| HISTORY |
| First flight |
27 April 1952 (Tu-16)
27 September 1959 (H-6 with Soviet kits)
24 December 1968 (H-6 with indigenous parts) |
| Initial operational capability |
1969 |
| Operator |
PLA Air Force, PLA Naval Air Force |
| Variants |
H-6, H-6A, H-6B, H-6C, H-6D, H-6E, H-6F, H-6H, H-6K, H-6M, H-6 tanker, HD-6, H-6 UAV carrier, H-6 Engine Testbed |
| CREW |
| H-6/A |
Six (pilot, co-pilot, 1st navigator, 2nd navigator, tail gunner, radio operator) |
| H-6D |
Four (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, weapon operator, radio operator) |
| H-6 Tanker |
Three (pilot, co-pilot, refuelling operator) |
| DESIGN |
| Role |
Air-interdiction; Maritime strike; Reconnaissance; Aerial Refuelling |
| Designer |
Topulev Design Bureau |
| Manufacturer |
Xi'an Aircraft Industry Corporation |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Length |
34.8m |
| Wingspan |
34.2m |
| Height |
9.85m |
| Wing area |
167.55 square metres |
| WEIGHTS |
| Empty |
37,900kg (H-6A); 38530 (H-6D) |
| Normal take-off |
72,000kg |
| Max take-off |
75,800kg |
| Max landing |
55,000kg |
| Fuel capacity |
34,220kg |
| Normal weapon payload |
3,000kg |
| Max weapon payload |
9,000kg |
| PROPULSION |
| Powerplant |
2X WP-8 turbojet |
| Thrust (Maximum) |
91.30kN (9,310kg, 20,525 lbs) each |
| Thrust (sea-level static) |
75.02kN (7,650kg, 16,865.36 lbs) each |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max speed |
1,014km/h (H-6A); 894km/h (H-6D) |
| Cruising speed |
Mach 0.75 (786km/h) |
| Max climb rate |
18.6m/s (sea level) |
| Service ceiling |
13,100m |
| Max range |
6,000km (H-6A); 4,300km (H-6D) |
| Combat radius |
1,800km |
| Flight endurance |
10 hours (H-6A); 5.5 hours (H-6D) |
| In-flight refuelling |
No |
| Take-off speed |
280km/h (H-6A); 293km/h (H-6D) |
| Runway (take-off) |
1,670m (H-6A); 1,840m (H-6D) |
| Landing speed |
223km/s (H-6A); 233km/h (H-6D) |
| Runway (landing) |
1,655m (H-6A); 1,540m (H-6D) |
| ARMAMENTS |
| Fixed weapon |
Seven 23mm cannons (early variants) |
| External hardpoints |
Two (H-6D/H); Four (H-6M); Six (H-6K) |
| Air-to-surface missiles |
YJ-6 (C-601) anti-ship missile (H-6D)
YJ-81 anti-ship missile (H-6M)
KD-63 land-attack cruise missile (H-6H) |
| Bomb |
Up to 9000kg (normally 3,000kg) of disposable stores are carried in a lower-fuselage weapon bay capable of accepting nuclear and/or 250/500/1,500/3,000kg high-explosive (HE) free-fall bombs |
| AVIONICS |
| Flight control |
KJ-3A Autopilot |
| Fire control |
HM-1 optical bombing sight (H-6A)
Type 241 (HL-2) bombing radar (H-6A)
Type 211 fire-control radar for the tail cannon
SM-5 and Sm-6 optical sight for other cannons
Type 245 surface target acquisition and illumination radar (H-6D)
Fire-control computer (later variants) |
| Navigation |
Type 771 Doppler navigation radar
WL-6 radio compass
WG-52 radio altimetre
XS-6 beacon receiver
INS (H-6D)
INS + GPS (H-6E) |
| Communications |
HF radio
VHF/UHF radio
Type 303A or CJT-2 emergency radio
Intercom
Datalink (H-6H) |
| Countermeasures |
WD-3 IFF
WJ-2A rear warning receiver |
| Reconnaissance |
HJ12-75 optical camera
HJ13-40 optical camera
HB-31 radar screen camera |
| |
|
