The Z-20 gets air under its wheels for the first time at a snowy location in China, almost certainly at the Harbin factory. (Photo via Chinese internet)
Posted on 01/09/2014 9:35:08 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
January 9, 2014, 8:03 AM China’s newest military helicopter made its first flight on December 23 at a location in “northeastern China,” a site presumed to be the Harbin facility. The aircraft, believed to be designated Z-20, is in the “10-tonne” class, and is thought to be a collaborative effort among Harbin, Changhe and the 602 Institute. It closely resembles the Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk that has been in Chinese army service for nearly three decades. The first public glimpse of the Z-20 came in August 2013, when the heavily wrapped fuselage was photographed being transported by road.
China acquired 24 Sikorsky S-70C-2s in the mid-1980s, and they were pressed into service with the army for missions in the mountainous regions of China, such as Tibet, where their high-altitude performance greatly impressed the People’s Liberation Army. With further supplies and spares support from the U.S. cut off after 1989, the army began acquiring sizeable numbers of Mi-17/171s from Russia, while Changhe began to reverse-engineer parts to keep the S-70 fleet flying. This work, and access to live examples, allowed the Z-20 design team to draw heavily on the Sikorsky helicopter. Some sources allege that Pakistan allowed Chinese engineers access to the heavily modified Black Hawk destroyed during the bin Laden raid.
Although strikingly similar to the S-70, the Z-20 exhibits some differences, the most notable of which is a five-blade main rotor instead of the Black Hawk’s four-blade unit. Compared with the Black Hawk’s, the Z-20’s cabin is longer and wider, while the main rotor head appears to be positioned farther aft, making the forward fuselage seem longer than that of the S-70. The undercarriage and tail also show differences.
In terms of powerplant and dynamics, it is likely that the Z-20 draws on the same technology as employed in the Z-10 attack helicopter. Both have their roots in the China Medium Helicopter (CMH) program of the late 1990s, for which Western help was received. The prototype Z-20 may be powered by the indigenous WZ-6C turboshaft, with the more powerful (1800 kW) WZ-10 slated for production machines.
Development of a utility helicopter that can be used for assault, fire support, electronic warfare and special-operations missions is seen as important to the development of PLA Army Aviation. However, it is understood that the development of the Z-20 was delayed while the design team focused on the higher priority Z-10. As well as augmenting and expanding the army’s helicopter fleet, the Z-20 could also find a use at sea, particularly aboard the aircraft carrier Liaoning.
The Z-20 gets air under its wheels for the first time at a snowy location in China, almost certainly at the Harbin factory. (Photo via Chinese internet)
Pei-Ping.
We need to get used to the fact that China is going to become a major superpower and it’s in our best interest to cultivate them as an ally as quickly as we can and cement an alliance.
Despite their Communist government, we are used to allies with incompatible government systems. Look at how we’re allies with the British, despite the fact that they have a monarchical system where the people of Great Britain are subjects, not citizens and I don’t think our alliance with Great Britain has been good for us.
The UK has a constitutional monarchy with a pluralistic political system and parliamentary government. Their system of governance is not “incompatible” with our own.
Ping.
We need to get used to the fact that China is going to become a major superpower and it’s in our best interest to cultivate them as an ally as quickly as we can and cement an alliance.
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unfortunately the Chinese view of the world is very very different. They are just like the moslems and jihad after 1973. They are just like the Germans and Japanese after 1900. What do all these have in common?
They all came into sudden fabulous wealth and power and set out to rule the world.
The Chinese are no different than the others. Unless they are stopped — they will seek to continuously expand their power and influence. They will soon enough turn to military means as other instruments of power lose momentum.
That’s just the way it works.
China-Russia Yellow Sea naval drills begin
AP via Yahoo News ^ | April 22, 2012
BEIJING (AP) — China and Russia launched joint naval exercises Sunday that highlight warming ties between their militaries and growing cooperation in international affairs.
[snip]
"It's an excellent exchange for China to be able to drill jointly in such sensitive areas," Yin told CCTV.
[snip]
Much of that cooperation takes place within the confines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a grouping of Central Asian states that seeks to check U.S. influence in the region and began holding joint drills in 2005.
