China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft

xyqq

Junior Member
Registered Member
This doesn't look like wheels.
Looks like Chinese soft landing system is substantially different from the Russian one, and uses inflatable bags.
Pay attention to the center of the vehicle, tracks are in place - suspension is at the low position, it's barely discernible, but visible.
Below is a tracked vehicle dropped by Y-20, which is distinct from the one in my previous post.

Y20-tracked.jpg
 

The Observer

Junior Member
Registered Member
Below is a tracked vehicle dropped by Y-20, which is distinct from the one in my previous post.

View attachment 76229

I suppose here's the image you're looking for, from another perspective

zbd5.jpg


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xyqq

Junior Member
Registered Member
This doesn't look like wheels.
Looks like Chinese soft landing system is substantially different from the Russian one, and uses inflatable bags.
Pay attention to the center of the vehicle, tracks are in place - suspension is at the low position, it's barely discernible, but visible.
You are right.
 

The Observer

Junior Member
Registered Member
Looks more like ZBD04A (6 pairs of road wheels), which weighs over 20 tons.

View attachment 76230

Here is ZBD03 (5 pairs of road wheels) in comparison:

View attachment 76236

Maybe you get that illusion because ZBD-03's suspension retracts and lies flat for packing before it's parachuted, just like the BMD series.

The front sprocket and rear idler wheel are about the same size as the regular road wheels, and all of them lying flat together will sort of look like 6/7 road wheels, especially in a blurry pic.

That said, isn't the PLA developing a new airborne IFV? IIRC the ones that we have seen have 6 road wheels and ZBD-04/04A turret.
So... could that be it?
 
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