CASC CH-5 Rainbow

CASC CH-5 Rainbow Story

The CASC CH-5 Rainbow is one of the newest members of China's indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) rainbow family. This type is designed for an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV), which means it can carry (and deliver with some degree of accuracy) various types of ammunition.

The CH-5 is more or less based on the American MQ-9 Reaper UCAV in form and function.

The aircraft is a straight-wing main aircraft configuration, with a conventional turbocharged piston-driven engine (producing about 450 horsepower) in the rear of the fuselage that drives the multi-blade propeller assembly in a "thrust" fashion. The vehicle is fully integrated into the existing CH-3 and CH-4 framework thanks to the common data connectivity infrastructure. With a reported mission duration window of up to 60 hours, the CH-5 can fly at altitudes of nearly 30,000 feet and carry a mission payload of up to 2,205 pounds.

The structure includes a span of 68.8 feet and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 6,000 pounds.

Planned future revisions to the series will include longer wait times, improved fields of use, and broader support for more powerful ammo options.

Saudi industry plans to produce CH-5 locally for the Royal Saudi Air Force.

Specification

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Performance

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Changes