Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
The competition between Wingloong II and CH 5. They have similar MTOW but CH 5 claim to have higher range and loiter time which is questionable Henri K take on the recent launching of both UAV
The difference is the engine WingLoong II use Turbo prop CH 5 use piston engine
The duel between the two largest manufacturers of military drone in China continues to rage - after the first flight in February of MALE UAV Wing Loong II designed by the aircraft manufacturer AVIC, .
The 3.3 ton drone was towed on site around 1400 hours on Friday, 14 July, protected by a military camouflage tarpaulin and another waterproof in blue color.
After about two hours of preparation, notably to check the various on-board and on-ground systems, and also to refuel the CH-5's piston engine, the aircraft took off and landed A 20 minute flight, all fully automated.
The CH-5 program actually did a first flight two years ago, in August 2015, but it was a prototype that was totally revised thereafter.
It is the same model presented last year at the Zhuhai Airshow 2016 which took off this week in an aerodrome whose name was not revealed.
Compared to its prototype, the CH-5 is no longer the same aircraft at all. If it has preserved the V-tail and the same piston engine at the rear, the aerodynamics have been completely modified. The front tip is in "negative dihedral" now, the middle wings replaced the low wings and the vertical stabilizer keel has been removed.
Not to mention the fuselage that has been completely redesigned to take into account, in a way, passive radar stealth.
From top to bottom, the prototype of CH-5, the current version and competitor Wing Loong II
As for the performances of the CH-5, the communications made by its designer CAAA, subsidiary of the group CASC, are quite confusing. Indeed, if its chief engineer SHI Wen spoke more than 10,000 km and 60 hours autonomous flight to Xinhua Agency reporters, after the first flight of this new CH-5, the figures given to the Zhuhai Airshow 2016 are only 6,500 km and 40 hours of flight, when the drone was still presented in the form of a scale model.
In comparison, the Wing Loong II of a MTOW of 4,200 kg can only stay in flight for 20 hours while being armed, for a comparable size. It is difficult to imagine that for a MTOW 25% weaker, we have three times more autonomy and twice as many external frequencies.
The most likely explanation is that the figures released this week are only targeted characteristics, while the current UAV is performing more modestly.
Characteristics Wing Loong II CH-5 Prototype CH-5
Length 11.00 m Between 11 and 12 m
span 20.50 m 20.00 m 21.50 m
Height 4.10 m
MTOW 4,200 kg 3,000 kg 3 300 kg (?)
Internal loads 200 kg 200 kg 200 kg
Maximum external loads 480 kg 1,000 kg
Points of Carry 6
(maximum 12 ammunition) 6
(maximum 16 ammunition)
Propulsion Turboprop WJ-9A Reciprocating engine
(Fuel oil) Reciprocating engine
(Fuel oil)
Propulsion Power 600 hp 300 hp 300 hp
Maximum speed 370 km / h 220 km / h
Minimum speed 150 km / h 160 km / h
Ceiling 9,000 m 7,600 m
Endurance (FH) 20 FH on an armed mission 36 FH 40 to 60 FH max.
30 FH with 8 AR-1 missiles
Endurance (km) 6,500 to 10,000 km
Take-off distance 1,000 m
Landing distance 1,200 m
Radius per LOS link 200 km 250 km 250 km
Radius per satellite link 2,000 km 2,000 km 2,000 km
Production cost 1/4 of MQ-9 Reaper
Unit price € 4.87 million to € 8.00 million
Wing Loong II and CH-5 compete in the external market, especially in the large market in the Middle East where the two families of drones Wing Loong and Cai Hong (CH-x) Already conquered a large number of countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan ... etc., the design philosophy behind these two products remains very different.
When the 611 Chengdu Institute privileges both the survivability of its Wing Loong II with an operational ceiling and a higher cruising speed, and the variety of missions with a wide range of ammunition, the CAAA aims, for its part, Easy and inexpensive operation, thus the cost of the overall life cycle much lower for future CH-5 customers.
