| Harbin Z-9 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Medium multi-purpose utility helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation |
| First flight | 1981 |
| Introduction | 1994 |
| Status | Operational |
| Primary users | China Pakistan Naval Air Arm |
| Number built | 200 |
| Developed from | Aérospatiale Dauphin |
The Harbin Z-9 (NATO reporting name "Haitun"[1]) is a Chinese military utility helicopter. It is a license-built version of the French Eurocopter Dauphin, and is manufactured by Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation.
Contents |
The first Z-9 flew in 1981, and was built in China from components supplied by Aérospatiale. On 16 January 1992, the indigenous variant Z-9B, constructed with 70% Chinese-made parts, flew successfully. The flight test was completed in November, 1992 and the design was finalized a month later. Z-9B production began in 1993 and entered PLA service in 1994. [2]
The Z-9B features 11-blade Fenestron faired-in tail rotor with wider-chord, all-composite blades replacing the 13-blade in AS 365N. As a light tactical troop transport, the Z-9 has the capacity to transport 10 fully armed soldiers.
Generally the Z-9 is identical to the AS 365N Dauphin, though later variants of the Z-9 incorporate more composite materials to increase structural strength and lower radar signature. The helicopter has a four-blade main rotor, with two turboshaft engines mounted side by side on top of the cabin with engine layout identical to the AS 365N. The Z-9 teardrop-shaped body features a tapered boom to the tail fin, with rounded nose and stepped-up cockpit, and retractable gear and all flat bottom.
An armed variant has been fielded by the PLA since the early 1990s as the WZ-9 or Z-9W, with pylons fitted for anti-tank missiles. These helicopters lack the maneuverability and survivability of a proper attack helicopter, and merely provide a stopgap during the development of the WZ-10. The latest armed version, the Z-9W, was introduced in 2005 and has night attack capabilities, with an under-nose low-light TV and infra-red observing and tracking unit.
The naval version introduced in the 1990s is known as the Z-9C. As well as SAR and ASW duties, the Z-9C can be fitted with an X-band KLC-1 surface search radar to detect surface targets beyond the range of shipborne radar systems.[3]
Data from SinoDefence.com[9]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
2 fixed 23 mm cannons on attack variants. Pylon stores for rockets, gun pods, ET52 torpedo, HJ-8 anti-tank missiles, or TY-90 air-to-air missiles.
|
|
|||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them. |