In a previous article, I talked to you about a series of developments in one of the articles in my country. For example, China's five straights.
10. China's straight nine series *** and so on. Today we are going to talk about the Z-20 series of the People's Liberation Army *** I have to say that the Z-20 series *** is very important for the PLA, the Navy and the Air Force. So how does the Chinese Z-20 series *** compare with the American Black Hawk and the European NH90***? Today we're going to talk about that.
In the history of the evolution of China's leading field, there is a chapter that cannot be ignored, that is, the rise of the Z-9 series. Limited by the domestic technical vision and the external technical blockade, our development road has been full of thorns. Looking back at the 60s and 70s of the 20th century, the main force of the PLA flying in the sky is the Z-5*** This *** is like a fledgling apprentice, and its design is inspired by the Soviet Mi-4*** Although we imitate it, it is limited by the design concept and technical level at that time, and its delivery ability is still inadequate. In that era, although we were eager to fly, but our own wings were not yet full, and we could not independently design and manufacture an advanced *** In the 80s of the 20th century, China, like European and American countries, entered a precious honeymoon period. It must be said that this period has played an important role in carrying forward the past and opening up the future for China's national defense modernization. At this stage, China came into contact with a series of advanced Western technologies from European and American countries. In terms of aspects, China has imported "Dolphin" and "Super Hornet" from France, and UH60*** from the United States, of which UH60*** is the famous Black Hawk*** is a standard 10-ton general-purpose ***
In the construction of the US military's system, the Black Hawk is equipped with the army, navy, and air force, and has developed many derivative and improved models, such as UH60K, UH60M and other models. The UH60 Series*** is equipped with two General Electric T700-GE-701 turboshaft engines rated at 1,560 horsepower. Later the engine's output was increased to 1,620 horsepower.
After China imported dolphins and super hornets from France, it immediately began reverse research and imitation research and development. After entering the 90s of the 20th century, the straight 9 and straight 8 series were launched one after another***However, there is a problem. The Z-9 is a 4-ton aircraft with insufficient payload capacity. Whether it is transporting officers and soldiers or various equipment, the carrying capacity is limited. For example, for army special operations attacks, naval anti-submarine warfare, etc. The Z-9 series *** is clearly not enough.
The American UH60 series *** straight 8 series *** is a 13-ton class *** There is a big problem again. For the PLA Navy, the Z-8 series cannot take off and land on large ships such as destroyers and frigates, except for supply ships and landing craft. It can be seen that the PLA has long lacked a general purpose of about 8-10 tons, which is an empty land.
In fact, our country is also working hard. After China introduced Black Hawk from the United States, it immediately began a series of work such as study, reverse research, and cartography. Note that it is difficult to reverse engineer American equipment without technical assistance. Because the development of China's 10-ton general purpose project is facing various difficulties and obstacles, and the research and development cycle is very long. The Z-20 series *** was not finalized, mass-produced and delivered to the troops until around 2017.
The European NH90 series*** will be available to the public after 2020. Starting from the overall design, the Z-20 borrows from the mature design and conceptual framework of the American Black Hawk *** in all aspects, and is very similar in many aspects. Of course, there are some differences. According to public information, the Z-20*** uses two domestic 10-speed turboshaft engines with a nominal power of 1600 horsepower. In terms of its transport capacity, it basically corresponds to the American Black Hawk series.
In the actual needs of the PLA, in the future, the Z-20*** will be equipped with various branches of the PLA and the armed police, and a number of derivative models will also appear. For example, the army transport type, the army ** type, the navy anti-submarine type, the navy search and rescue type, the air force assault type, the armed police special operations type, etc. Even public safety agencies or primary and secondary fire departments. Tier 1 cities can also be considered. Therefore, in the future, China's demand for Z-20*** will be very large, with a minimum order of at least 1,000 aircraft.
The European NH90 series has recently encountered technical challenges, and the 10-ton GM jointly built by the United Kingdom, France, Germany and other countries began its mass production in 2000. However, in the research and development process of 10-ton class, China chose to use the American Black Hawk as the blueprint instead of NH90. At present, NH90*** has settled in more than 10 countries, with a cumulative production of more than 400 aircraft, becoming a bright star in the international aviation field. Like the Black Hawk and Z-20, the NH90*** uses two Rolls-Royce-Turbomeca RTM322-01 9 turboshaft engines rated at 1,600 horsepower. From the point of view of transport capacity, the three *** are basically comparable. After all, these are 10-ton *** However, as a design concept in the 90s of the 20th century, NH90*** not only has left and right doors, but also has a rear door suitable for transporting light vehicles. So why didn't China learn from the design concept of the European NH90?
PLA Navy Z-20 anti-submarine *** First of all, in the 80s of the 20th century, China imported the American NU60 series *** and used it for a long time. They also have the ability to conduct reverse public testing and land surveys, and they have the real right to do so. As for the NH90*** in Europe, China has not yet received the actual machine model, and it cannot be transferred to the public at all, nor does it conform to the actual situation. In addition, judging from the actual needs of the troops, the design concept of the NH90 may not be suitable for the PLA troops.
In the process of developing the most advanced system, the PLA is getting closer and closer to the United States. In the U.S. affairs system, the UH60 series is mainly responsible for the transportation of officers, soldiers or supplies, not combat vehicles. Because in addition to the 10-ton UH60, the U.S. military also has several large transport *** such as CH47 or CH53. The UH60 series*** has been designed with great attention to passenger comfort and crash resistance to protect the lives of those on board as much as possible.
The cabin floor of the armed police Z-20 series *** is very low above the ground, and the hatch size is very large. It is very convenient for the crew to take off and land the aircraft, which is especially useful for the crew to quickly lead to the sides when landing on the line of fire. Judging by the specific design, the UH60*** can even be transported with the C130J transport aircraft. Apparently, the construction of the PLA *** follows a similar concept. In addition to the 10-ton Z-20***, there are also the 13-ton Mi-17 series *** and the 15-ton Z-L***
China is actively developing a medium-sized *** called Z-8L At the same time, AHL heavy-duty transport *** is also in full swing preparations, and its target is directly aimed at the CH53 of the United States, intending to compete with it in performance. On the other hand, in Europe, their NH90*** has become the main transport model of many teams, and its excellent performance and adaptability have been widely recognized. In order to meet the common transportation needs of people and vehicles, we specially designed the tailgate for the Z-8L, this innovative design not only reflects our deep thinking about practical needs, but also shows our unique insight in the field of first-class design. However, it is worth noting that the width of the left and right doors of the Z-8L is slightly narrower than that of the Black Hawk or Zhi 20 models, which undoubtedly brings certain inconvenience to the entry and exit of officers and soldiers. 
The PLA Z-20 series *** However, because it is a 10-ton class ***NH90***, the transport capacity is not very strong. Many vehicles are still uncapable of transporting and can only transport light vehicles. For the PLA troops, the design concept of the NH90*** may not be suitable for them. European countries, which are not under much operational pressure, require their own *** to meet various needs as much as possible. This is also the reason why NH90*** is favored by European countries. In contrast, the needs of the United States and China are completely different.
AHL Heavy Transport*** is being developed in Hungary.