For example, SHI Wen revealed that the cost of producing a CH-5 is only 25% of the US MQ-9drone , and one of the tricks to get to this seems interesting - unlike the RQ-9 which has been designed to last as long as the cell, but which considerably increases the cost of design and production, CH-5 only lasts 33% of the total life of the drone but its cost Is also divided by three. The CBW has been adapted and reinforced to allow for more frequent wing change. This choice reduces the cost of production and the risk of having to completely change the "all-life" wing after intense use, but does not change the cost of the customer use cycle.
As for the performances of the CH-5, the communications made by its designer CAAA, subsidiary of the group CASC, are quite confusing. Indeed, if its chief engineer SHI Wen spoke more than 10,000 km and 60 hours autonomous flight to Xinhua Agency reporters, after the first flight of this new CH-5, the figures given to the Zhuhai Airshow 2016 are only 6,500 km and 40 hours of flight, when the drone was still presented in the form of a scale model.
In comparison, the Wing Loong II of a MTOW of 4,200 kg can only stay in flight for 20 hours while being armed, for a comparable size. It is difficult to imagine that for a MTOW 25% weaker, we have three times more autonomy and twice as many external frequencies.
The most likely explanation is that the figures released this week are only targeted characteristics, while the current UAV is performing more modestly.
Armament level, the CH-5 has six points of loading capable of loading two different types of missiles today - the Air-Sol AR-1 missile of 45 kg and a range of 10 km already widely used in Iraq , And a smaller one, - to address the different types of targets with greater flexibility and efficiency.
The CAAA is also planning to propose its new MALE drone for civilian missions such as maritime surveillance and geological surveys. For this purpose, several internal payloads have been designed, ranging from the optronic ball to the embedded SAR radar, via the hyper-spectral camera for example.
Finally, even if the authorities did not want to reveal the exact location where the CH-5 made its maiden flight, but based on one of the pictures showing the drone control screen, The image of a runway, it is believed to be Pingquan Airfield, a permanent 2,200-meter-long track of the Chinese Army. The facility is located about 223 km northeast of the city of Beijing, where the CAAA site is located.
The difference is the engine WingLoong II use Turbo prop CH 5 use piston engine
The duel between the two largest manufacturers of military drone in China continues to rage - after the first flight in February of MALE UAV Wing Loong II designed by the aircraft manufacturer AVIC, .
The 3.3 ton drone was towed on site around 1400 hours on Friday, 14 July, protected by a military camouflage tarpaulin and another waterproof in blue color.
After about two hours of preparation, notably to check the various on-board and on-ground systems, and also to refuel the CH-5's piston engine, the aircraft took off and landed A 20 minute flight, all fully automated.
The CH-5 program actually did a first flight two years ago, in August 2015, but it was a prototype that was totally revised thereafter.
It is the same model presented last year at the Zhuhai Airshow 2016 which took off this week in an aerodrome whose name was not revealed.
Compared to its prototype, the CH-5 is no longer the same aircraft at all. If it has preserved the V-tail and the same piston engine at the rear, the aerodynamics have been completely modified. The front tip is in "negative dihedral" now, the middle wings replaced the low wings and the vertical stabilizer keel has been removed.
Not to mention the fuselage that has been completely redesigned to take into account, in a way, passive radar stealth.
From top to bottom, the prototype of CH-5, the current version and competitor Wing Loong II
As for the performances of the CH-5, the communications made by its designer CAAA, subsidiary of the group CASC, are quite confusing. Indeed, if its chief engineer SHI Wen spoke more than 10,000 km and 60 hours autonomous flight to Xinhua Agency reporters, after the first flight of this new CH-5, the figures given to the Zhuhai Airshow 2016 are only 6,500 km and 40 hours of flight, when the drone was still presented in the form of a scale model.
In comparison, the Wing Loong II of a MTOW of 4,200 kg can only stay in flight for 20 hours while being armed, for a comparable size. It is difficult to imagine that for a MTOW 25% weaker, we have three times more autonomy and twice as many external frequencies.
