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

Blitzo · Dec 31, 2018

MwRYum said:
Z-9 will continue on serving on ships with smaller flight decks, those that anything bigger than Z-9 would not fit to operate.

Still, it's hard to imagine that the Super Frelon bloodline can live on this long, when everywhere else outside China it has long been replaced.

I actually wonder about the footprint and hangar space necessary to support a Z-9 vs a Z-20. I think there is a chance that ships which field Z-9s (and Ka-28s incidentally) may be capable of fielding a Z-20 as well.

As for Super Frelon longevity, that is true to an extent but it isn't alone. Ch-53K is the latest variant of the Ch-53 family whose original first flew in the early 1960s as well, not to mention Chinooks.

jobjed · Dec 31, 2018

Bltizo said:
I actually wonder about the footprint and hangar space necessary to support a Z-9 vs a Z-20. I think there is a chance that ships which field Z-9s (and Ka-28s incidentally) may be capable of fielding a Z-20 as well.

As for Super Frelon longevity, that is true to an extent but it isn't alone. Ch-53K is the latest variant of the Ch-53 family whose original first flew in the early 1960s as well, not to mention Chinooks.

Physically speaking, I think the older ships can host Z-20s but the margin of error in landing precision would be hair-raisingly small and I don't think the PLAN would approve of such landings except in emergencies. When those older ships have their MLUs, I wouldn't be surprised if they get their aft lengthened.

TerraN_EmpirE · Dec 31, 2018

MwRYum said:
Still, it's hard to imagine that the Super Frelon bloodline can live on this long, when everywhere else outside China it has long been replaced.

Bltizo said:
As for Super Frelon longevity, that is true to an extent but it isn't alone. Ch-53K is the latest variant of the Ch-53 family whose original first flew in the early 1960s as well, not to mention Chinooks.

Ch53K has as much in common with Ch53E as FA18E does FA18D that is to say it's name only.
Increasing ch47F is the same a new aircraft mascurating as an update of an older one.
I suspect increasingly the same is becoming true for Z8. This latest variant has a new hull, new tail and the AC313 already changed large portions of the avionics and automotive parts.

gelgoog · Dec 31, 2018

TerraN_EmpirE said:
Ch53K has as much in common with Ch53E as FA18E does FA18D that is to say it's name only.
Increasing ch47F is the same a new aircraft mascurating as an update of an older one.
I suspect increasingly the same is becoming true for Z8. This latest variant has a new hull, new tail and the AC313 already changed large portions of the avionics and automotive parts.

Yeah no kidding. Just look at the power rating of the CH-53K engines vs the CH-53E engines. It's not even in the same performance segment. It is almost 2x more powerful.

by78 · Dec 31, 2018

A nice magazine scan of Z-8CJ...

(2048 x 1414)

Deino · Jan 2, 2019

Interesting sizd comparison...

asif iqbal · Jan 2, 2019

I didn’t realise AC313 was so large

But did they ever enter serial production? It’s been almost a decade since it first appeared

Dizasta1 · Jan 2, 2019

So let me get this straight, Z-20s are for medium transport and will replace the Z-9s. Whereas Z-8Ls are heavy transport and will eventually replace Mi-17s? And what or why isn't the AC-313s introduced in the military? Do they not fulfill some segment of the military transport helicopter requirements?

mys_721tx · Jan 2, 2019

Dizasta1 said:
So let me get this straight, Z-20s are for medium transport and will replace the Z-9s. Whereas Z-8Ls are heavy transport and will eventually replace Mi-17s?

Z-9 is in the same class as UH-1. It won't be replaced completely by Z-20.

Dizasta1 said:
And what or why isn't the AC-313s introduced in the military? Do they not fulfill some segment of the military transport helicopter requirements?

Isn't Z-18 essentially the military variant of AC313? I suspect the difference in sizes between Z-8L and AC313 are merely artifacts from different perspectives.

TerraN_EmpirE · Jan 2, 2019

Dizasta1 said:
So let me get this straight, Z-20s are for medium transport and will replace the Z-9s. Whereas Z-8Ls are heavy transport and will eventually replace Mi-17s? And what or why isn't the AC-313s introduced in the military? Do they not fulfill some segment of the military transport helicopter requirements?

Correct. Z9 sits at the high end of a light helicopter Z20 And Blackhawk sit at the low end of the medium lift helicopter and Super Ferlon sits at the high end of the Medium lift.

mys_721tx said:
Z-9 is in the same class as UH-1. It won't be replaced completely by Z-20.

Doctrine comes in here. The USMC for example never abandoned UH1 series despite the larger more capable UH60.
The smaller chopper is sometimes better suited so some missions like scout attack.

mys_721tx said:
Isn't Z-18 essentially the military variant of AC313? I suspect the difference in sizes between Z-8L and AC313 are merely artifacts from different perspectives.

The hull form is boat shaped. That means much of that space is for flotation.

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

Blitzo

Lieutenant General

jobjed

Captain

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King

gelgoog

Lieutenant General

by78

General

Deino

Lieutenant General

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General

Dizasta1

Senior Member

mys_721tx

Junior Member

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King