XAC H-20 stealth bomber - development & news

[StrategicBear]

Is H-20 made to be a B-2 Spirit equivalent or B-21 Raider equivalent bomber?

 

[Deino]

Is H-20 made to be a B-2 Spirit equivalent or B-21 Raider equivalent bomber?

I'm slowly getting the feeling, the original H-20 never proceeded a certain development stage - most likely without ever a finished prototype - and the new bomber will be something much more ambitiouis and no longer designated H-20.

But that's more a feeling ...

 

[niubi]

Yeah some rumours saying H-20 name is changed because original H-20 program that aimed to deliver a modern B-2 which is basically a B-21 (only original H-20 was probably more B-2 sized than the smaller B-21).

New H-20 will carry different name. The 20 series are completed and the original H-20's work was carried over in some limited parts where it can be applied, to the GJ-x and WZ-x programs.

New bomber is much more ambitious. I previously thought it was the very sharp looking arrowhead design but this mystery aircraft is around 36m long but very small wingspan since it's optimised for fast speed but not long range.







This arrowhead aircraft is still a mystery but Chinese forums had a video capture of it flying with bright engine contrail behind it.

Size is simply not strategic bomber so might be the JH-xx. Or if not that designation anymore, at least the program that fills such a regional strike role.



As for H-20 or perhaps more suitable to call it H-30 now since there are some hints the H-20 name is abandoned because what the original H-20 program developed into is no longer the strategic bomber program that has succeeded it.

My personal belief is H-20 program was in parts applied to at least the GJ-x.

GJ-x recently leaked not much known except it is unmanned and from planform design appears to optimise for longer weapons bay so it uses diamond fuselage with two angle fuselage and wing known as canted wing or cranked kite planform. This is a balance between long range, long weapons bay and stealth but at the penalty of speed.

GJ-x:

 

[niubi]

More GJ-x:



The first public domain leaked photo of GJ-x flying many thought it was J-50.







The tarmac photo was used to scale the size and knowing the lane widths and marking dimensions, the size of GJ-x is roughly B-21 wingspan, applying H-20 lessons is possible.

 

[niubi]

Underside with primary weapons scaled.





Advantage of having this cranked kite design allows for longer weapons bay for these types of extremely high energy air launched hypersonic glide and ballistic missiles.




So what we know is some reputable sources are starting to give hints that the H-20 project has evolved beyond what public domain military followers assume it is ie a modern B-2 sized strategic subsonic stealth bomber.

We also know China has some mystery 36m long mach 4+ aircraft. Actually the wing sweep angle of that arrowhead aircraft is for beyond mach 5 but who knows yet.

H-20 name is likely changed. No longer referred to as water. GJ-x is a unmanned stealth bomber of B-21 size but with weapons bays larger than B-2. It has cranked kite wing fuselage design for long range but slow speed. This screams H-20 program but they converted it to an unmanned regional stealth bomber. Range would be more than enough to fly to Hawaii given the sweep angle of the wings. ALBMs or ALHGVs would give it west coast USA attack range for conventional strikes.

H-20 or rather H-xx whatever they want to call it, is a mystery. Clue is the program became much more ambitious than subsonic flying wing because that became too common and basic and can be done better with unmanned.

Whatever arrowhead is lets call it JH-xx, is not long range. It's rapid strike and likely regional ranged only but this was actually really needed for western pacific. So you have two regional ranged aircraft for bombing/strikes against ground and sea targets - the GJ-x subsonic stealth deep long bays and the JH-xx supersonic to hypersonic but not as stealthy (probably has vertical stabilisers and will light up infrared from a distance) and lower ranged. Then you have H-xx which will most likely be manned nuclear strike oriented for intercontinental range.

If they wanted to achieve that with just a flying wing or cranked kite like was hinted in the past, then that's easy and they could have done it long ago. I think the PLA wants a lot more out of it for future proofing. May be supersonic capable but of course focus is still absolute VLO. They might be trying some new things and applying some newer tech onto whatever the H-20 evolved into.

 

[Deino]

View attachment 174132

Underside with primary weapons scaled.

View attachment 174134

View attachment 174135

Advantage of having this cranked kite design allows for longer weapons bay for these types of extremely high energy air launched hypersonic glide and ballistic missiles.

View attachment 174136


So what we know is some reputable sources are starting to give hints that the H-20 project has evolved beyond what public domain military followers assume it is ie a modern B-2 sized strategic subsonic stealth bomber.

We also know China has some mystery 36m long mach 4+ aircraft. Actually the wing sweep angle of that arrowhead aircraft is for beyond mach 5 but who knows yet.

H-20 name is likely changed. No longer referred to as water. GJ-x is a unmanned stealth bomber of B-21 size but with weapons bays larger than B-2. It has cranked kite wing fuselage design for long range but slow speed. This screams H-20 program but they converted it to an unmanned regional stealth bomber. Range would be more than enough to fly to Hawaii given the sweep angle of the wings. ALBMs or ALHGVs would give it west coast USA attack range for conventional strikes.

H-20 or rather H-xx whatever they want to call it, is a mystery. Clue is the program became much more ambitious than subsonic flying wing because that became too common and basic and can be done better with unmanned.

Whatever arrowhead is lets call it JH-xx, is not long range. It's rapid strike and likely regional ranged only but this was actually really needed for western pacific. So you have two regional ranged aircraft for bombing/strikes against ground and sea targets - the GJ-x subsonic stealth deep long bays and the JH-xx supersonic to hypersonic but not as stealthy (probably has vertical stabilisers and will light up infrared from a distance) and lower ranged. Then you have H-xx which will most likely be manned nuclear strike oriented for intercontinental range.

If they wanted to achieve that with just a flying wing or cranked kite like was hinted in the past, then that's easy and they could have done it long ago. I think the PLA wants a lot more out of it for future proofing. May be supersonic capable but of course focus is still absolute VLO. They might be trying some new things and applying some newer tech onto whatever the H-20 evolved into.

I must admit I don't like his artworks! They are always a bit too much on the "too large", "too impressive" side and not really accurate.

 

[niubi]

I must admit I don't like his artworks! They are always a bit too much on the "too large", "too impressive" side and not really accurate.

They are the best visualisations we have of the GJ-x and the mystery aircraft. He measures them based off the satellite images, 2 methods - pixel based measuring and known lengths of airfield markings from things like nearmaps equivalents for China or satellite. Overall he makes things like maybe 5% or 10% larger potentially but it's a good indicator.

 

[Zoyou]

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