Is this a first official hint for the PLAAF H-20?
This image from an official AVIC (or even XAC) promotional video was posted in several forums this morning and maybe shows a 3D rendering of the PLAAF’s next generation stealth bomber H-XX/H-20.
What’s funny at first sight and immediately led to some quite controversial discussions in the usual chat-groups, that this image is a nearly exact reproduction of the original Northrop Grumman commercial video, when the B-21 Raider was announced at the super bowl.
Even if both images are not the same it is obviously inspired by the NG video: The black background, the lighting including the arc of spotlights above, the pattern of the lights on the intake and overall the way the bomber's "shape" is covered mysteriously by a tarp are all very similar even if there are minor differences.
So one might ask, was this pure laziness, an intentional copy of NG’s promotional concept since it was “so cool” or even deliberate takeover of the same concept in order – as one poster commented – “just as an expression of "friendly" rivalry” to the B-21.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” (Oscar Wilde)
Regardless what’s the true intention of using the same concept, it has to be reminded that surely someone at AVIC’s upper level must have officially sanctioned the video maker not only to include the last scene (from 5:09) but also by copying NG’s concept: So in conclusion it is in fact the first official confirmation by any Chinese source that a flying wing aircraft is under development at XAC and maybe it can be taken as a hint that the next step to any public unveiling is not that far away.
