H-6 Bomber Aircraft Discussions

pugachev_diver

Banned Idiot
This plane is too small to deliver a meaningful amount of bombs, too slow for modern warfare, and especially too visible on the radar.
China doesn't have to develop a B-52 scale monster or an insane B2 style bomber, which costs more than gold. But they could at least try to develop something similar to the B-1B, it's probably not that hard. The British didn't have any experience in building large bombers or transporters, and it still managed to build the Concorde. China is probably able to to the same thing.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
This plane is too small to deliver a meaningful amount of bombs, too slow for modern warfare, and especially too visible on the radar.
China doesn't have to develop a B-52 scale monster or an insane B2 style bomber, which costs more than gold. But they could at least try to develop something similar to the B-1B, it's probably not that hard. The British didn't have any experience in building large bombers or transporters, and it still managed to build the Concorde. China is probably able to to the same thing.

You realize B-1s are actually heavier than B-2s, right? Besides, supersonic bombers are Cold War thinking and is far too hard to maintain, espicially if it's swing wing and that big. The PLAAF should go for a USAF style NGB, smaller than the B-2 but as stealthy if not more so, with a good bomb load and has lots of room to develop and put in aesa radar and ew modules.
One of the reasosn the B-52 is still around is its sheer size and relative ease of maintenance. Now the PLAAF doesn't need something that size, and the USAF might not go for something in that class ever again, but that doesn't mean you can't design an aircraft to be modular, espicially from the ground up.
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And the H-6K, if it's able to deliver a variety of PGMs along with cruise missiles, will still be a pretty capable plane espicially with turbofan instead of turbojet engines, which will allow a far greater loiter time/range to attack targets which may present themselves (though this will be after air superiority over an area has been acheived, but there are scenarios other than taiwan the PLAAF could face in the coming century). In a taiwan scenario H-6Ks can still fire CJ-10s, which will just diversify the sources of cruise missiles the enemy faces which makes your own platforms more survivable while able to attack from more directions (in stand off distance, of course with the CJ-10s ~3000 km range or however much it is).
 
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challenge

Banned Idiot
there was already break in sino russian relation, second,Russia probably will not export what they consider strategic weapon system.
 

delft

Brigadier
It would have been a huge aircraft for the Chinese to build at that time. And what about that huge engine and those contra-props? Chine wouldn't have been able to build them. The US couldn't make them at that time.
 

sealordlawrence

Junior Member
The British didn't have any experience in building large bombers or transporters, and it still managed to build the Concorde. China is probably able to to the same thing

Please google the following: Vickers Valiant, Avro Vulcan, Handley Page Victor, Short Sperrin, Vickers VC10 and Shorts Belfast.
 

delft

Brigadier
This plane is too small to deliver a meaningful amount of bombs, too slow for modern warfare, and especially too visible on the radar.
China doesn't have to develop a B-52 scale monster or an insane B2 style bomber, which costs more than gold. But they could at least try to develop something similar to the B-1B, it's probably not that hard. The British didn't have any experience in building large bombers or transporters, and it still managed to build the Concorde. China is probably able to to the same thing.
After reading this post I looked up the Vulcan, being the heaviest of the lot mentioned by sealordlawrence and found its take off weight to be half of Concord's. So I support this post.
 

kroko

Senior Member
This plane is too small to deliver a meaningful amount of bombs, too slow for modern warfare, and especially too visible on the radar.
China doesn't have to develop a B-52 scale monster or an insane B2 style bomber, which costs more than gold. But they could at least try to develop something similar to the B-1B, it's probably not that hard. The British didn't have any experience in building large bombers or transporters, and it still managed to build the Concorde. China is probably able to to the same thing.

Probably it is capable. However, something like the B1-b it would cost alot, and perhabs even more important, would take a LOT of time to develop, since china doesnt have any plane of this class (B1-b or tu-160) from which to base itself (and theres no way that USA or russia will sell them to anyone). And that may very well explain china´s absence of any new large bomber project.
 

delft

Brigadier
What would be the role of a large Chinese bomber? Presumably as carrier of cruise missiles against land and sea targets.
They might then be derived from a large transport aircraft, when suitable engines are developed. A supersonic bomber like B-1B or Tu-160 would not really contribute much beside the mass of missiles in Second Artillery. A very long range subsonic bomber like B-2 also is of limited use. So there is for the time being no reason to develop a large bomber.
Indeed H-6 might soldier on for perhaps many years while the large aircraft will first be built for transport and refueling.
 
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