China’s Z-20 Black Hawk lookalike and flying saucer concept craft star at helicopter expo
- PLA’s great helicopter hope gets plenty of airtime at four-day show in Tianjin
- Analyst says chopper is ‘significant improvement’ on earlier models
China unveiled some eye-catching air power at the China Helicopter Exposition in the northern city of Tianjin on the weekend, including a model that resembled the US Sikorsky Black Hawk and a concept craft that looked like a flying saucer.
While analysts said China had a long way to go to rival American market-leaders, the Harbin Z-20 transport helicopter, which made its official debut at the National Day parade on October 1, made a high-profile appearance at the expo in a static display and in three-chopper close formation flyovers.
The Z-20 has been promoted as a replacement for the People’s Liberation Army’s 35-year-old Black Hawks used on the Tibetan Plateau and the Russian-built Ka-28s which provide air cover for warships.
The Z-20 – developed by Harbin Aircraft Industry Group, a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) – made its maiden flight in 2013 and entered service last year.
The multi-role Z-20 had two Chinese-made turboshaft engines, a fly-by-wire [electronic] flight control system, and could operate at night and in poor weather, Li Linhua, chief technology expert of the AVIC Helicopter Institute, said at the expo.