The main purpose of the SH-5 is to solve search and rescue tasks, counteract enemy submarines, bombard surface ships, mine a given area, as well as defeat ground targets, deliver various cargo, amphibious assault, and conduct photographic and radio reconnaissance. In addition to the multipurpose amphibian, it is known about the development of the SH-5 seaplane to ensure fire safety.
In the 1950s, the Soviet Union supplied China with Be-6 seaplanes. It was the only aircraft of this type used in the Chinese Armed Forces. After 15 years of use, the Be-6 is completely outdated, and China decides to start developing its own seaplane. China at that time did not differ in either technical or scientific base, the creation of aircraft, like many high-tech developments, was not the strength of the defense industry.
In the second half of the 1960s, the design and development of a new seaplane began. The main developer is the Design Bureau of the Harbin Plant and the Research Institute of Hydroaviation. The military needed a multipurpose seaplane equipped with powerful and economical turboprop engines. It was supposed to replace the Be-6 seaplane in service. The multipurpose seaplane gets the name SH-5, which means "Model 5 naval bomber".
The seaplane with side No. 01 in an incomplete configuration (hull) was used for static tests in the period 1970-1974. As noted earlier, China embarked on a new path of development experienced an acute shortage of trained specialists and designers, so the first SH-5 prototype aircraft was built by the end of 1973, it received tail number 02. The first Chinese seaplane was able to take to the sky in the spring of 1976 of the year. And the main tests of the seaplane were completed already in 1985. 6 multipurpose naval bombers took part in them.
After the end of the tests, four out of six aircraft (side numbers 04, 05, 06, 07) are transferred to the use of the Chinese naval aviation in September 1986. An interesting feature is the significant differences between the prototypes and the seaplanes adopted for service. The main base is the Kuingdao and Tuandao airfields. According to available information, in 1999, the Chinese Navy consisted of 7 SH-5 flying boats. To date, it is known about three operational seaplanes SH-5 for search and rescue operations and one seaplane (board number 06) to ensure fire safety "PS-5".
Harbin SH-5 device and design
Chinese designers did not go far in design from their Soviet predecessor - the Be-6 seaplane. Also, parts from the "Y-8" transporter (analogue of the An-12) were used. The Chinese seaplane has the same aerodynamic high-wing design with a straight wing. The base is a boat ending in a long tail and plumage. To control a flying amphibian on the water surface, a steering wheel is installed on the base of the boat. The stability of the aircraft on the water is ensured by non-retractable wing floats, they are installed on N-shaped struts.
There are also noticeable differences in the performance of the seaplane, which ultimately made it similar to the Soviet Be-12 and the Japanese Shin Meiwa US-1A:
- the cockpit got a teardrop shape;
- the nose cone of the radar antenna is made like that of the Be-12 seaplane;
- landing gear of retractable type aircraft.
The Chinese designers used a standard tricycle landing gear. The front strut is two-wheeled, the main ones are one-wheeled. The landing gear received pneumatic oil shock absorbers. After take-off, the nose pillar folds forward, the main ones - with a turn into the side niches. The peculiarity of the Chinese implementation of the landing gear becomes a small clearance when taking off / landing from the water surface.
As ordered by the customer, the flying amphibian is equipped with powerful WJ-5A1 Dongan engines. These engines are analogous to the Soviet AI-24. Four turboprop engines provide the aircraft with 12,600 hp. Three cargo compartments are made in the bow of the boat's hull. The middle part is the search equipment compartments, radio communication and equipment compartments. The central compartment is the operator compartment, where 3 operators are located, who control the on-board equipment. All internal compartments are connected by a corridor, the compartments are blocked by watertight doors. The onboard equipment includes: an inertial navigation system, a radio compass, a magnetic anomaly detector, a radio altimeter, and a Doppler search radar. Full crew - 8 people, consisting of the commander, co-pilot, navigator, onboard engineer, radio operator and operator technicians.
The armament of the SH-5 seaplane consists of:
- remote double-barreled gun mount of 23mm caliber "Type 23-1";
- anti-ship missiles of the S-101 type;
- small-sized anti-submarine torpedoes;
- deep bobs / mines of various calibers;
- dumped equipment for providing radio-hydroacoustics;
- rescue / emergency equipment.
The total payload of the multipurpose seaplane is six tons. It is mounted on four units under the wing and is housed in the aft compartment. For example, for combat patrols a multipurpose seaplane takes off armed with 2 S-101 anti-ship missiles and 6 torpedoes on external and internal pylons, ammunition load of bombs / mines (1x3000 / 3x1000 / 6x454 kilogram), sonar buoys, rescue and emergency equipment.
Execution options:
- 01 - pre-production prototype. Used for static tests;
- 02-03 - pre-production prototypes. Used for flight tests;
- 04-07 - serial prototypes. Introduced into service.
- SH-5 - multipurpose (basic version) seaplane;
- SH-5A - some of the serial prototypes have been converted for electronic reconnaissance;
- SH-5B (PS-5) - fire-fighting seaplane. Re-equipped side No. 06, payload - 8000 kilograms of water.
Main characteristics:
- length - 38.9 meters;
- height - 9.8 meters;
- wing - 36 meters;
- empty weight / norm / max - 25/36/45 tons;
- fuel stock - 13.4 tons;
- engine - four Wojiang-5A1 theaters;
- total power - 12600 hp;
- cruiser speed / max - 450/555 km / h;
- flight range up to 4750 kilometers;
- flight time no more than 15 hours;
- high-rise ceiling - 10.2 kilometers;
- combat load / max - 6000/10000 kilograms;
- weapons - anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, mines, bombs, additional equipment.
The fate of the SH-5 multipurpose seaplane
The seaplane did not wait for serial production, obviously, this was prevented by significant flaws in the onboard equipment, which did not provide the design characteristics of the search and destruction of surface and submarine ships. By the way, the S-101 anti-ship missile also did not go into mass production for similar technical reasons.
The operational seaplanes are currently used by the PLA Navy North Sea Fleet at the Kuingdao seaplane special base. The main purpose is naval patrolling.
