October 16, 200817 yr From Aviation Week's ARES Blog China's "Global Hawk" in Taxi Tests Posted by Graham Warwick at 10/16/2008 11:47 AM CDT This video is doing the rounds on the internet. It appears to show taxi tests of China's Chengdu Aircraft (CAC) Xianglong (Soar Dragon) high-altitude. long-endurance UAV, a model of which was displayed at the Zuhai show in 2006. Video: YouTube link The UAV clearly resembles the Global Hawk in configuration, but the relatively small size of the engine (here seen without its full nacelle) has caused some comment. Data displayed at Zuhai showed the Xianglong to be 14.3m long, with a 25m span, a takeoff weight of 7,500kg with a payload of 650kg and a cruise altitude of 18km. Forgive the 'foreign" units, but that makes the Xianglong substantially smaller than the Block 20 Global Hawk, which has a 39.9m span, 14,630kg takeoff weight and 1,360kg payload. No endurance was given for the Chinese UAV, but the stated range of 7,500km is much less than the Global Hawk's quoted 22,800km ferry range, But interestingly the Xianglong is faster - a cruise speed of 750km/h compared with Global Hawk's 650km/h. I suspect that explains the smaller engine - a turbojet or low-bypass turbofan versus the high-bypass turbofan powering Global Hawk. That may be a reflection of China's engine technology, or a philosophy that favours dash speed over loiter endurance. Bill Sweetman adds: Alternatively, since China has not previously had a requirement for a domestically built turbofan cleared for high-altitude operation, this is a pure jet for early flight demos. The G-Hawk team were lucky in that Allison (as it then was) had developed the AE 3007 for the Citation X.
October 16, 200817 yr Forgive the 'foreign" units, but that makes the Xianglong substantially smaller than the Block 20 Global Hawk, which has a 39.9m span, 14,630kg takeoff weight and 1,360kg payload. No endurance was given for the Chinese UAV, but the stated range of 7,500km is much less than the Global Hawk's quoted 22,800km ferry range, But interestingly the Xianglong is faster - a cruise speed of 750km/h compared with Global Hawk's 650km/h. Nothing to forgive Btw, could it be a fake : look at the heavy artifacts/outline surrounding the UAV, and look at the following vehicles going at nearly the same speed. Way less artifacts outlines on those... Original link didn't play correctly for me, here is an alternate :
October 16, 200817 yr Forgive the 'foreign" units, but that makes the Xianglong substantially smaller than the Block 20 Global Hawk, which has a 39.9m span, 14,630kg takeoff weight and 1,360kg payload. No endurance was given for the Chinese UAV, but the stated range of 7,500km is much less than the Global Hawk's quoted 22,800km ferry range, But interestingly the Xianglong is faster - a cruise speed of 750km/h compared with Global Hawk's 650km/h. Nothing to forgive Btw, could it be a fake : look at the heavy artifacts/outline surrounding the UAV, and look at the following vehicles going at nearly the same speed. Way less artifacts outlines on those... Original link didn't play correctly for me, here is an alternate : Both links played here without problems. I see what you mean about the speed of the UAV and the following trucks. Buddha
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