ChangKong-1
| ChangKong-1 | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Target imaging drone |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1966 |
| Production time: |
from 1976 |
The unmanned aerial vehicles of the ChangKong-1 series ( Chinese 长空 一号 , Pinyin Cháng Kōng Yīhào - " Wide Sky No. 1") are constructively based on the Soviet Lavochkin La-17 . They were the first target display drones in the People's Republic of China and have been further developed over many decades for Chinese requirements and equipped with their own technology.
history
As early as the late 1950s, China received a delivery of a few La-17 drones. After the political break with the Soviet Union and the associated loss of the supplier, the decision was made in China to produce its own target display drone. The easiest and fastest way proved to be to make a copy of the tried and tested La-17, as the People's Republic was doing with many Soviet aircraft at the time.
The ChangKong-1 project began in March 1965 at Division 2 (二 部, air-to-air missiles) of the Air Force Testing and Training Base of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (中国人民解放军 空军 试验 训练 基地) in Dingxin (鼎新 镇), about 100 km south of the Jiuquan Cosmodrome and organizationally subordinate to it, under the leadership of General Zhao Xu (赵 煦, * 1938). The first flight took place on December 6, 1966, but development had to be interrupted several times due to the Chinese Cultural Revolution . The work on the project was handed over by the Air Force in 1968 to what was then the Nanjing Aviation Academy (now Nanjing Aerospace University ). It was not until 1976, more than ten years after the development work began, that the target drone, known as the CK-1 (Chang Kong - Blue Sky), officially entered the armed forces. There it is also used under the designation "Ziel-5" or D-5, which is why some sources also refer to the CK-1 with the designation Ba-5 or 靶 -5, i.e. "Target [darstellungsdrohne] 5" refer, although an unmanned target drone version of the J-5 ( MiG-17 ) fighter aircraft is conclusively designated as such.
construction
Despite the obvious ancestor, the ChangKong-1 was not a 1-to-1 copy. Converted turbojets Wopen WP-6 - an RD-9B turbine produced under license - served as the drive . By using a jet engine from the start, the Chinese designers had followed the same path as their Soviet colleagues with the current La-17 further developments of the time. The WP-6 engines were removed from J-6 (MiG-19) machines when they had almost reached their intended operating time and prepared for assembly on the CK-1 by removing the afterburner and modifying the air intake. The first engine version delivered a thrust of 21.08 kN. Other differences to the La-17 included minor changes to the fuselage, its own autopilot and the installation of a parachute system.
All Chinese variants were designed for ground launch from the start. To do this, the drone was placed on a non-powered take-off vehicle from which it could take off on normal runways. A braking parachute stopped the launch vehicle after it separated from the target drone after reaching a set speed. While at first only the turbine was used to accelerate take-off, auxiliary missiles were later able to significantly shorten the take-off distance.
Further development
CK-1A
The first development, called CK-1A, received cylindrical equipment containers that were attached to the fuselage below the wings. Samples were taken during atomic bomb tests by the CK-1A flying through the radioactive cloud immediately after the detonation. The CK-1A, produced in small numbers, could replace the use of manned aircraft for similar test flights and provide faster and more direct results.
CK-1B
In order to be able to use a full-fledged target drone, the CK-1B, optimized for low altitudes, was developed by 1983. The equipment containers have been enlarged and additional fuel tanks have been added. In addition, a smoke generator or light-reflecting missiles were built into it as a visual aid for the pilots and the drone operator on the ground, as well as radar reflectors to simulate a radar signature typical of a combat aircraft. The infrared transmitters in the wing tips served the same purpose.
CK-1C
To represent the target of modern fighters, the Chinese designers developed the CK-1C in 1984, the first version to be built in significant numbers. With its reinforced fuselage and the adapted flight control system, the target drone was also able to fly maneuvers with high G-loads and thus simulate agile combat aircraft. A system of measuring close range hits was installed in the wing tips. In addition to the rocket-assisted roll start, the drone could also be launched in flight from large aircraft.
CK-1E
With the CK-1E, another variant optimized for very low altitudes with a shorter wingspan came to the armed forces, which was used to represent the contour flights of aircraft and cruise missiles . The development began in 1986 and the test flights began two years later and led to the commissioning of a target drone that could fly 850 km / h at altitudes of 50 to 100 meters above ground.
CK-1G
In 2000, the version named CK-1G with launchers was introduced to the armed forces, which means that operations are no longer limited to runways.
CK-2
The development program of the ChangKong 2, which is largely based on the CK-1, began in the early 1990s. The supersonic drone enables the realistic target display of the latest generation of air threats and was equipped for the first time with a digital flight control system. Nothing is known about the details of the program status of the ChangKong drones with regard to current developments or use by the Chinese armed forces. It is also unclear how many drones have been produced so far, but until 1987 - shortly before the introduction of the CK-1E - there were only 50 copies.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | CK-1C data |
|---|---|
| Length: | 8.44 m |
| Span: | 7.50 m |
| Wing area: | 8.55 m² |
| Height: | 2.96 m |
| Empty weight: | 1537 kg |
| Maximum take-off weight: | 2450 kg |
| Fuel capacity: | Inner tank: 600 kg outer tank: 280 kg |
| Operating speed: | 850-910 km / h |
| Operating altitude: | 500–16,500 m |
| Use radius: | 600-900 km |
| Flight duration: | 45-60 min |
| Engine: | Shenyang WP-6 Turbojet with a thrust of 24.5 kN |
See also
literature
- Jefim Gordon , Dmitri Komissarow: Chinese Aircraft - China's Aviation Industry since 1951 , Hikoki Publications Ltd., Manchester, England 2008, pp. 293-296
- Jefim Gordon: Red Star Volume 20 - Soviet / Russian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles , Midland Publishing, Hinckley, England 2005, pp. 25-26
- ChangKong 1 Drone Series GlobalSecurity Website, (accessed October 4, 2012)
Web links
- Nanjing Aerospace University website (Chinese)
Individual evidence
- ↑ 靶 -5 （“长空” 1 号） 系列. In: chineseaircraft.net. Retrieved November 18, 2019 (Chinese).
- ↑ 洪国荃: 《军营 大 拜年》 带 你 进入 空军 “神秘 地带”. In: kj.81.cn. February 17, 2016, accessed November 18, 2019 (Chinese).
- ↑ 长空 一号. In: mil.news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved November 18, 2019 (Chinese).
- ↑ 赵 煦: 赵 煦. In: cae.cng. May 20, 2013, Retrieved November 18, 2019 (Chinese).
- ↑ a b `` CK1 Target Plane '' . Airforceworld website in Chinese. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ↑ `` Ba-5 (Jian-5) Target Drone '' ( Memento of the original from October 27, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Sinodefence website in English. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
- ↑ 我国 曾 用 无人机 参与 核 试验 完成 穿云 取样 任务. In: 81uav.cn. March 3, 2013, Retrieved November 18, 2019 (Chinese).
- ↑ `` Science & Technology China '' (PDF; 5.0 MB). Defense Technical Information Center website. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
- ↑ a b Jane's Database - Chinas Aerospace and Defense Industries
- ↑ Jane's Database - Air launched Weapons, 2002.
