Z-20 (all variants) thread

[Blitzo]

A Z-15 Blackhawk lovechild would certainly look nice.

But I wonder what role Z-15 will have in PLA, if any, now. Z-20's first flight looks imminent, and unlike Z-15, it is designed from genesis to be a military helicopter while Z-15 is civil. And Z-20 will be a fair bit more powerful too. I wonder if PLA's going to forfeit Z-15 entirely (although their experience with eurocopter will no doubt benefit Z-20).


I disagree with your classifications -- I think blackhawk and sea knight (along with, say, NH90, AW101, Mi-17, S-92, and even Z-8) all deserve to be included in the medium lift category, but that category is a continuum, just like how Ch-47 and Ch-53 and Mi-26 all sit in the heavy lift category while their MTOWs vary so greatly.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

I still call it a medium lifter it's just that blackhawk is on the light side of it. 15 people counting the flight crew vs 22 for a AS532 or NH90 or 27 for a Ch46 all counting flight crews.

as for if Z15 is to be scrapped or not that depends on what is under the wrapping and what the Generals have in mind. We have seen the Chinese do high low mixes across their forces before. then again they might try a fly off between them.

 

[MwRYum]

Certainly it's too well wrapped to be just some kind of model for some exhibition, but whether that's one of the few S-70C in service is hard to tell - though if it is such, then there should be police escort details.

Hard to tell anything really.

Fundamentally the S-70/UH-60 is still a sound design these days, more so if paired to up-to-date avionics, good engine and propellers. Of course it's daydreaming to have the Chinese duplicate something like the kind flew SEALs into Pakistan to whack UBL, though....

 

[hardware]

My suspcicion is that two different design may have exist,there's mention in the chinese blogger of NH-90 type helos,which i believe may have design to satisfied PLAN.

 

[lcloo]

Comparison between PLA Army Aviation helicopter, airshow display model and the wrapped up thing.

 

[Blitzo]

Certainly it's too well wrapped to be just some kind of model for some exhibition, but whether that's one of the few S-70C in service is hard to tell - though if it is such, then there should be police escort details.

Hard to tell anything really.

Actually we can tell a fair bit, we can tell it's definitely a UH-60 shape, and we can tell it's definitely got a rear wheel which is different to the blackhawk family meaning it's definitely not one of the S-70C in service.

Would there be a police escort? Was there one for J-31 as well, I forget.

Fundamentally the S-70/UH-60 is still a sound design these days, more so if paired to up-to-date avionics, good engine and propellers. Of course it's daydreaming to have the Chinese duplicate something like the kind flew SEALs into Pakistan to whack UBL, though....

Blackhawk is definitely a sound design, but compared with NH-90, it may benefit with having a slightly larger cabin.

As for a stealthy helicopter... the only limitations should be engines. The chinese aerospace industry has demonstrated they have the resources necessary to design fighters with VLO shaping, and CAIC have somewhat demonstrated this as WZ-10 does have some level of shaping.
Hard part for producing a sino-stealth-blackhawk would be engines, mainly because they need to be more powerful to account for IR suppression methods that will decrease effective thrust. The shaping and materials tech shouldn't be anything new or groundbreaking.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

lcloo
Thanks for a better version. And it proves my first poin that tail wheel is way out at the very end of the tail Blackhawk including the S70C has there tail wheel mounted inboard at about the three quarters point on the tail. SEa Hawks mount theirs even more inboard. This is not a S70 unless the Chinese have built a new tail. it's also not a direct production of that model

 

[Skywatcher]

The J-31 did have a police escort.

 

[delft]

lcloo
Thanks for a better version. And it proves my first poin that tail wheel is way out at the very end of the tail Blackhawk including the S70C has there tail wheel mounted inboard at about the three quarters point on the tail. SEa Hawks mount theirs even more inboard. This is not a S70 unless the Chinese have built a new tail. it's also not a direct production of that model

Sea Hawks have their tail wheel further forward for a good naval reason. So this thing, if it does go ahead, will not be for PLAN.

 

[AssassinsMace]

The obvious difference in this escort is they didn't close off traffic. That could be because the J-31 was an oversized load or it was purely for security reasons.