Z-20 (all variants) thread

[jobjed]

AVIC Wechat account released a personality profile for Jiang Bin, the chief designer of a certain helicopter which made its first flight in 2018 and whose advent represents a great increase in combat potential of the PLAN. Said helicopter is very, very likely to be a naval Z-20.

The original personality profile is here;

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

The most important passage is this: 2018年，某型直升机成功首飞，将有力提升海军新型作战力量建设，推动我国海军进入装备发展的新时代。
Translated: In 2018, a certain helicopter type flew for the first time, boosting the navy's buildup of new capabilities and introducing a new era of procurement for the navy.


A thorough analysis of the personality profile is here;

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

which concludes the most likely candidate is a naval Z-20. Jiang Bin was designated as chief designer of this helicopter in 2015, having previously been in charge of the Z-9D project, another naval helicopter. The new helicopter utilises new technologies such as electric rotor blade folding technology, fibre-optic networks, and radio frequency integration (akin to integrated masts of ships).

 

[Deino]

...so all what is missing, is a clear image !

 

[DGBJCLAU]

AVIC Wechat account released a personality profile for Jiang Bin, the chief designer of a certain helicopter which made its first flight in 2018 and whose advent represents a great increase in combat potential of the PLAN. Said helicopter is very, very likely to be a naval Z-20.

The original personality profile is here;

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

The most important passage is this: 2018年，某型直升机成功首飞，将有力提升海军新型作战力量建设，推动我国海军进入装备发展的新时代。
Translated: In 2018, a certain helicopter type flew for the first time, boosting the navy's buildup of new capabilities and introducing a new era of procurement for the navy.


A thorough analysis of the personality profile is here;

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

which concludes the most likely candidate is a naval Z-20. Jiang Bin was designated as chief designer of this helicopter in 2015, having previously been in charge of the Z-9D project, another naval helicopter. The new helicopter utilises new technologies such as electric rotor blade folding technology, fibre-optic networks, and radio frequency integration (akin to integrated masts of ships).

Some are also saying the model is actually the naval Z-15, albeit more or less jokingly.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

I was one of the people who commented on the “model”. Because we only see the front and even then it’s not very clear what the heck we are looking at.

 

[DGBJCLAU]

Some are also saying the model is actually the naval Z-15, albeit more or less jokingly.

Just clarifying that by "model" I didn't mean a mock-up, but instead a type.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

Well until we see a Z20 or Z15 land on the deck of a ship fitted for a naval role like ASW. This is all spinning our own wheels.
“Oh it will be Z20” claims this figure. Well where is it??

 

[Blitzo]

Well until we see a Z20 or Z15 land on the deck of a ship fitted for a naval role like ASW. This is all spinning our own wheels.
“Oh it will be Z20” claims this figure. Well where is it??

Give it a while, you know how these things go.

Rumours + drawings, then one or two years later we get blurry pictures, and then one or two years later we get clear photos, and after that it would probably be nearing the end of development and soon to start getting received by the service it's intended for.

We're still at the rumours + drawings stage. Try as we might we can't simply jump to the last stage.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

Where we are is at it definitely being Army based. It should have to go Rumor, Drawing, poetry reading then Photos taken by 90 year olds with cameras that still use glass plates. If it's a variant.

Will it take time? Yes but not because of cartoon drawings. But because the work of adapting the design takes time. The first UH60 flew in 1974, the First Seahawk in 1979. That's 5 Years of work on the systems and sub systems. A totally new ASW suite and modifications to the helicopter it's self.

So yes it would take time assuming that that is the direction of choice. But until we see the final product it's all up in the air.

 

[Blitzo]

Where we are is at it definitely being Army based. It should have to go Rumor, Drawing, poetry reading then Photos taken by 90 year olds with cameras that still use glass plates. If it's a variant.

Will it take time? Yes but not because of cartoon drawings. But because the work of adapting the design takes time. The first UH60 flew in 1974, the First Seahawk in 1979. That's 5 Years of work on the systems and sub systems. A totally new ASW suite and modifications to the helicopter it's self.

The first Z-20 prototype was said to have made its maiden flight in late 2013.
That's slightly over five years ago.

If a naval Z-20 has recently made its first flight then the timeline would be very reasonable.

So yes it would take time assuming that that is the direction of choice. But until we see the final product it's all up in the air.

No, the fact that there are credible rumours that a naval variant of Z-20 has flown means we now have to wait for the next stage to come; i.e. blurry photos.

It's not just "up in the air" as if there is zero evidence suggesting that a naval Z-20 is in the works.

 

[MwRYum]

Where we are is at it definitely being Army based. It should have to go Rumor, Drawing, poetry reading then Photos taken by 90 year olds with cameras that still use glass plates. If it's a variant.

Will it take time? Yes but not because of cartoon drawings. But because the work of adapting the design takes time. The first UH60 flew in 1974, the First Seahawk in 1979. That's 5 Years of work on the systems and sub systems. A totally new ASW suite and modifications to the helicopter it's self.

So yes it would take time assuming that that is the direction of choice. But until we see the final product it's all up in the air.

Coincidentally, Z-20 first flew in 2013, if the naval variant indeed first flew in 2018, time frame wise very similar.

But anyway, PLAN ships that has decks which the Z-20 can land isn't that long a list - 056 can only do hover, 054 series are a bit on the small, leaving those from 052 and above. Also, we can expect most of its flight test will be conducted above water, that means even less chance for a clear shot, if the baseline Z-20 is so hard to get a photo shot to begin with.