CASIC Skyhawk (series)

History

China's aerospace industry "Sky Eagle" includes a range of related unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for military and commercial services. These include Skyhawk 1 and Skyhawk 3 lines.

At the 2018 Zhuhai Air Show, the company introduced a new 6,600-pound full-wing design (for stealth surveillance), further expanding the current family offering.

CASIC stands for China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation.

The first "SH-1" micro-UAV was unveiled at the 2008 Zhuhai Air Show, featuring a full-wing design powered by twin-blade engines in a traditional "glider" configuration. The overall fuselage layout is more conventional than the SH-3 version detailed below.

With a payload capacity of 66 pounds, the vehicle's launch is via a rocket-assisted catapult action, and recovery is via a simple parachute to delay the fall. The skateboard forms the chassis unit. It has an overall length of 7.5 feet and a wingspan of 13.78 feet.

It can reach speeds of about 90 miles per hour and a maximum of 16,400 feet.

The SH-3 was changed to a two-arm fuselage layout with a similar thruster engine configuration to the SH-1. However, the tail introduces a pair of downward, outwardly sloping vertical planes for stability, although recovery is similar to that of the SH-1, including parachute and glide formation. Its length increased to 11.8 feet, while its wingspan matched that measurement.

Payload capacity is relatively limited at 11 pounds. The entry's operating limit is reduced to 9,840 feet when operating at speeds approaching 75 miles per hour.

SH-3 models include "SH-3A" and "SH-3B" models. The Model A introduced a more traditional wheeled tricycle landing gear to improve runway/airfield support (while eliminating the need for a catapult to launch), although recovery still required the use of parachutes. The Model B is a very different method of manually launching a Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) - although it is still powered by a two-bladed propeller unit designed to be electric.

Flight time is limited to 45 minutes, recovery by runaway/airfield or parachute crash.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes