China developing flying wing?

A Chinese military blog has published a computer image of the potential new strategic bomber being developed in China. It appears to be very similar to the B-2 design.

This would be the first true strategic bomber capability for China, which currently uses the H-6, which is based on the Tu-16 Badger. It's not confirmed that this would be the design, but the site saying it most likely will be chosen has a good track record to date. Other designs included a supersonic delta-wing configuration.

Depending on the range, this aircraft could theoretically put targets within the US at risk from Chinese aircraft for the first time.

The first credible indications that China is looking at developing a true strategic bomber capability are starting to emerge. Currently, the People's Republic of China operates a small fleet of upgraded Xian H-6 bombers (cruise missile carriers) which are based on the antiquated Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-16 Badger.

According to the Chinese Military Aviation blog, which tends to be fairly accurate in tracking China's aviation developments, the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) will likely select a stealthy flying wing configuration for its new strategic bomber program called the H-X.

Among the configurations studied by China's 603rd Institute/Xian Aircraft Company was a supersonic delta wing design and a four-engined flying wing design, but the flying wing looks like it has won out. That means China is the third country after Russia--whose developmental Tupolev PAK-DA was recently revealed to be a flying wing--to adopt the configuration, which was first adopted operationally on the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit.

www.flightglobal.com...

I wonder if the delay was because they had the plans for the US B2 and the Russian model and were taking the best from both, then add the Chinese flavor. Sort of like cooking with two similar recipes.

P

reply to post by pheonix358


That wouldn't surprise me. They've had most of the details about the B-2 for a long time now, so they may have been perfecting things, or they may have been waiting to see the PAK-DA results. It'll be interesting to watch the development of this one.

Was a similar story a few years ago www.abovetopsecret.com... Wondering if this is the same aircraft? the old one in the vid on the cnet link looked like a B2 iirc? although the vid seems to have been deleted?

reply to post by solidshot


It's possible, this is being developed for the H-X program, and it isn't the first time I've heard it mentioned. This time though, a Chinese blog is saying it, and from what I have heard they've accurately predicted and reported on several other designs.

reply to post by Zaphod58

The flightglobal link isn't working for me.
I get the message, 'can't find the server'.

Its getting kind of tiring....
All this money and spend it on death....
Why not just shoot everybody?
seems thats the way we are going.................

Apparently so called normal people do not want war, but everywhere we turn some type of war activity is occurring.
How absurd. It is a shame, it wasn't something that flew around cleaning the air we breathe. But rather an improved way of killing each other. Stars and Flags to man kind.