1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Harbin Z-6 DATANGSHAN CHINA AVIATION MUSEUM BEIJING OCT 2012 6: calflier001· CC BY-SA 2.0
what is it?
The Harbin/CHDRI Z-6, (Z - Zhishengji - vertical take-off aircraft), is a Chinese helicopter development based on the Harbin Z-5, itself a licence-built / reverse engineered Mil Mi-4. A limited production run was terminated after performance was found to be inferior to its Z-5 progenitor (sources vary from 6 to 15 completed out of orders for 100).
How to recognise it: 1 turboshaft engine · 21 m main rotor
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 57 years ago, in 1969.
- Rotor of 21 m: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
turboshaft: A turbine that turns a shaft, usually a helicopter rotor.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1969
- number built
- 15
- role
- helicopter
- origin
- 🇨🇳 People's Republic of China
- engines
- 1× Dongan WZ-5
- crew
- 3
- passengers
- 12
- length
- 21 m
- rotor diameter
- 21 m
- height
- 5.6 m
- max take-off weight
- 7,600 kg
- top speed
- 192 km/h
- range
- 651 km
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
family
Sources: Wikidata Q15069649, Wikipedia: Harbin/CHDRI Z-6 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.