Z-20 (all variants) thread

Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
From global time a bit bigger pic. Apparently the model is exhibit at Jingdezhen, East China's Jiangxi Province, known for porcelain kiln and site of AVIC helicopter research facility. I guess they are researching rotor craft too.

The model of the helicopter was on display at a facility of state-owned AVIC China Helicopter Research and Development Institute in Jingdezhen, East China's Jiangxi Province, when Liu Qi, Party chief of Jiangxi, inspected the institute on May 19, Jiangxi Television reported.
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A model of what seems to be a stealth helicopter is on display at a facility of AVIC China Helicopter Research and Development Institute in Jingdezhen, East China's Jiangxi Province. Photo: Screenshot from Jiangxi Television

A model of what seems to be a stealth helicopter is on display at a facility of AVIC China Helicopter Research and Development Institute in Jingdezhen, East China's Jiangxi Province. Photo: Screenshot from Jiangxi Television

China appears to be developing a stealth helicopter that analysts said on Monday is difficult to detect on radar, infrared sensors and human sight and hearing, judging from a model of the chopper recently revealed in a television report, with some speculating that it could be a stealthy variant of the Z-20 medium-lift utility chopper.

Some foreign media claimed the design was made possible because China copied US technologies, but this is a groundless accusation, Chinese experts said.

The model of the helicopter was on display at a facility of state-owned AVIC China Helicopter Research and Development Institute in Jingdezhen, East China's Jiangxi Province, when Liu Qi, Party chief of Jiangxi, inspected the institute on May 19, Jiangxi Television reported.

The report did not elaborate on the helicopter model.

Military observers noted that the model likely represents a new type of helicopter that has stealth features in its airframe, rotor and exhaust designs. It could be a stealthy adaptation of the Z-20 helicopter, US media outlet thedrive.com reported on Sunday.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Monday that he agrees with these guesses, and the model could be a forward research project for China's future stealth helicopter.

The model displayed many stealth characteristics, including a radar cross section-reducing aerodynamic design that could make it difficult to detect on radar systems, designs in its rotors that aim to reduce noise and make the enemies only hear it at close range when flying at low-altitude, upward-facing exhausts spread out on the back of the tail boom, and low-observable paint, Fu said.

Stealth helicopters are more difficult to spot, have higher chances of survival, and can better conduct assault and penetration missions, Fu said.

The report by thedrive.com also claimed that China got related technologies from espionage and data was from a US stealth Black Hawk helicopter which took part in the Bin Laden raid and was downed in Pakistan, but Fu said this accusation is groundless speculation.

The US has kept its stealth helicopter in secret and only tiny information was available, Fu said, noting that the Chinese aviation industry has already entered an innovation phase in advanced aircraft development, and can independently develop such aircraft.

Comparing the Chinese model to the rumored US stealth helicopter, many designs are different, just like China's J-20 stealth fighter jet being very different from the US' F-22, Fu said.

A model of an unknown type of rotorcraft is on display at a facility of AVIC China Helicopter Research and Development Institute in Jingdezhen, East China's Jiangxi Province. Photo: Screenshot from Jiangxi Television

A model of an unknown type of rotorcraft is on display at a facility of AVIC China Helicopter Research and Development Institute in Jingdezhen, East China's Jiangxi Province. Photo: Screenshot from Jiangxi Television

Foreign media also noted that a model of an unknown type of rotorcraft was also shown in the Jiangxi Television report, which seems to have vertical takeoff and landing capability. It has two sets of wings capable of pivoting upward and a total of six rotors on each set of wing.

This could be another conceptual forward research, which is very normal in aviation development, analysts said.
 

tupolevtu144

Junior Member
Registered Member
They might not have settled on a design for the gun mount yet. Below are images of three proposed designs: two are mounted on adjustable rails (similar to car seats), and one is a simple swivel arm on a fixed plate.

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Wait so they are gonna mount the gun onto the floor? Aren't the guns supposed to shooting out of the windows in front of the cabin door? It's also interesting to see that China isn't going to use rotary machine guns for their helicopters.

The PLA should just copy what the US military is doing:
1x.jpg
 

daifo

Captain
Registered Member
Wait so they are gonna mount the gun onto the floor? Aren't the guns supposed to shooting out of the windows in front of the cabin door? It's also interesting to see that China isn't going to use rotary machine guns for their helicopters.

The PLA should just copy what the US military is doing:
View attachment 72850

All door gunning vids show them having a gun mounted low on the floor and blocking the door on the Z-8/18. Seems kinda weird to me as it looks like it limits the gunners view and angle of the gun.
 
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steel21

Junior Member
Registered Member
Wait so they are gonna mount the gun onto the floor? Aren't the guns supposed to shooting out of the windows in front of the cabin door? It's also interesting to see that China isn't going to use rotary machine guns for their helicopters.

The PLA should just copy what the US military is doing:
View attachment 72850
There are issues with electric powered weapons.

Had Super 6-4 been armed with a M-240, Shughart and Gordon could have survived, there were thousands of rounds of 7.62x51mm on board. Instead, they had to defend Durant with their own personal weapons. This was explicitly mentioned in the book.

I think the Russians used Gatling systems that were gas driven instead of electrically driven, that might prove a happy compromise.
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The biggest issue with these mounts is that they generally won't allow the bird to fire towards their frontal arc. The solution was the MH-60L DAP.

1622658292133.png

I know there is an arc issue with something like a MK19s, but it might be a decent solution for area suppression.
 

Richard Santos

Captain
Registered Member
From Henri K blog
A low observability mock-up transport helicopter from CHRDI, possibly derived from the Z-20.

The massive exhaust diffuser that span the entire length of the tail boom is interesting, and also undoubtedly heavy. But the problem is there seems to be no intake for the turbo shaft engines.

The helicopter has anchor symbols all over it. If it is a naval helicopter, one wonders what the intended role would be.
 

lcloo

Captain
The massive exhaust diffuser that span the entire length of the tail boom is interesting, and also undoubtedly heavy. But the problem is there seems to be no intake for the turbo shaft engines.

The helicopter has anchor symbols all over it. If it is a naval helicopter, one wonders what the intended role would be.
The "anchor" symbol is not related to Navy. It is just a symbol for the type of tool to be used on that particular point on the fuselage. PLA Army aviation have lots of such symbols painted on their helicopters.
 

tupolevtu144

Junior Member
Registered Member
There are issues with electric powered weapons.

Had Super 6-4 been armed with a M-240, Shughart and Gordon could have survived, there were thousands of rounds of 7.62x51mm on board. Instead, they had to defend Durant with their own personal weapons. This was explicitly mentioned in the book.

I think the Russians used Gatling systems that were gas driven instead of electrically driven, that might prove a happy compromise.
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The biggest issue with these mounts is that they generally won't allow the bird to fire towards their frontal arc. The solution was the MH-60L DAP.

View attachment 72874

I know there is an arc issue with something like a MK19s, but it might be a decent solution for area suppression.
Eh no the part I'm taking about is the weapon mount.
Even with conventional GPMGs like that in the photo u can see that the US military has a much better weapons mount compared to what the PLA is designing. From the PLA design blueprints the Chinese weapon mount seems to be mounted onto the floor of the cabin instead of the frontal windows unlike US Blackhawks.

Flickr_-_The_U.S._Army_-_door_gunner_qualification.jpg
 
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