IIRC its a sensor to let the elevators act in time to correct for turbulence when flying at low altitude and at high speed.
H-20 bomber (with H-X, JH-XX)
- Thread starter Deino
- Start date
Does anyone know what the consensus is on the H-18 on the Chinese BBS at the moment?
It seems that a lot of users treat the H-18 as if its confirmed to be in development, even though no insiders have mentioned it in recent times.
Do people think that its a cancelled project? Still in active development? Fake?
It seems that a lot of users treat the H-18 as if its confirmed to be in development, even though no insiders have mentioned it in recent times.
Do people think that its a cancelled project? Still in active development? Fake?
Hyperwarp
Captain
Good question. I hope for an answer too. Even Hui Tong put it as "rumor only". Strangely unlike the H-20 which is a strategic project, there is very little info on the H-18.
XAC H-20: Subsonic, Stealth (B-2/B-21 like) Intercontinental ranged bomber.
SAC H-18: Supersonic, Stealth (FB-23/Stealthified Su-34 like) Intermediate to long ranged bomber.
But since H-18 is by SAC maybe it has already been cancelled
Lol that last lineGood question. I hope for an answer too. Even Hui Tong put it as "rumor only". Strangely unlike the H-20 which is a strategic project, there is very little info on the H-18.
XAC H-20: Subsonic, Stealth (B-2/B-21 like) Intercontinental ranged bomber.
SAC H-18: Supersonic, Stealth (FB-23/Stealthified Su-34 like) Intermediate to long ranged bomber.
But since H-18 is by SAC maybe it has already been cancelled
.But in all seriousness, after recent rumors say that the PLAAF is disappointed with the J-16, I have a feeling SAC shouldn't expect to get any major, important contracts on the level of J-20, H-20, etc. anytime soon.
If it was cancelled it is indeed a shame, the aircraft had so much potential.
BTW, does anyone know what stage of development the H-20 is in? (construction of prototype, still in development, etc.)
Hyperwarp
Captain
Lol that last line
But in all seriousness, after recent rumors say that the PLAAF is disappointed with the J-16, I have a feeling SAC shouldn't expect to get any major, important contracts on the level of J-20, H-20, etc. anytime soon.
If it was cancelled it is indeed a shame, the aircraft had so much potential.
BTW, does anyone know what stage of development the H-20 is in? (construction of prototype, still in development, etc.)
Well this is Hui Tong's entry on the H-20:
From the sounds of it, as of the end of 2015, a "3D digital mockup" is being constructed. So there is a long way to go until a prototype construction. Essentially no more details other than it being a flying wing.
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
Things have a history of "coming back from the dead" in China. Wasn't the DF-41 and DF-25 supposedly dead projects only to surface again later? One thing is China seems to be into recycling. Look at how the 051C where they only made 2, eclipsed by other advanced designs, and now going through a major retrofit. Other major navies would probably never think of modernizing it and just let it live out its usefulness and then mothball it.
Also since China has been stomping out leaks, I imagine these projects would even go through more scrutiny. Maybe they're waiting for key technologies to catch-up and develop. You would want something that can counter the most advanced stuff out there.
Also since China has been stomping out leaks, I imagine these projects would even go through more scrutiny. Maybe they're waiting for key technologies to catch-up and develop. You would want something that can counter the most advanced stuff out there.
The 051Cs have not undergone refit as far as I'm aware -- you might be talking about the single 051B (or possibly the two 052s).
Still, your overall point stands.
Skywatcher
Captain
Now info about the H-18 first came out in late 2013, and then it died down (possibly because despite having gone far enough to justify building a full scale mockup, researching the necessary technology, like large afterburning turbofan engines, would be too expensive).
But lo and behold, the H-18 talk starts up again around mid 2015, which is also around the time Sino-Russian defense cooperation gets a major boost in the arm after the whole Ukraine thing flares up. If Russia offers the NK-32 (or heck, even the NK-25), then it becomes a lot easier for China to take another look at the H-18, which by the way, at 80-100 tons MTOW would make one very fine "arsenal plane".
Yeah I remember, it was around late September/Early October of last year, it all started when someone named GrassRoots posted a line drawing of an aircraft whose outlines resembled that of the H-18, then other people also created CGIs of the H-18.
However, the weird thing is that despite their being so many CGIs, no information whatsoever was leaked. I find that kind of suspicious looking back, so IMO the only two logical explanations are:
1. GrassRoots was just posting a fan made CGI with no actual insider information just for fun and people mistook the image for meaning something else.
2. The drawing did mean something (maybe SAC made a breakthrough in development?), but judging by the long gap of no mention of the H-18 (from late 2013, all the way to Sep, 2015) means that development either became bogged down with technical issues (most likely the engines) or development was temporarily put on hold, but I find that kind of hard to believe.
BTW, does GrassRoots have any insider knowledge/sources/contacts? Can he be considered a Big Shrimp?
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
Pardon I forget whose work is whose. The "H-18" appeared as an AVIC model at an expo which was very similar to the CAD renderings that came out first. That's why it carries a little more weight and why it even reached some international media outlets. Whoever did the CAD work also came out with similar renderings of the Divine Dragon UAV before the prototype came out.