Interview with chief designer of CH (Rainbow) series UAV's


Rainbow-5 (CH-5). The basic version of the drone's flight time 60 hours; with modifications, it can stay in the air about 120 hours.

Rainbow-5 (CH-5), range currently 6,500 kilometers, with its combat load amounting to 1000 kilograms.

Lots on the mind of CH UAVs' chief designer

Lively for a week of the Zhuhai Air Show finally ended on the 6th. In this air show, China launched various types of advanced equipment aimed at overseas markets. According to "Global Times" reporter learned that the China Aerospace Aerodynamic Technology Research Institute's "Rainbow" (CH) series of unmanned aerial vehicles have been sold to more than 10 countries around the world, and even beat the US "Predator" successful equipment of Iraq and other military forces. "Rainbow" What is the charm of unmanned aerial vehicles? The series unmanned aerial total Shi Wen recently accepted the "Global Times" interview which tells the mystery.

"Rainbow -5" "Pterosaur" "Predator" Why look like?
Although the achievements of China's unmanned aerial vehicle industry is obvious to all, there are still some Western media sourly said, "China Air Show UAV shape are copied in the United States 'Predator'". Shi Wen in the interview face this question. He told the "Global Times" reporter, from the appearance point of view, whether it is "Rainbow -4" "Rainbow -5", or "Pterosaur -1" "Pterosaur -2", or the United States "Predator" "Death" UAVs, their shape does have similarities, but it is by its "observation of one of the" characteristics of the decision.

Shi Wen breaking a finger to the "Global Times" reporter describes the shape of such unmanned aerial vehicles is how to design. First of all, "observation of one" UAV must have a long lag time. Aircraft want to fly a long time, with more fuel, you have to use the ratio of high-rise straight-wing ratio. Second, if the engine position on the nose, the exhaust emissions easily pollute the central fuselage radar or photoelectric detection equipment, so flat wings, engine rear plus the most straightforward straight body, it constitutes a standard " Playing one "UAV shape. As for this type of unmanned aerial vehicles are used V-shaped tail, mainly related to the issue of airborne missiles. UAV carrying small missiles are usually fired in the pylon, the tail flame may be a threat to the rear of the horizontal tail. Early US "Predator" UAV reconnaissance mission, when the design is inverted V-shaped tail. But then it increased to combat the task, the new "Predator B" has changed to a V-shaped tail.
Therefore, it can be said, "check one" UAV shape is a comprehensive consideration of the results, although they are similar in layout, but there is no plagiarism.

Why is the Rainbow so successful overseas?
At present, "Rainbow" series has become the world's largest equipment of unmanned aerial vehicles. Shi Wen said that by summing up the series of unmanned aerial vehicles in a number of countries of actual combat experience, we believe that this type of UAV is mainly used in the fight against terrorism, the fight against extremist forces and other fields. Because the extreme armed lacks the enough to attack the firepower, therefore the international highly anticipated "observes to hit a body" the unmanned aerial vehicle, the most important characteristic is not the stealth or the high speed, but is against the fragmented goal to fly high ), Fly slowly (play well, see clearly), and long enough to stay empty. In particular, UAVs attack the target before, usually take a long time to monitor, collect data and identification, can not see the suspicious target to kill.

"It is based on this understanding, we judge from the general idea, the international needs are not the kind of high-tech indicators with a variety of high-cost birth of the 'high-cost UAV', but to meet future mission requirements, With reasonable technology to control the cost of 'cost-effective unmanned aerial vehicles'. " In this regard, the United States to go astray, often the blind pursuit of high-tech piling up, the results of high cost even the US military are unbearable. Shi Wen revealed that in the development of "Rainbow -4" unmanned aerial vehicle, was technically able to do continuous flight for 40 hours, but ultimately did not blind pursuit of endurance, but choose to fly only ten hours, the remaining load To carry more ammunition to increase combat effectiveness.

The same reason, "Predator B" UAV can fly to 15,000 meters above sea level, but the question is why to fly so high? Practical experience shows that the lack of decent anti-aircraft capability of terrorists, 9,000 meters high enough to be safe, "observation of one" UAV is currently the most important operational height is 4000-7000 meters. You know, flying too high, UAV reconnaissance to carry complex large pod, in addition to additional equipment to protect the reconnaissance system in high-altitude low-temperature environment, the normal operation. And if the UAV only in the hollow activities, only the need for medium-sized reconnaissance equipment on it, but also save a lot of weight and cost. "Rainbow" UAV supporting AR-1 missile is designed specifically for the battlefield, it can be launched at a height of 5,000 meters, unlike other unmanned aerial vehicles before launching to reduce the height, both to protect the UAV's own security, missile Precision is also high.

"Rainbow" series of unmanned aerial vehicles cost-effective, but also reflected in the personnel operation and training. Shi Wen said, and the United States Air Force use of unmanned aerial vehicle mode, we have strengthened the UAV in flight autonomy. "Rainbow" UAV basic flight movements do not need too much control, throughout the combat mission, the main responsibility is to find and identify the target. "The US Air Force is recruiting pilots to control unmanned aerial vehicles, which in my opinion is a wasteful way, 'Rainbow' UAVs can fly only if they have a common aviation knowledge," Shiwen said. According to reports, through the matching simulation training system, trainees only need a month or two of training can start the actual operation of "Rainbow" UAV flight, within six months to complete the training.

CH series UAV's

UAV future development direction of the four
Talking about the future direction of development of UAVs, Shi Wen believes that the first long-term or even long to develop long-term aircraft. The air show on the debut of the "Rainbow -5" unmanned aerial vehicles, is a step in this direction. Taking into account the future changes in the form of war, "Changhong one" UAV mission from the initial reconnaissance, "beheaded" has been transformed into battlefield support, on the bomb load and life time put forward higher requirements. "Rainbow -5" can mount up to 16 missiles, can fly for 40 hours, improved battery life even up to 120 hours, means that its maximum flight distance will be more than 10,000 km. This is particularly important when performing remote ground-to-ground strikes. "Rainbow-5" can reach 3,000 kilometers away target, and stay in the target area enough time (10-20 hours), and "Predator" to face such long-range strike task by the range limit, almost no target area Stay time, too late to identify the target, only to throw a bomb and ran, there is no actual combat significance.

"Rainbow -5" can also be converted into a small low-cost early warning aircraft, it can perform such as joint ground surveillance, command and control, electronic information reconnaissance and confrontation, battlefield integrated situational awareness tasks. For small and medium-sized countries, this means a powerful integrated situational awareness can be achieved at low cost, greatly increasing the country's potential for war.

UAV's second development direction is stealth, and now the technology is relatively mature high-altitude stealth, mainly using similar US B-2 stealth bombers as flying wing layout.
Shi Wen believes that the current trend of ultra-high speed UAV concept, due to technical difficulty and cost are too high, even if the technology is mature can only be used in a few areas, is unlikely to large-scale use.

The third direction is the large transport class UAV, can carry 30-50 tons or even hundreds of tons of cargo. It uses modular design, the fuselage between the functional parts can be quickly disassembled, so that both have the basis of transport capacity, can also be easily converted into tanker, early warning aircraft and even similar to "air arsenal ship" air missile launch platform.

In addition, the high-performance vertical take-off and landing of unmanned aerial vehicles such as flying more than 20 hours to achieve even the ability to stay in the military and civilian areas also have very great potential.