Aviation exhibition Airsow China 2014, held in Zhuhai, China, became a platform for showing both new developments and equipment already known to the public. For example, China showed the Wing Loong multipurpose unmanned aerial vehicle at one of the areas of the show. The existence of this development has been known for a long time. Moreover, devices of this type are sold to third countries and are used for various purposes. During a recent exhibition, Chinese specialists reminded potential customers of the existence of the drone, due to which contracts for its supply may be signed in the near future.
According to reports, the Wing Loong ("Pterodactyl") project started in 2005. The development of a promising UAV was taken up by the Chengdu Aviation Research Institute (CADI), which is part of the Aircraft Corporation of China (AVIC). It was reported that the project is being created taking into account future sales of equipment to third countries, which is why it will be carried out in compliance with intellectual property rights. The design work and construction of the prototype did not take long. The first drone "Pterodactyl" took off in 2007 (according to other sources, in 2009). In 2008, at the Airshow China exhibition, a "world premiere" took place with a demonstration of the layout, and since 2012, a full-fledged sample of the new machine has been brought to the exhibitions.
Outwardly, the Chinese UAV Wing Loong resembles the American MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper vehicles. Nevertheless, according to Chinese aircraft manufacturers, this is a completely independent development and is not a copy of foreign technology. Thus, the external similarity can be explained by common tasks and similar technical solutions. Nevertheless, it cannot be ruled out that CADI and AVIC specialists were "inspired" by American technology.
UAV Wing Loong has a characteristic shape of a large aspect ratio fuselage. In its bow there is a large fairing, which makes the apparatus similar to manned gliders. The fuselage has a flat bottom and a rounded shape for the rest. In the bow, under the large fairing, the bottom has a curved shape. In this part of the drone there is a module with observation equipment.
The device is made according to the "mid-wing" scheme and has a straight wing of high aspect ratio, designed to ensure high flight characteristics. The tail unit consists of one V-shaped stabilizer. The wing is equipped with advanced mechanization: ailerons and flaps. The stabilizer is equipped with two-piece rudders. Depending on the direction of deflection, they can act as elevators or rudders.
The drone is equipped with a three-point landing gear. All racks have one wheel. In flight, the nose strut retracts back and fits into the fuselage niche. The main supports are also retracted into the fuselage, turning around their axis so that the wheels can enter special niches.
There is an engine of unknown type and power in the aft fuselage. Probably the Pterodactyl UAV uses a turboprop power plant. The engine rotates a three-blade variable-pitch propeller. The power plant of the drone is designed taking into account the long stay in the air and the implementation of patrols in the specified areas.
Under the bottom of the nose of the fuselage, the Wing Loong drone carries a block of optoelectronic equipment. Inside the spherical fairing is a set of systems designed for round-the-clock monitoring of the situation in a given area. In addition, this equipment is proposed to be used when performing percussion tasks. In this case, the optoelectronic system is used to search for targets and monitor the results of shooting.
The UAV Wing Loong has a length of 9.05 m, a wingspan of 14 m and a parking height of 2.77 m. The dry weight of the vehicle is unknown. Normal takeoff weight is 1100 kg. The maximum speed of the drone reaches 280 km / h, the flight range is up to 5000 km. The practical ceiling is 5000 m. The fuel reserve, economical engine and good flight data allow the Pterodactyl spacecraft to be in the air for several hours and carry out its assigned tasks.
The Wing Loong apparatus can take on board a payload weighing up to 100 kg. These can be containers with special equipment or some types of weapons. For suspension of weapons, the drone has two pylons with beam holders located under the center section. It is argued that the Wing Loong UAV can carry various guided weapons of the corresponding mass.
At a recent exhibition, models of guided missiles and bombs of several types were demonstrated next to the drone. This suggests that when used as a strike weapon "Pterodactyl" is capable of destroying a wide range of ground targets, including armored vehicles of various types and some enemy fortifications. The relatively small ammunition load (no more than two weapons) must be compensated for by the high performance of the weapon.
Several years ago, when the first information about the Wing Loong project appeared, it was argued that the cost of one such machine would be approximately 1 million US dollars. Thus, it turns out to be several times cheaper than foreign equipment of a similar purpose. Since the UAV "Pterodactyl" was created with an eye on export supplies, such a feature of it should have attracted the attention of foreign buyers.
Over the past few years, the Wing Loong unmanned aerial vehicle has managed to interest several foreign countries. A number of such equipment was ordered by the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan. In April this year, it became known about the conclusion of several contracts between China and Saudi Arabia. In accordance with one of the agreements, the Chinese company AVIC must supply several "Pterodactyls". The details of this contract remain unknown.
It is likely that Wing Loong drones are supplied to the Chinese armed forces, but there is no reliable information on this. There is also no information about the future of the project. In some sources, the device "Pterodactyl" appears under the designation Wing Loong 1, which may indicate the creation of a new modification of the drone, which will receive the letter "2". Nevertheless, Chinese aircraft manufacturers are in no hurry to announce such plans and continue to demonstrate already known equipment at exhibitions.
It can be assumed that the UAE, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia will not remain the only buyers of the new Chinese drone. The machine offered by AVIC is of great interest to many countries that need such equipment, but do not have the opportunity to purchase it from the world's leading manufacturers. In this case, the Wing Loong UAV, worth about $ 1 million, has much greater potential than, for example, the American MQ-1 Predator, the price of which exceeds 4 million. The difference in characteristics and capabilities is fully compensated for by the lower cost, which can be a decisive factor when choosing the purchased equipment.
