I'm not entirely sure about that. The development cycle is a lot faster than it was a decade ago, and I get the impression that if they wanted to be China can be far less risk adverse in both procuring and testing programs. To be perfectly honest, I don't think the X-47 should have taken as long as it did to launch off a carrier deck. The US development cycle for military technology has a lot of red tape that Chinese programs may not have to deal with.
Chinese UAV/UCAV development
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escobar
Brigadier
A book from China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics talking about this CASC's academy UAV development:
Early studies were launched in 1999. In 2001 their first drone flew successfully, and in 2008 the department of Special Flight Vehicle was created.
CH-1 was successfully developed and delivered for the first time in August 2004. It is the first Chinese drone to have secured a contract for export
February 3, 2007, the CH-3 UAV made its first successful flight. it has variants for surveillance radar, electronic jamming, air-to-ground strike...
CH-4 MALE UAV made its first successful flight. CH-6 HALE UAV has completed overall design.
AR-1 missile was successfully developed.
CH-802 has won a project from GAD (first time the CH series UAV wins an domestic contract)
A new center for research and manufacturing
In the field of pre-study, a number of projects has been launched covering: the overall design and test of high-altitude solar flight platform verification techniques, overall design of new ground effect vehicles and test verification techniques, micro air vehicle aerodynamic shape optimization design and UAV-borne missile key technologies, intelligent deformable aircraft conceptual design...
Early studies were launched in 1999. In 2001 their first drone flew successfully, and in 2008 the department of Special Flight Vehicle was created.
CH-1 was successfully developed and delivered for the first time in August 2004. It is the first Chinese drone to have secured a contract for export
February 3, 2007, the CH-3 UAV made its first successful flight. it has variants for surveillance radar, electronic jamming, air-to-ground strike...
CH-4 MALE UAV made its first successful flight. CH-6 HALE UAV has completed overall design.
AR-1 missile was successfully developed.
CH-802 has won a project from GAD (first time the CH series UAV wins an domestic contract)
A new center for research and manufacturing
In the field of pre-study, a number of projects has been launched covering: the overall design and test of high-altitude solar flight platform verification techniques, overall design of new ground effect vehicles and test verification techniques, micro air vehicle aerodynamic shape optimization design and UAV-borne missile key technologies, intelligent deformable aircraft conceptual design...
Could you pls make the foto larger? I have to resort to glasses to see what is it.
Clicking on the thumb nail pics will lead to a much larger image, which I doubt anyone would still need to reort to glasses if I don't (I am one of the senior (older) members on this board...).
Broccoli
Senior Member
I think you a word
But in all seriousness the lack of a stealthy nozzle (technically exhaust I think, there is a difference) may not be reflective of a lack of capability. Engine power, convenience for a demonstrator, convenience for the engine, etc are arguably more probable causes. A flat and stealthy exhaust isn't exactly new pioneering technology, considering when B-2 and F-117 came out.
Yes, F-117 and stealth drones have conventional engines and the IR reduction is engineered to be part of the fuselage, but that of course makes impossible for them to use after burner in such machines. Ben Rich wrote in he's book that it was very hard task to make F-117's tailpipes (slits) to tolerate the heat.
AGM-129.
F-117A
Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
Some people here are either poorly informed or blinded by patriotism. The Chinese UAV development has a long and interesting history going back to 1960's and 1970 So you can say that Chinese UAV development has much longer development time than either missile or jet fighter.
China have commission and put into operation 3 generation of UAV To say that China only build prototype is definitely wrong
This UAV business is all started with Target drone Firebee and their Soviet analogue Lavokchin and China has been reversed engineering first Lavochkin and then Firebee when they recover it during the Vietnam war so you can say Chinese UAV can trace their ancestry to the same Firebee.
What hold back the UAV development in 60's is lack of funding and availability of electronic and satellite guidance,GPS. But now these bottle neck has been resolve it just matter of time before Chinese UAV development mature. And Chinese satellite guidance and communication,GPS are as good as anybody The same can be said of optic , datalink and radar .So to say that we don't know the capability of Chinese UAV is disingenuous and misleading
Here is a bit background of Chinese UAV
The Shenyang BA-5 (exported under the name Chang Kong-1 or CK-1) is a radio-controlled target drone developed by the Nanjing Institute of Aeronautics in the People's Republic of China. It is based on the reverse engineering of Lavochkin La-17C drones supplied to the PRC by the Soviet Union in the early 1960s before all such Soviet technical aid to the nation was withdrawn. Its chief designer was General Zhao Xu and the first example flew on December 6, 1966.
The BA-5 was powered by a WP-6 engine, which was a Chinese copy of the Soviet Mikulin RD-9B turbojet and featured some system changes from the original La-17s used as a pattern. WP-6 turbojet's thrust was massive comparing engine on board La-17, for this reason take-off control and procedure was optimized for BA-5. BA-5 relied on a take-off assistance vehicle before a rocket launching system was developed later. [1]
It also featured a parachute recovery system. Entering service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in the late 1970s, its main mission as a target drone was soon supplemented by a variant to the reconnaissance role, the CK-1A, which had underwing pods for additional equipment used in collecting air samples from Chinese nuclear tests, replacing crewed aircraft in this role.
A CK-1B was introduced into service in 1983 that was optimized for low-level flight and had non-jettisonable underwing fuel tanks. It was followed by the CK-1C, with a much improved control system to provide much more maneuverability, as well as reinforcement to withstand maneuvering stresses, which were further improved in the CK-1E.
WZ-5 UAV
The People's Republic of China is known to have recovered US AQM-34N Firebee units during the Vietnam War era, and reverse engineered it. The Chinese version is known as Wu Zhen 5 (WZ-5), or Chang Hong 1 (export name).[2] The WZ-5 entered service in 1981 and is expected to be replaced by newer UAVs in the near future. WZ-5 prototypes were launched from a modified PLAAF Tupolev Tu-4 bomber, later modified Y-8 transporters took over the task of launching WZ-5s, which is similar approach as USAF. WZ-5 has a WP-11 turbojet engine. Specs of this engine are close to J85-100. One WZ-5 displayed in China Aviation Museum, Beijing was painted with a few small-size Vietnamese national flag, so it was widely speculated that this particular WZ-5 was sent to Vietnam to carry out missions during 1979 conflict. [3]
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Bravo! I know that for a fact because when I was a child back in the late 90s, we often had the CK series of drones on display on Campus before they are hauled off for target practice.
antiterror13
Brigadier
I think China is behind more than 10 years in F-22, more like 15 years to me
... more realisticIn UCAV .... closer one, perhaps 5 years
kwaigonegin
Colonel
I think China is behind more than 10 years in F-22, more like 15 years to me
In UCAV .... closer one, perhaps 5 years
All these 'how many yrs behind' argument is really an exercise in futility in my opinion and never lead to any productive discussions. First off it is very subjective and secondly technological advancement are bridge at different rates between each country and each area of expertise.
One can argue that 1935 the average layman will probably say that UK is years ahead of the US but within a span of a decade not only has the US matched the UK but surpassed them in terms of military advancement.
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