TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
lets not jump the gun yet all we know is there are a number being shipped by Truck.
Z-20 (all variants) thread
- Thread starter delft
- Start date
ladioussupp
Junior Member
According to this page, a slightly modified Y-8A is used to carry S-70 to Lhasa once. But it took two days to assemble the S-70. PLA decided to call it off.
Il-76 cargo compartment 20 m long by 3.4 m wide by 3.4 m tall. And a comparable S-70 is 5.33m. So S-70 or Z-20 is too high to put into the cargo bay even the rotor head and landing gears are removed.
Besides, a normal container is no taller than 3 meter. Due to the same height constraint, Z-20 cannot be put on a train.
That could be it -- though I'm not sure how high an S-70 is once its landing gear, main rotor, and tail rotor are all removed.
I was envisioning Z-20 being put atop a train carriage platform rather than within a container, in the same way that AFVs and tanks are carried on trains, therefore it won't be limited by dimensions of a container.
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Something else to ask is why they didn't just fly the aircraft to the testing site instead. They seemed to be able to test Z-18 in high altitude conditions with no need for transport via trucks to get there (that we know of).
plawolf
Lieutenant General
The method of transportation was probably down to costs, security and other practical considerations.
Sure they could fly it in the hold of a transport, or fly it there under its own power, but both options would cost a fair amount of money.
They probably decided to use a truck because it was the cheapest (and potentially easiest to get to the test centre, as I don't think it would have a runway able to take heavy transports aircraft or its own rail connection) way to get the Z20 to the test centre.
Sure they could fly it in the hold of a transport, or fly it there under its own power, but both options would cost a fair amount of money.
They probably decided to use a truck because it was the cheapest (and potentially easiest to get to the test centre, as I don't think it would have a runway able to take heavy transports aircraft or its own rail connection) way to get the Z20 to the test centre.
broadsword
Brigadier
Transportation by train would have its inherent issues like tunnels and overhead gantries. But do we know where it was being dispatched to? It could well be just 20 miles away. But if it was 1000 miles, then they would try to squeeze into an air freighter.
Indeed making something a little bit larger so that a lot of thing become impossible that would be possible by keeping the size down a little sounds like a mistake. I doubt that such a mistake has been made.
The part that would be too large in this case would be the tail. But it is entirely possible to adapt the design and make the tail demountable.
I think this helicopter can be transported by rail and by air.
MwRYum
Major
All that, if only the Z-20 can be on-par with UH-60 on all performance, and can be produced in significant quantities within a certain timeframe, only then we can talk about true revolution is at hand - at this time, the PLA still thinks primary "with legs", only recently moving towards "with wheels".
Something like the "Chinese-HMMWV" got a 1-hours TV special, for starters...and even if serial production starts next year, the first Z-20 equipped regiment will only be just got certified for operating at full capacity, too early to take part in 2019 National Day parade.
On top of all that, the Chinese authority has so far keeping a very tight lid on Z-20, enough to say it ain't defunct but not enough to say for absolute certainty about anything...I believe only with HD pics, and even that with a pint of salt to go with.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Consider they have alot on there budgetary plate. All the new vehicles and equipment spread across there Army, Navy, Air Force, 2nd Art and Marines that has to be eating resources and budget. The PRC military budget has limitations, Heck the US is struggling to fund it's projects and it's budget is monstrous. So Some projects have to be kept back burner and I imagine that utility helicopter vs 5th gen fighter will have the politicians making an easy choice.
MwRYum
Major
You're talking about budgeting priority but I'm talking about the level of censorship that clamps down onto everything Z-20, which surpress even the stealth fighter projects. Not usual to say it mildly.
I think you are exaggerating the secrecy surrounding Z-20 a little. We have similarly few photos of certain Z-18 variants as well, which we know are all under testing.
Trying to attribute the lack of photos of Z-20 to a single factor is probably too much. It is likely a combination of standard Chinese military opsec, combined with a relative lower degree of Chinese military watcher interest, combined with more remote testing of Z-20 where it may be harder to photograph as well, compared to say, J-20s at CAC.