Z-8 and Z-18 transport helicopter - family & versions

kooe said:

the new Z-8F!
[qimg]http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/2957/13495348200607261138373531300se0.jpg[/qimg]

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Nice, the finish quality looks much better than previous models.

I think that it would only exist in an armed sense as far as a door gunner like in a UH-60 or UH-1 of American design. Though .50 Calliber guns seem a little oversized...However, a truely attack form of a Z-8 seems a little bit silly. It would be ungainly, slow and easy to target, especialy on aproach.

Kampfwagen said:

I think that it would only exist in an armed sense as far as a door gunner like in a UH-60 or UH-1 of American design. Though .50 Calliber guns seem a little oversized...However, a truely attack form of a Z-8 seems a little bit silly. It would be ungainly, slow and easy to target, especialy on aproach.

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actually Z-8/SA-321 Super Frelon arent slow at all... instead this powerful helicopter has ended up broken several world records, including the world speed record in 1963 at 341kph over 3km.

btw(from the pic i posted) u cant really c any difference between the orginal z-8 coz is all internal work(hear the engine got changed into a more reliable and powerful canadian white & brat engine(cant remember the name.... sorry)

Still, I imagine that it would not be as efective as, say, a WZ-10 (if we gotta keep it to the Chinese) using it to exclusively attack targets.

u misunderstood me.... all i am saying is that z-8 is not slow...
and of course WZ-10 is more suitable for combat roles since is a delicated attack helicopter.......

Z-8 pics

I just visited the Sinodefence website for the first time in a while and I realised that there were many new photos replacing the older ones. This made me wonder whether there was some photo archive on the site or here of all the photos of the various pieces of equipment that have been replaced. Does anyone know?

And also, is there still a page for the Fast Attack Vehicle varient of the BJ2020.

The Mi-8/Mi-17 can carry various armaments: rocket pods; cannon and machine gun pods; and missiles, including the large, antiquated AT-3 Swagger. They are very capable helicopters and can be quite powerful when armed.

I do not see why the Z-8 could not carry rocket pods, it is entirely within the realm of possibilty. As it has been posted, the Super Frelon is an extremely powerful helicopter, which can carry a pair of heavy Exocet missiles. Why shouldn't it be able to carry a pair of rocket pods?

Also, Romania produces the Aerospatiale Puma under license by CNIAR, and one of the modifications they performed on the helicopter was to outfit the helicopter with the ability to carry armaments, including four 57mm rocket pods. While the Puma is smaller then the Super Frelon/Z-8, it just goes to show how you can modify relatively heavy helicopters to carry armaments effectively.

got some pictures of Z-8F
The first one is the latest Z-8F picture. The second one is the assembly line for Z-8. And the final two are Z-8F during testing stage.

Just a little bit on Z-8

2002年5月外电报道，中国计划恢复直-8的生产，将采用加拿大普·惠公司的PT6系列发动机，进而引进其发动机生产技术。报道称昌河公司在1997年停止生产直-8之前，已经制造了17架，其中12架目前在海军服役。如报道属实，说明军方还是希望能有一种自行研制的大型直升机可用。此外也侧面印证了直-8存在发动机无法自行研制的问题。
所谓“柳暗花明又一村”，2002年航展上直-8F的出现，宣告了直-8吐气扬眉的日子到来了。F型是直-8A的最新改型，换装了进口PT6B-67A发动机（下图为PT-6B），最大起飞功率从1190千瓦提高到了1448千瓦，升限提高到4700米，有效地效悬停由原来的1900米提高到2800米。F型能在4500米高原启动，发动机大幅度增加了首翻期，达到了3500小时。进气口增装防沙装置，改善野外使用性能，因此座舱上方机体外形上有所变化。用有防冰除冰能力的复合材料桨叶替换原先的金属桨叶，提高了悬翼的寿命效率和性能，改装新的航电系统。F型目前仍在研制阶段，计划2005年换发型投放市场，有望大量装备解放军使用。而PT6系列发动机也必然要展开国产化工作

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China resumed Z-8 production in May of 2002 using PT-6 series engine. When Changhe stopped production in 1997, they had only produced 17 up to that point. Currently, 12 are in service with the navy. Z-8F was shown in 2002, it is Z-8A's newest upgraded version, using Pt6B-67A engine. output raised from 1190 kw to 1448 kw, This allowed Z-8F to operate at 4500 m altitude. intake improved sand protection equipment, the cockpit had changes, use composite blades instead of titanium blade, uses new avionics. F is supposed to be ready in 2005.

2004年8月29日，由昌河飛機工業(集團)公司和中國直升機設計研究所共同研製生產的直八通用運輸型直升機，在江西省景德鎮市呂蒙機場成功實現首飛。
此次首飛成功的直８Ｆ型機是直八系列的又一改型型號，通過換裝加拿大普惠公司生產的性能先進的ＰＴ６Ｂ－６７Ａ發動機和採用複合材料槳葉，以滿足高溫、高原和結冰等複雜氣候地區使用，提高整機的可靠性、經濟性、舒適性和適航性。
直８Ｆ型機為三發構型，其新裝配的發動機能夠提高功率儲備、起動能力、壽命和可靠性，三台發動機並車採用先進的電子控制技術，採用側向進氣、側後向排氣的方式，並且發動機的進氣口可選裝防砂裝置設計，滿足多沙塵地區使用要求。該機最大起飛重量為１３噸，使用環境溫度可從零下４５攝氏度至零上５０攝氏度。可廣泛應用於人員物資運輸、救護營救、海洋考察、打撈救生、森林防火、線纜架設等領域，為國防和國民經濟各個部門服務。新華社發（崔連君 攝）

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first flight in August 29th of 2004. The maximum takeoff became 13 tonnes, can operate from -45 degrees to 50 degrees.

from the look of this, Z-8 is in mass production finally? I'm guessing it's Z-8F, but I really can't tell the difference between Z-8F and Z-8A

To admit I'm a bit surprised that no specific tread on this quite important helicopter exist shere ... You can find a few news in the Naval helicopter tread, in the heavy transport "aircraft" tread and in the Z-20 tread ... so here a soecial one for the CHinese "Frelon" !


Especially since there something new:

Z-18A:The latest images (December 2014) suggested that PLA Army is evaluating its own version of Z-18 (Z-18A?) for high altitude operations in Tibet. Compared to the naval Z-18, the Army version has a further protruding nose section which resembles that of Z-20 and might reduce the drag during the flight. A terrain following radar and EO turret are likely to be mounted under the nose. It also has a SATCOM antenna installed on top of the tail boom for long range communication. Once entering the service, Z-18A is expected to replace the old and unreliable Z-8A.

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Deino