CAIC WZ-10

Infobox Aircraft
name= WZ-10


caption= Two possible versions of the CAIC Z-10
type= Attack helicopter
manufacturer= Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC)
designer=
first flight= 29 April 2003
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user= People's Liberation Army
more users=
produced=
number built=
unit cost=
developed from =
variants with their own articles=

The WZ-10 (Wuzhuang Zhisheng-10) is an Attack helicopter developed by the People's Republic of China. It is designed primarily for anti-tank missions, but is thought to have a secondary air-to-air capability as well. It is being built by Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC).

Development

Very little is known about the development history of the WZ-10, the project having been kept under tight security. The program began in 1998 to replace the WZ-9 aircraft currently in service with the People's Liberation Army.

Another possible alternative is that the WZ-10 program was hidden under the China Medium Helicopter (CHM) program [Hewson, Robert, "China’s Z-10 helicopter built on Western expertise", Jane’s Defence Weekly, 13 April 2005] which started in 1994 with the 602 and 608 research institutes. Under this ostensibly civilian program, various key Western helicopter manufacturers Eurocopter (rotor design,consultancy), Pratt & Whitney Canada (PT6C turboshaft) and Agusta Westland (transmission) was able to provide considerable technical assistance to the program. [cite web|url=http://mil.qianlong.com/4919/2006/07/28/[e-mail]|title= Jane's Helicopter Markets & Systems] The WZ-10 attack helicopter will enter active service in 2008.

Design

A recent photo published on the internet allows some general observations about the WZ-10 design. The WZ-10 has a conventional attack helicopter layout, with the pilot and weapons system officer (WSO) seated in tandem, stepped cockpits. A five-bladed main rotor is utilized, in addition to a four-blade tail rotor. Two engines are podded to the aircraft just to the rear of the cockpit with IR suppressors. Built-in armament consists of a cannon installed in the chin of the aircraft (likely to be of 30mm calibre) and two stub wings provide attachment points for external ordnance. [ [http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/helicopter/wz10.asp Z-10 Attack Helicopter - SinoDefence.com ] ]

The stub wings have one or two hardpoints, making for a possible total of two or four. Anti-tank missiles are probably carried in groups of four, and may be of the HJ-9 type (comparable to the US TOW missile). It has been suggested also that the new HJ-10 missiles could also be carried. This would significantly improve the WZ-10's anti-tank capability, as the HJ-10 is thought to be similar to the US Hellfire ATM.

Operators

;PRC
* People's Liberation Army

pecifications (WZ-10 - estimated)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=copter
jet or prop?=jet

crew= 2
length main= 14.1 m
length alt= ft
span main= 12.0 m [http://jczs.news.sina.com.cn/p/2007-04-09/0721438818.html 欧美专家称中国武直10可媲美阿帕奇(组图)_新浪军事_新浪网 ] ]
span alt= ft
height main= 3.85 m
height alt= ft
area main= m²
area alt= ft²

empty weight main= 5540 kg
empty weight alt= lb
loaded weight main= kg
loaded weight alt= lb
useful load main= 1500 kg
useful load alt= lb
max takeoff weight main= 6000 kg
max takeoff weight alt= lb

engine (jet)=
type of jet=turboshafts
number of jets= 2
thrust main=
thrust alt=

max speed main= 300 km/h
max speed alt=
cruise speed main= 250 km/h
cruise speed alt=
ferry range main= 800 km
ferry range alt=
ceiling main= 6000 m
ceiling alt= ft
climb rate main= over 10+ m/s
climb rate alt= ft/min
loading main= kg/m²
loading alt= lb/ft²)

Maximum acceleration: +3 g (29 m/s²)
thrust/weight=

Armament:
Guns: 23mm cannon installed in the chin
Missiles: Up to 8 ATGMS, TY-90 Air-to-Air missiles, IR guided short AAMs, and 57mm multibarrel unguided rocket launcher pods

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
* AH-64 Apache
* AH-1 Super Cobra / AH-1Z Viper
* Agusta A129 Mangusta
* Denel AH-2 Rooivalk
* Eurocopter Tiger
* Kamov Ka-50
* Mil Mi-24
* Mil Mi-28
* HAL Light Combat Helicopter

lists=

see also=

References

External links

* [http://mil.qianlong.com/4919/2006/07/28/[e-mail] WZ-10 in Jane's]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/wz-10.htm GlobalSecurity.org]
* [http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/helicopter/wz10.asp SinoDefence.com report]