After the Sino-Soviet split in the late 1950s, Mao has his spies smuggle plans for weapons the Soviets would not give the Chinese. One of the plans was for the Myasishchev Mya-4. After many delays in 1972 the first is completed. Mao pushed the completion after the 1969 border clashes. 60 were produced as the Xian H-7, first use in the Sino-Vietnam 1980 border clash.
Chinese Heavy Bomber Xian H-7
- Thread starter Musketeer513
- Start date
Can i add that were was a real H-7 project, actually based on Tu-16/H-6 but larger and with four engines under the wings. I always pondered about a chinese aviation wank, but never got to write down...
Anyway, i guess if we have PRC build this H-7 (Mya-4), today they would have an H-7K with four D-30KP engines and armed with loads of cruise missiles, a true strategic bomber roughly similar to current B-52s in capability.
Anyway, i guess if we have PRC build this H-7 (Mya-4), today they would have an H-7K with four D-30KP engines and armed with loads of cruise missiles, a true strategic bomber roughly similar to current B-52s in capability.
If you look at the Mya-4 you will notice the engines while 4 are placed like the 2 in the Tu-16.
Ak-84
Banned
The H-8 (not H-7). It was canceled because the PLAAF did not have confidence in its ability to penetrate Soviet Air Defences. The '52 got a reprieve because of the development of ALCM's which meant that it has remained a viable weapon. To get that Bomber off the ground, you need better Chinese stand off ASM capability. Far better than what they developed in OTL in this timeframe.
Designing a new bomber from scratch would be prohibitively expensive. But if one was already in production they would keep building them, which is why the H-6 was in production for so long. They could use it for maritime patrol, sea mining, aerial tanker, heavy bombing against third rate opponent. Eventually it would be a cruise missile carrier with D-30 engines like Mack8 said. This could easily happen with a delayed Sino-Soviet split.
What was not discovered until later that China had placed another bomber into production, the Xian H-4. The H-4 was a copy of the Tupelov Tu-85. China was supplied with 10 Tu-4s by Stalin. With the plans that China received by espionage and derived from a plane they were familiar with it seemed a no-brainer to place it in production.
I haven't discovered it yet. The Tu-4s that China received were re-engined with Ukranian Ivchenko AI-20K turbo-prop engines built in Zaporizhia, the home of Taras Bulba, and subsequently Chinese-built as WJ-6. These engines were not considered for the Tu-85, since the Kuznetsov engines fitted to the Tu-95 offered such a vast improvement in performance that the Tu-85 remained still-born, making Chinese production a highly bone-headed decision.
The reason for making the H-4 was the Soviet leadership in 1954 would not supply China with the Tu-95. So if spies could get plans for Tu-85, go for it.
Right i see. So in this ATL H-4 (Tu-85) is the first chinese intercontinental bomber in the fifties, replaced by the H-7 (Mya-4) yes? In addition to it's primary role as a strategic bomber in the fifties and sixties (like Tu-95), later on i can see it filling a valuable anti-ship/ASW role if fitted with torpedoes/ missiles, something akin to soviet Tu-142.
The H-5 (Il-28) also enters production in the fifties, and is replaced by H-6 (Tu-16) yes? OTL i always found it a very bad decision to copy and build the Il-28 as the H-5 over ten years after it has been taken out in production in USSR and when it was hopelessly antiquated. If this happens in the fifties though, it is still a relevant machine as a light and torpedo bomber for PLAAF and PLANAF.
The H-5 (Il-28) also enters production in the fifties, and is replaced by H-6 (Tu-16) yes? OTL i always found it a very bad decision to copy and build the Il-28 as the H-5 over ten years after it has been taken out in production in USSR and when it was hopelessly antiquated. If this happens in the fifties though, it is still a relevant machine as a light and torpedo bomber for PLAAF and PLANAF.
