Z-10 thread

[kwaigonegin]

there's been talk of WZ-16 ATH.I speculate is that if PLA wanted twin 1500~2000 plus HP attack helos.the entire airframe has to undergoes redesign .
while WZ-10 was first step for PLA for modern attack helos,but there real objective was AH-64D type heavy attack helos.experience in the gulf war prove it.her heavy weapon load, sensor,protection,range and durability make AH-64 the most potent attack helos right now.

If I were China I would go straight to the RAH-66 Comanche route instead of basing it off the AH-64. China has the advantage of starting from a clean sheet and they are also not bog down by lobbyists, politicians and other bureaucratic crap that plaque our defence industries. Not saying they don't have their fair share of issues but at least as far as their defense industry goes they face less red tape than the US ones do.

RAH 66 is a very good and decent platform. The reason it got canned wasn't anything technical related or performance related.

 

[escobar]

live fire training...

[video=youtube;31fvlfs2vEc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31fvlfs2vEc#t=88s[/video]

 

[SinoSoldier]

there's been talk of WZ-16 ATH.I speculate is that if PLA wanted twin 1500~2000 plus HP attack helos.the entire airframe has to undergoes redesign .
while WZ-10 was first step for PLA for modern attack helos,but there real objective was AH-64D type heavy attack helos.experience in the gulf war prove it.her heavy weapon load, sensor,protection,range and durability make AH-64 the most potent attack helos right now.

You realize that the WZ-16 is a name of a turboshaft, right?

 

[plawolf]

live fire training...

[video=youtube;31fvlfs2vEc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31fvlfs2vEc#t=88s[/video]

Good video, but I really wish the PLA would get out of the habit of always aiming for 100%, and worse, achieving it, because to me, the only thing achieving 100% means is that the test was poorly designed and far too easy.

The whole idea of exercise and practice is to test and push yourself. As the age old saying goes, you learn more from your failures than you do from your triumphs.

Learning to walk before you run is all fine and good, you can have realistic targets for 90% of the tests, but what's the harm in setting ultra hard real life scenarios for the remaining 10% of the assessment? That will really push your pilots and give you a far better idea of everyone's capabilities and potential than across the board 100%s and will also give the pilots something to think about during regular training. So rather than waste their time on an ultimately meaningless attempt to get every minute detail, even the unimportant ones, perfect, they could be spending their time trying to 'solve' the really life hard challenges the exercise set them with, which caught them out first time round.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

If I were China I would go straight to the RAH-66 Comanche route instead of basing it off the AH-64. China has the advantage of starting from a clean sheet and they are also not bog down by lobbyists, politicians and other bureaucratic crap that plaque our defence industries. Not saying they don't have their fair share of issues but at least as far as their defense industry goes they face less red tape than the US ones do.

RAH 66 is a very good and decent platform. The reason it got canned wasn't anything technical related or performance related.

Not Quite, Even if they try to leap ahead like that the RAH66 took decades of R&D. R&D that any new product would still demand. Also the stealth had costs it made it heavy and slow. what the PLA are looking for is a Workhorse War Horse. better to start with the Basics and then expand.

 

[Lion]

Not Quite, Even if they try to leap ahead like that the RAH66 took decades of R&D. R&D that any new product would still demand. Also the stealth had costs it made it heavy and slow. what the PLA are looking for is a Workhorse War Horse. better to start with the Basics and then expand.

Agree. But China could opt for few RAH66 style for elite special ops strike like the US stealth ops used for Osama assault. WZ-10 will still remained workhorse.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

Those were transports based on the Blackhawk not attackers. That is a whole other thread. That said I do think and would not be surprised if China has looked into retrofiting a small number of choppers to stealth configuration. But if done my money would be on a Z9 base.

 

[SinoSoldier]

From CJDBY. Note the similarity to the Comanche.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

in looks yes but also note the major point of deviation. This is Concept uses a Coaxial main rotor system well Comanche Used a Conventional configuration with festron. really though I question building yet another new Attack helo I mean they just go two online building yet another seems a bit overzealous. The key weak point I see In their fleet is the small number of Blackhawks, Aging Hips, aging Z9 and vintage Z8's. A stealth transport is a better option in my view. I only see the justification of a stealth attack helicopter if you aim to stealth a large portion of your Helicopter forces.

 

[SinoSoldier]

in looks yes but also note the major point of deviation. This is Concept uses a Coaxial main rotor system well Comanche Used a Conventional configuration with festron. really though I question building yet another new Attack helo I mean they just go two online building yet another seems a bit overzealous. The key weak point I see In their fleet is the small number of Blackhawks, Aging Hips, aging Z9 and vintage Z8's. A stealth transport is a better option in my view. I only see the justification of a stealth attack helicopter if you aim to stealth a large portion of your Helicopter forces.

On the contrary I don't think their Z-8 and Z-9 are that obsolete. Their equipment can still do the job, but the main weak point would be their transports and the Z-20 is supposed to fill that gap; there has been rumors of a heavy attack helo under development but I don't know its progress.