Z-20 (all variants) thread
- Thread starter delft
- Start date
I guess these new photos are taken from the same (old) event at the same time as the earlier photos which were taken through the window of a passenger aircraft some months ago. Back then, it was said to be airport somewhere south west on a high land (can be Yunnan, Sichuan, Tibet etc.) One can see the sheeps in the background outside of the tarmac in one of the new photo.
In the old photos, it was only 635 visible. This time we see 636.
From this understanding, I don't think these photos indicate anything of "close to delivery to PLA" although they have higher resolution.
In the old photos, it was only 635 visible. This time we see 636.
From this understanding, I don't think these photos indicate anything of "close to delivery to PLA" although they have higher resolution.
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TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
It's not a Glamour project.
J20 is a Glamour Project, China's stealth fighter,
Y20 is a Glamour Project a Transport the size of which that has only been equaled previously by the US and Russia.
Z20 by contrast is in a class of chopper that most countries with helicopter makers can build. H60, Ka60, KUH-1, Bell 525, AW149, NH90 you also have the rise of newer rotary wing platforms in development The V280 Valor, AW609, V22, Tiltrotors, coaxials with pushers. which for an aggressively modernizing Army that wants to sit on the Razors edge of tech is where the Z20 kinda falls to lack luster. The Practical need comes in here though and the Command has to say, "We need this more today, and can catch up latter".
And if you note they are not actively preventing leaks, It's not a Black Project just not a Sexy one.
What is happening though is where the cameras are swarming J20 like paparazzi On a Hollywood starlet in a Bikini.
And Y20 is being shown on the Red Carpet like Robert Downey Jr. at the opening of the next Avengers movie.
Z20 is the Indy movie that only gets seen by those in the know willing to travel to that one Independent Theater hours away. It's not that it's not in the open.
It's just not being promoted.
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
That TerraN was a good one way to put it !
AeroEngineer
Junior Member
One of the most important thing about Z-20 is actually its domestically designed and build engine: WZ-10 (WoZhou-10, Turbo shaft 10)
This engine produce 1,600 KW of power which is more than the UH-60's 1,500 KW engine; and with this engine the Z-10 attack chopper will evolve into WZ-20 a heavy attack chopper much like the AH-64D apache. Z-10 is just light and does not have enough fire power, range and armor because its engine the WZ-9 only has 1,000 KW of power.
With Z-20's powerful WZ-10 engine, all the transformations for Z-10 will come true !
The new highly advanced and powerful WZ-20 attack chopper will then be installed on 075 LHA and deployed in Tibet as well !! They will prove highly valuable in the upcoming Chinese unification war and to deter the indians as well ! With export to Pakistan and other Chinese friendly countries too !
This engine produce 1,600 KW of power which is more than the UH-60's 1,500 KW engine; and with this engine the Z-10 attack chopper will evolve into WZ-20 a heavy attack chopper much like the AH-64D apache. Z-10 is just light and does not have enough fire power, range and armor because its engine the WZ-9 only has 1,000 KW of power.
With Z-20's powerful WZ-10 engine, all the transformations for Z-10 will come true !
The new highly advanced and powerful WZ-20 attack chopper will then be installed on 075 LHA and deployed in Tibet as well !! They will prove highly valuable in the upcoming Chinese unification war and to deter the indians as well ! With export to Pakistan and other Chinese friendly countries too !
AeroEngineer
Junior Member
China’s new Z-20 medium utility helicopter has come closer to full operational capability by completing high-altitude tests at Xiahe airfield in Gansu Province. Photos of two Z-20s—serials 635, 636 bearing the insignia of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)—emerged on the Chinese internet, indicating that the helicopters were handed over to the service from their manufacturer the Harbin Aircraft Industry Group (HAIG), for final tests and evaluations. The tests were conducted at up to 4,000 m (13,200 feet).
The Z-20 requirement dates back to the 1980s, when China was seeking a medium utility helicopter for operations in the mountainous west region. The PLAAF eventually acquired 24 Sikorsky S-70C-2s with the enhanced General Electric T700-701A engines. It was reported that the S-70’s performance in the highlands was unmatched, even with the later acquisition by China of Mil Mi-17V5 helicopters from Russia.
Development of the so-called “10-tonne helicopter project” started in 2006 when a small-scale model of the Z-20 was shown at that year’s Zhuhai Airshow. But it was not until December 23, 2013 that the . It made its first public appearance at the 2016 Zhuhai Airshow.
At first look, the Z-20 bears a strong resemblance to the Sikorsky UH-60/S-70 Black Hawk series. It is commonly referred to as the Chinese Black Hawk. However, Z-20 designer Deng Jinghui told Chinese media that the Z-20 is a fly-by-wire design. Key visual differences are five main rotor blades on the Z-20, and more angular tail–to-fuselage joint frame. Military observer Huo Yanbin thinks that these features will give the Z-20 more lift and greater cabin capacity and endurance than the Black Hawk.
The most recent photos also show a new fairing installed aft of the engine exhausts and another on the tail spine, which are likely housings for satellite communications or the BeiDou (Big Dipper) satellite navigation system.
A crucial part of a successful development of the Z-20 would be the integration of its engines. It is widely believed that the primary powerplant for the Z-20 is the domestic WZ-10 turboshaft engine, providing 1,600 kW (about 2,145 shp). In comparison, the latest UH-60 GE T700-701D engines produce 1,500 kW (about 2,011 shp).
Beyond highland operations, Huo thinks the Z-20 will be a key air mobility and projection platform for the PLA, and will also provide the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) with a much-needed multi-role naval helicopter. Huo says that compared to the Harbin Z-8/18 series, the smaller size of the Z-20 and its newer systems will enable the Z-20 to be interoperable across all PLAN ships, yet large enough to install a full suite of anti-submarine capabilities. These are not found in the navy’s current Harbin Z-9 and Kamov Ka-28 helicopters.
Whenever the Z-20 is ready they are going to need to churn them out in numbers just for the PLA. Engine upgrades to existing Z-10's or new builds with more powerful engines are also going to be needed in numbers pronto just for the PLA. They will have to mass produce at a rate like they have never done before with helicopters if they want to quickly meet their own needs as well as those of exports.
antiterror13
Brigadier
My guess that PLA may just want a small number Z-20 (perhaps 10-15) to test and to verify a lot of things .. and will be mass produced in 2-3 years time to make sure everything is fine. You know there will always be some hiccups/bugs for new type or new design