Formerly Cold War rivals for leadership of the communist world, China and Russia have since found common ground in countering liberal democratizing trends across Asia and Eastern Europe and frequently vote against Western initiatives in the United Nations Security Council. ..."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
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From the Sino-Russian Joint Statement of April 23, 1997:
"The two sides [China and Russia] shall, in the spirit of partnership, strive to promote the multipolarization of the world and the establishment of a new international order."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/HI29Ag01.html
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"Joint war games are a logical outcome of the Sino-Russian Friendship and Cooperation Treaty signed in 2001, and reflect the shared worldview and growing economic ties between the two Eastern Hemisphere giants."
http://www.heritage.org/research/commentary/2005/09/war-games-russia-china-grow-alliance
Xinhua | 2013-8-10
A Chinese helicopter hovers the field for drill as Chinese armored forces advance during the Peace Mission-2013 China-Russia joint military drill in Chelyabinsk, Russia, on August 9, 2013. The 20-day Peace Mission-2013 China-Russia joint military drill began in Chelyabinsk on July 27. (Xinhua/Xian Yunqiang)
LOL, despite the 5 blades it looks just like a Blackhawk, including the moveable stabilator.
“It closely resembles the Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk that has been in Chinese army service for nearly three decades.”
Huh?
Well then, we better gear up for yet another world war, eh?
If we’re clever we could form some sort of alliance, or send over a bunch of bitter singletons to marry and thus placate the horny Chinese men in the military.
The Brits are still considered ‘subjects’ and I don’t trust the British monarchy. Their cultural influence has not been good for us.
Well then, we better gear up for yet another world war, eh?
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Yeah pretty much. In order to have peace you have to prepare for war. That’s the way its always worked.
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If we’re clever we could form some sort of alliance, or send over a bunch of bitter singletons to marry and thus placate the horny Chinese men in the military.
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The alliances are already in place. What would you do ally with the Chinese against the Japanese? That would defeat the Japanese and further embolden the Chinese and redraw the line of confrontation with China further out in the Pacific. Basically you’re looking at a replay of the 1920’s and 1030’s only this time instead of Japan playing the role of the aggressor—China is doing that job.
There’s no placating the Chinese. They have power for the first time in centuries and they mean to use it.
The Chinese can be stopped. The sooner they are stopped in their Pacific expansion, the better for everyone—including the Chinese because any successful battles will give the PLA and PLAN the upper hand in the Chinese government. Then there would be no choice but war. Same thing happened in Japan. Early victories by the military gave the military the upper hand and finally full control over the government. Since the only thing the military knows how to do is wage war. Japan waged war.
Same scenario is in the works if the Chinese Navy is allowed success.
Yeah I know; this is why I’m thankful the Constitution we have makes our military subordinate and publicly apolitical.
Thing is, that the Chinese are almost satanically clever and will use bio-warfare and chemical warfare if possible.
There has to be some way to create a triple alliance with Japan and China, with the US in the center of it all. It would be a perfect way of making the US powerful while at the same time, at least publicly binding the Chinese and Japanese to a peaceful accord.
I doubt anyone, with the exception of God, Is capable of joining Japan and China together within an alliance. The hated between them runs deeeep.
You do realised that the Monarchy is essentially a figurehead one and that power rests chiefly with the democratically elected House of Commons?
I wonder where those blueprints came from?
>>We need to get used to the fact that China is going to become a major superpower and it’s in our best interest to cultivate them as an ally as quickly as we can and cement an alliance.<<
AHAHA! Are you sober?
>Despite their Communist government, we are used to allies with incompatible government systems. Look at how we’re allies with the British, despite the fact that they have a monarchical system where the people of Great Britain are subjects, not citizens and I don’t think our alliance with Great Britain has been good for us.<
Do you realize that Britain is a monarchy-in-name-only?
Do you realize a difference between Consitutional and absolutist monarchy?
The entire idea of American system and conservative values rooting from British system.
To have one say Chinese communist system is closer to US values actually shows how far your public indoctrination brought you.
Yep.. they copy anything. That’s what happens when you have no talent to design and build anything on your own:
http://acidcow.com/cars/1945-fake-chinese-car-brands-32-pics.html
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