Approximate Production Numbers;
H-4 Barge 240
H-5 Beagle 600
H-6 Badger 180
H-7 Bison 60
H-4 Barge H-5 Beagle H-6 Badger H-7 Bison
Number Built 240 600 180 60
Crew 12 3 4 8
Length (m) 39.31 17.65 34.80 47.20
Wingspan (m) 55.96 21.45 33.00 50.50
Height (m) 11.36 6.70 10.36 14.10
Wing area (m^2) 273.60 60.80 165.00 326.35
Empty weight (kg) 54,711 12,890 37,200 79,700
Loaded weight (kg) 76,000 18,400 76,000 138,500
Max. takeoff weight (kg) 107,292 21,200 79,000 181,500
Max. sped (km/h) 638 902 1,050 947
Range (km) 12,000 2,180 6,000 8,100
Service ceiling (m) 11,700 12,300 12,800 11,000
Rate of climb (m/s) 17 15
Wing loading (kg/m^2) 278 303 461 424
Guns 10 x 23mm 4 x 23mm 7 x 23mm 9 x 23mm
Bombs (kg) 18,000 3,000 9,000 24,000
Tu-4 Bull Il-28 Beagle Tu-16 Badger Tu-95 Bear
Number Built 800 6,600 1,500 500
Crew 11 3 7 7
Length (m) 30.18 17.65 34.80 46.20
Wingspan (m) 43.05 21.45 33.00 50.10
Height (m) 8.46 6.70 10.36 12.12
Wing area (m^2) 161.70 60.80 165.00 310.00
Empty weight (kg) 36,850 12,890 37,200 90,000
Loaded weight (kg) 47,850 18,400 76,000 171,000
Max. takeoff weight (kg) 63,600 21,200 79,000 188,000
Max. sped (km/h) 558 902 1,050 830
Range (km) 5,400 2,180 7,200 15,000
Service ceiling (m) 11,200 12,300 12,800 13,716
Rate of climb (m/s) 15 10
Wing loading (kg/m^2) 296 303 461 552
Guns 10 x 23mm 4 x 23mm 7 x 23mm 2 x 23mm
Bombs (kg) 6,000 3,000 9,000 15,000
B-29 Superfortress B-36 Peacemaker B-47 Stratojet B-52 Stratofortress
Number Built 4,000 400 2,000 700
Crew 11 13 3 5
Length (m) 30.18 49.42 32.65 48.50
Wingspan (m) 43.06 70.12 35.37 56.40
Height (m) 8.45 14.25 8.54 12.40
Wing area (m^2) 161.30 443.50 132.70 370.00
Empty weight (kg) 33,800 75,530 35,867 83,250
Loaded weight (kg) 54,000 119,318 60,340 120,000
Max. takeoff weight (kg) 60,560 186,000 100,000 220,000
Max. sped (km/h) 574 672 977 1,047
Range (km) 5,230 16,000 7,478 16,232
Service ceiling (m) 9,710 13,300 10,100 15,000
Rate of climb (m/s) 5 10 24 32
Wing loading (kg/m^2) 335 269 455 324
Guns 10 x 12.7mm 2 x 20mm 2 x 20mm 1 x 20mm
Bombs (kg) 9,000 39,000 11,000 31,500
Number Built 240 600 180 60
Crew 12 3 4 8
Length (m) 39.31 17.65 34.80 47.20
Wingspan (m) 55.96 21.45 33.00 50.50
Height (m) 11.36 6.70 10.36 14.10
Wing area (m^2) 273.60 60.80 165.00 326.35
Empty weight (kg) 54,711 12,890 37,200 79,700
Loaded weight (kg) 76,000 18,400 76,000 138,500
Max. takeoff weight (kg) 107,292 21,200 79,000 181,500
Max. sped (km/h) 638 902 1,050 947
Range (km) 12,000 2,180 6,000 8,100
Service ceiling (m) 11,700 12,300 12,800 11,000
Rate of climb (m/s) 17 15
Wing loading (kg/m^2) 278 303 461 424
Guns 10 x 23mm 4 x 23mm 7 x 23mm 9 x 23mm
Bombs (kg) 18,000 3,000 9,000 24,000
Tu-4 Bull Il-28 Beagle Tu-16 Badger Tu-95 Bear
Number Built 800 6,600 1,500 500
Crew 11 3 7 7
Length (m) 30.18 17.65 34.80 46.20
Wingspan (m) 43.05 21.45 33.00 50.10
Height (m) 8.46 6.70 10.36 12.12
Wing area (m^2) 161.70 60.80 165.00 310.00
Empty weight (kg) 36,850 12,890 37,200 90,000
Loaded weight (kg) 47,850 18,400 76,000 171,000
Max. takeoff weight (kg) 63,600 21,200 79,000 188,000
Max. sped (km/h) 558 902 1,050 830
Range (km) 5,400 2,180 7,200 15,000
Service ceiling (m) 11,200 12,300 12,800 13,716
Rate of climb (m/s) 15 10
Wing loading (kg/m^2) 296 303 461 552
Guns 10 x 23mm 4 x 23mm 7 x 23mm 2 x 23mm
Bombs (kg) 6,000 3,000 9,000 15,000
B-29 Superfortress B-36 Peacemaker B-47 Stratojet B-52 Stratofortress
Number Built 4,000 400 2,000 700
Crew 11 13 3 5
Length (m) 30.18 49.42 32.65 48.50
Wingspan (m) 43.06 70.12 35.37 56.40
Height (m) 8.45 14.25 8.54 12.40
Wing area (m^2) 161.30 443.50 132.70 370.00
Empty weight (kg) 33,800 75,530 35,867 83,250
Loaded weight (kg) 54,000 119,318 60,340 120,000
Max. takeoff weight (kg) 60,560 186,000 100,000 220,000
Max. sped (km/h) 574 672 977 1,047
Range (km) 5,230 16,000 7,478 16,232
Service ceiling (m) 9,710 13,300 10,100 15,000
Rate of climb (m/s) 5 10 24 32
Wing loading (kg/m^2) 335 269 455 324
Guns 10 x 12.7mm 2 x 20mm 2 x 20mm 1 x 20mm
Bombs (kg) 9,000 39,000 11,000 31,500