which the KD-20s appear to have a protective cover partially covering their nose. This feature is used on some missiles to protect their optical or infrared (IR) seeker windows while in storage or being loaded.

The PLAAF's possible use of a new terminally guided version of the KD-20, perhaps designated the KD-20A, was first suggested by PLAAF analyst Hui Tong in his English- and Chinese-language blogs. He has also noted that as early as 2013, the PLAAF had upgraded the original 180-200 km-range KD-63 TV-based terminal guidance system with a model based on an imaging IR (IIR) seeker.

For guidance, the KD-20 – which is estimated to have a range of 1,500 km – has previously been reported to use an inertial navigation system (INS) aided by a terrain-contour-mapping radar altimeter, and possibly a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). An IIR-seeker-equipped KD-20 could enable the H-6K to conduct strikes from beyond the range of most ground-based air defences.
 

Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
Already posted before go back couple pages. Anyway Jane take on new H6K N
Chinese Xian H-6K with refuelling probe suggests new missions
Richard D Fisher Jr - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
18 August 2017

A vague image of a Xian Aircraft Corporation H-6K with a nose-mounted refuelling probe suggests additional missions may be in store for this much-modified 65-year-old medium bomber design, which first flew in 1952 as the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-16.

Appearing for the first time on 15 August on a microblogging site on the Weibo website in overall yellow primer typical of Chinese aircraft prototypes, unofficial Chinese sources suggest this modified H-6K first flew in December 2016.

p1709023.jpg
Although it reportedly first flew in December 2016, on 15 August the first image appeared of a Xian H-6K modified with a nose-mounted refuelling probe. (Via Weibo website)

For much of this year Chinese observers have speculated this variant may perform two missions.

The first of these could be long-range strategic nuclear strike. Refuelling would extend the estimated 3,000 km combat radius of the Russian Soloviev D-30-KP2 turbofan powered H-6K, further extending the reach of its six nuclear-capable 1,500 km-range KD-20/CJ-10K land-attack cruise missiles.

Although a 2,500 km-range version of the KD-20 may be in development, this H-6K version would require multiple refuellings to reach strategic targets such as Hawaii or the US West Coast.

A second mission suggested by Chinese observers could be to launch satellites or ballistic missiles. At the 2006 Zhuhai Airshow the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) displayed a model of its three-stage, 13-ton, 550 km orbit-capable 'Air-launched Launch Vehicle”, showing it would be deployed from an H-6. Air-to-air refuelling could allow for take-off at lower fuel capacity to compensate for the weight of the launch vehicle, which could perform anti-satellite (ASAT) or satellite launch missions.
 
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