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Harbin Z-20

2018 MODERN AIRCRAFT

History of Harbin Z-20

In 1984, the People's Republic of China procured several prototypes of the civilian Sikorsky S-70C-2 model. From this it is widely believed that the Z-20 medium transport helicopter developed by Harbin is currently being developed for the People's Liberation Army, which in turn makes the Z-20 an unlicensed Chinese version of the American Sikorsky UH-60. Black Hawk transport helicopter.

The first flight was recorded on December 23, 2013, and the project has been in the prototype stage since February 2014.

For the PLA, the Z-20 will perform the same tactical missions as the UH-60 for the U.S. Army and other countries around the world. At its core, it is a means of transportation capable of transporting thousands of pounds of goods over long distances. In addition to its perceived cargo transport role, the Z-20 will of course be responsible for transporting PLA fighter jets in and out of the theater. The overall configuration and general shape is very similar to the American Blackhawk, with some minor differences.

A key difference is that the design relies on a five-blade main rotor assembly instead of the four-blade arrangement seen on the UH-60 series. In addition to this, the Z-20 features a forward-facing two-seater cockpit with redundant controls, a mid-sized passenger cabin, and a twin-engine top-mounted configuration that powers the main and tail rotor systems. The chassis remains mobile, and two sliding doors provide the necessary access to the passenger compartment.

Like the U.S. UH-60, the Z-20 is expected to be armed with a general-purpose machine gun for point defense of landing and landing forces.

It remains to be seen what kind of capabilities and impact this line will have in the PLA's inventory due to the project's early existence. Of course, it will no doubt replace the upcoming Soviet-era design in time.

The Chinese will also use the Z-20 as a ground transport, deploying it on their new (and only) aircraft carrier, the Liaoning (commissioned in 2012).

Notably, reports from Pakistani officials gave China time with the wreckage of the UH-60 Stealth Eagle, which was destroyed during the attack on Osama bin Laden's compound. Information gleaned from the remaining components likely played a role in the development of the Z-20, though only time will tellespecially when the Z-20 officially enters service with the PLA.