H-20 bomber (with H-X, JH-XX)

A

ACuriousPLAFan

Colonel
Registered Member
ChongqingHotPot92 said:
If those engines would be WS-15s without the afterburner, two would be sufficient. However, if H-20 still uses WS-10 (without afterburner), maybe 4 would be necessary. However, as two WS-15 equipped H-20 would be somewhat similar in size with B-21 as opposed to the B-2. At the same time, it is totally possible that this picture is not accurate, and a super H-20 would have four WS-15s with a wingspan of 50-60 meters (payload of 45 tons). In that case, it would be the most powerful intercontinental bomber ever created.
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TBH, I'm actually starting to consider the possibility where Northrop Grumman could've designed the B-21 into becoming some sort of a strategic-tactical, dual-role bomber on a single type of airframe. By designing the B-21 to be around one-third smaller than the B-2, the B-21 would carry less payload than the B-2, while having almost similar (or slightly shorter) range - In exchange for availability in greater numbers, since unit cost of B-21 would be comparably lower than the B-2. Combat losses of a single B-21 airframe would also incur less costs to operational requirements & battlefield planning, plus the (unregulated) finances of the Pentagon.

Therefore, perhaps a super H-20 isn't exactly a good idea. Unless:
1. China can mass-produce the super H-20s like how the US is planning to procure 220+ B-21s; or
2. Build the rumored JH-XX in large quantities in order to shoulder the tactical bombing role, and let the super H-20s shoulder the strategic bombing role only.
Otherwise, a H-20 located somewhere between the range of B-21 and B-2 or slightly bigger than B-2 in terms of payload capacity would have to do.
 
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G

gelgoog

Brigadier
Registered Member
China needs a quad engine bomber because all the targets for which a stealth bomber would be useful are a long way from its core. It isn't like the US which has air bases all over the planet. Also, China developed a specific engine just for the Y-20, in fact two of them, WS-18 and WS-20, together with the dedicated production lines for these engines. The Y-20 is a quad engine. And there will be way more Y-20s than H-20s. China will make the aircraft even if it is a quad engine, it is as simple as that. You also have the fact that the WS-15 engine will have to fit the J-20. So it should have roughly the same dimensions of the WS-10. Which means even if the bomber uses the WS-10 initially, it might be possible to upgrade the design to the WS-15 later.

I do think a JH-XX which can project strike power into the first and second island chains would still be relevant, but it would need the WS-15 engine or better to become viable as a design.
 
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by78

by78

General
Kalec said:
View attachment 109472
Seems coming out from some sort of patent application?
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Here's the
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, which was submitted by AVIC
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(庆安集团有限公司). Qing'an specializes in flight control systems and is based in Xi'an. The patent is on a foldable tail stabilizer concept for a flying wing aircraft.

By itself, it's nothing more than a mere design patent. More recent clues (see image below) seem to suggest that foldable tail stabilizers were or are being seriously pursued by XAC, since they would greatly improve stability at takeoff and landing.

bd74a836-99c9-4ccd-a319-e06b33950075-jpeg.95917
 
AF-1

AF-1

Junior Member
Registered Member
Foldable tail stabilizers means they will be up during take off/landing, and flat to aircraft body during flight, not reducing stealthness?
 
A

ACuriousPLAFan

Colonel
Registered Member
Deino said:
Really? Only that late??? :oops: :eek: ... I hoped for a lot earlier, maybe even this autumn.
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Personally, I'm hoping that the H-20 will be unveiled after she has conducted at least one or few flight tests. Better PR that way.

The contrast would be instead of a non-functional mockup, you already have a flyable prototype. Instill greater confidence, I'd say.
 
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weig2000

Captain
Deino said:
Really? Only that late??? :oops: :eek: ... I hoped for a lot earlier, maybe even this autumn.
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One thing I learned is that, for these secret or low-transparency development programs, it's better not to get too hung-up on predicting when they will be unveiled. All it does is to make you anxious and frustrated at times. Instead, just follow any development news that come up every once in a while and, who knows, you might be pleasantly surprised when you least expect it. We've seen many such examples.
 
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