CAIC WZ-10
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| WZ-10 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Attack helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) |
| Maiden flight | 29 April 2003 |
| Primary user | People's Liberation Army |
The WZ-10 (Wuzhuang Zhisheng-10) is an Attack helicopter developed by the People's Republic of China. It is designed primarily for anti-tank missions, but is thought to have a secondary air-to-air capability as well. It is being built by Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC).
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[edit] Development
Very little is known about the development history of the WZ-10, the project having been kept under tight security. The program began in 1998 [1] to replace the WZ-9 aircraft currently in service with the People's Liberation Army.
Another possible alternative is that the WZ-10 program was hidden under the China Medium Helicopter (CHM) program[2] which started in 1994 with the 602 and 608 research institutes. Under this ostensibly civilian program, various key Western helicopter manufacturers Eurocopter (rotor design,consultancy), Pratt & Whitney Canada (PT6C turboshaft) and Agusta Westland (transmission) was able to provide considerable technical assistance to the program.[3] The WZ-10 attack helicopter will enter active service in 2008.
[edit] Design
A recent photo published on the internet allows some general observations about the WZ-10 design. The WZ-10 has a conventional attack helicopter layout, with the pilot and weapons system officer (WSO) seated in tandem, stepped cockpits. A five-bladed main rotor is utilized, in addition to a four-blade tail rotor. Two engines are podded to the aircraft just to the rear of the cockpit with IR suppressors. Built-in armament consists of a cannon installed in the chin of the aircraft (likely to be of 30mm calibre) and two stub wings provide attachment points for external ordnance. [4]
The stub wings have one or two hardpoints, making for a possible total of two or four. Anti-tank missiles are probably carried in groups of four, and may be of the HJ-9 type (comparable to the US TOW missile). It has been suggested also that the new HJ-10 missiles could also be carried. This would significantly improve the WZ-10's anti-tank capability, as the HJ-10 is thought to be similar to the US Hellfire ATM.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (WZ-10 - estimated)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 14.1 m (ft)
- Rotor diameter: 12.0 m [1] (ft)
- Height: 3.85 m (ft)
- Disc area: m² (ft²)
- Empty weight: 5540 kg [1] (lb)
- Loaded weight: kg (lb)
- Useful load: 1500 kg [1] (lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 6000 kg (lb)
- Powerplant: 2× turboshafts [1]
Performance
- Maximum speed: over 270+ km/h [1]
- Cruise speed: 230 km/h [1]
- Ferry range: 800 km [1] ()
- Service ceiling 6000 m (ft)
- Rate of climb: over 10+ m/s [1] (ft/min)
- Disc loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
[edit] See also
Comparable aircraft
- AH-64 Apache
- AH-1 Super Cobra / AH-1Z Viper
- Agusta A129 Mangusta
- Denel AH-2 Rooivalk
- Eurocopter Tiger
- Kamov Ka-50
- Mil Mi-24
- Mil Mi-28
- HAL Light Combat Helicopter
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i 欧美专家称中国武直10可媲美阿帕奇(组图)_新浪军事_新浪网
- ^ Hewson, Robert, "China’s Z-10 helicopter built on Western expertise", Jane’s Defence Weekly, 13 April 2005
- ^ Jane's Helicopter Markets & Systems.
- ^ Z-10 Attack Helicopter - SinoDefence.com
[edit] External links
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