The most likely explanation is that the figures released this week are only targeted characteristics, while the current UAV is performing more modestly.
Characteristics Wing Loong II CH-5 Prototype CH-5
Length 11.00 m Between 11 and 12 m
span 20.50 m 20.00 m 21.50 m
Height 4.10 m
MTOW 4,200 kg 3,000 kg 3 300 kg (?)
Internal loads 200 kg 200 kg 200 kg
Maximum external loads 480 kg 1,000 kg
Points of Carry 6
(maximum 12 ammunition) 6
(maximum 16 ammunition)
Propulsion Turboprop WJ-9A Reciprocating engine
(Fuel oil) Reciprocating engine
(Fuel oil)
Propulsion Power 600 hp 300 hp 300 hp
Maximum speed 370 km / h 220 km / h
Minimum speed 150 km / h 160 km / h
Ceiling 9,000 m 7,600 m
Endurance (FH) 20 FH on an armed mission 36 FH 40 to 60 FH max.
30 FH with 8 AR-1 missiles
Endurance (km) 6,500 to 10,000 km
Take-off distance 1,000 m
Landing distance 1,200 m
Radius per LOS link 200 km 250 km 250 km
Radius per satellite link 2,000 km 2,000 km 2,000 km
Production cost 1/4 of MQ-9 Reaper
Unit price € 4.87 million to € 8.00 million
Wing Loong II and CH-5 compete in the external market, especially in the large market in the Middle East where the two families of drones Wing Loong and Cai Hong (CH-x) Already conquered a large number of countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan ... etc., the design philosophy behind these two products remains very different.
When the 611 Chengdu Institute privileges both the survivability of its Wing Loong II with an operational ceiling and a higher cruising speed, and the variety of missions with a wide range of ammunition, the CAAA aims, for its part, Easy and inexpensive operation, thus the cost of the overall life cycle much lower for future CH-5 customers.
For example, SHI Wen revealed that the cost of producing a CH-5 is only 25% of the US MQ-9drone , and one of the tricks to get to this seems interesting - unlike the RQ-9 which has been designed to last as long as the cell, but which considerably increases the cost of design and production, CH-5 only lasts 33% of the total life of the drone but its cost Is also divided by three. The CBW has been adapted and reinforced to allow for more frequent wing change. This choice reduces the cost of production and the risk of having to completely change the "all-life" wing after intense use, but does not change the cost of the customer use cycle.
As for the performances of the CH-5, the communications made by its designer CAAA, subsidiary of the group CASC, are quite confusing. Indeed, if its chief engineer SHI Wen spoke more than 10,000 km and 60 hours autonomous flight to Xinhua Agency reporters, after the first flight of this new CH-5, the figures given to the Zhuhai Airshow 2016 are only 6,500 km and 40 hours of flight, when the drone was still presented in the form of a scale model.
In comparison, the Wing Loong II of a MTOW of 4,200 kg can only stay in flight for 20 hours while being armed, for a comparable size. It is difficult to imagine that for a MTOW 25% weaker, we have three times more autonomy and twice as many external frequencies.
The most likely explanation is that the figures released this week are only targeted characteristics, while the current UAV is performing more modestly.
Armament level, the CH-5 has six points of loading capable of loading two different types of missiles today - the Air-Sol AR-1 missile of 45 kg and a range of 10 km already widely used in Iraq , And a smaller one, - to address the different types of targets with greater flexibility and efficiency.
The CAAA is also planning to propose its new MALE drone for civilian missions such as maritime surveillance and geological surveys. For this purpose, several internal payloads have been designed, ranging from the optronic ball to the embedded SAR radar, via the hyper-spectral camera for example.
Finally, even if the authorities did not want to reveal the exact location where the CH-5 made its maiden flight, but based on one of the pictures showing the drone control screen, The image of a runway, it is believed to be Pingquan Airfield, a permanent 2,200-meter-long track of the Chinese Army. The facility is located about 223 km northeast of the city of Beijing, where the CAAA site is located.
Last edited:
