Posted on 11/17/2010 3:48:22 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
China's Armed Predator
Posted by Robert Wall at 11/17/2010 3:10 AM CST
China has developed a Predator-like armed unmanned aircraft: the Pterodactyl I medium-extended long-endurance system.
Avic says it unveiled the air vehicle for the first time two years ago at the Airshow China, but a colleague who was here at the time says that was not the case -- it may have been on of the programs that was made to disappear last minute, as is often the case here.
But one of the key developments for the UAV since then is that authorities in China have given the approval to export the system. Pakistan may have been a target customer, but the Avic system appears to have lost out to another rival.
The UAV was developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design & Research Institute, and has undergone a series of flight trials, including weapons launches. The Pterodactyl has been used both to drop bombs and fire lightweight missiles.
Total payload capacity for the UAV is 200 kg., with the forward looking infrared sensor weighing about 100 kg. leaving 50 kg. of weapons to be carried under each wing.
Although the vehicle is being shown here with FLIR and weapons, an Avic official says a synthetic aperture radar configuration also exists.
The air vehicle is 9.05 meters long and 2.77 meters high, with a 14 meter wingspan. Maximum takeoff weight is 1,100 kg., Avic says
The manufacturer says maximum endurance is 20 hours, with a maximum operating altitude of 5,000 meters. Maximum range is given as 4,000 km. and a maximum speed at 280 km/h.
Did they steal the plans or did a democrat give them the plans?
Unfortunately for China, it’s also made in China.
ari-freedom wrote: “Unfortunately for China, it’s also made in China.”
..... not to put too fine a point on it, so is much of the componentry in the PC you used to write the above. Do not underestimate China today.
“..... not to put too fine a point on it, so is much of the componentry in the PC you used to write the above. Do not underestimate China today.”
you haven’t used my PC :)
Clearly the U.S. needs a UAV fighter program!
Anybody that thinks war will be fought like WWII or even Iraqi freedom has not heard folks talk about "civilian" casualties i.e. Karzi and every NATO commander. Next round of war small Seal like teams and drones...thousands like a swarm of bees.
Not quite. They “sell” us all their junk but produce very high-end stuff for their military and ruling class.
Actually, I'm sure a democrat probably sold them the plans.
Why do I think those small missiles this UAV sports are a couple of generations more modern than the Hellfire missiles we shoe-horned onto our own Predator?
Looks can be deceptive. The missiles themselves are useless without decent sensors. Besides American, Israeli and European companies are working on missiles which weigh almost a 1/3 of the Hellfire for UAV applications.
Looks like GA needs to sic their lawyers on them for copyright infringement.
Thanks for the info on that ... I had always wondered if weapons systems miniaturization was paralleling the development of UAVs.
ari-freedom wrote: “you haven’t used my PC :)”
..... LOL! Touche’
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