A helicopter or a plane? China's new futuristic military aircraft is both

beijingwalker · Mar 9, 2023

A helicopter or a plane? China's new futuristic military aircraft is both

It is designed using a pattern developed over 40 years.
Mar 09, 2023 09:22 AM EST

Changhe WZ-10 aircraft.
Wikimedia Commons

China is building a futuristic helicopter that uses both wings and rotors, according to Wu Ximing, the creator of the CAIC Z-10 attack helicopter and a political advisor to the Chinese Communist Party, as reported by state-run broadcaster CCTV.

The mystery new helicopter is already being built and might increase China's military power, which is quickly growing.

Wu said that while creating a new helicopter for China, it is not sufficient to copy foreign helicopter designs merely. Instead, helicopter goods must be made to meet China's unique requirements, include recent and upcoming technology developments, and be consistent with development objectives set for the next 20 to 30 years.

"When discussing helicopter products, we should not simply develop what foreign countries have. Instead, we should develop what fit our country the most," Wu told the state-run Global Times newspaper. "They must integrate with China's current and future development and technological development to fit even the development in the 20 to 30 years. We must accurately judge and find a position."

Wu withheld information on the new chopper's specifications, but a concept model depicts a stylish hybrid of a helicopter and an airplane. On top of the ship are two rows of rotors, and the model's wings have propellers.

Wu and his colleagues have developed a pattern over the course of 40 years of helicopter development that is characterized by "exploring a generation, pre-studying a generation, designing a generation, and producing a generation," with multiple helicopters systematically under development, according to CCTV.

Wu advanced China's helicopter technology by 20 years as the principal designer of the Z-10, the nation's first explicitly designed attack helicopter and one of the most potent in the world.

Utility aviation refers to civilian aviation activities unrelated to public transportation, such as scientific research, disaster relief, climate monitoring, and maritime surveillance. According to analysts, helicopters are anticipated to have a broad future as a critical component of utility aviation.

According to Wu, transportation in distant areas and cities would both experience a rise in the use of helicopters.