An improved version of the Rainbow 4 (or CH-4) armed reconnaissance medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (MALE UAV) powered by a domestic heavy oil engine (HFE) has completed its maiden flight, its manufacturer China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) Announced on August 17.
Industry insiders told AMR On August 18, the flight took place in northwestern China in early July.
The company did not provide details on the new engine integrated into the CH-4, but sources say the powerplant is a 150-horsepower-class turbocharged four-stroke Lark HFE unit developed by Anhui Haery Power in Wuhu. . A representative example – designated DB416 – was shown alongside a full-scale CH-4 drone at the 2021 China Airshow in Zhuhai.
According to company specifications, the Lark HFE is a liquid-cooled engine with a dry weight of 98kg, including a high pressure common rail (HPCR) fuel system, full authority digital electronic control (FADEC) and an average time before overhaul of 2,000 hours.
Developed by the China Academy of Aerospace and Aeronautics (CAAA), the CH-4 UAV has a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 1,330kg and a payload of 345kg. The aircraft is powered by a standard 100hp-class piston engine that drives a three-bladed variable-pitch propeller, enabling it to achieve a maximum flight endurance of up to 30 hours.
The CH-4 variant equipped with the Lark HFE is understood to be able to stay in the air for up to 42 hours at cruising speed, a 40 percent improvement over the model’s baseline performance.
The new, more powerful engines will also reduce fuel consumption by approximately 20 percent and significantly reduce the take-off distance of the aircraft, enhancing its ability to operate in challenging environments, such as austere airports with limited available runway space.
A surge in CH-4 drone production for domestic and foreign customers in recent years has prompted CAAA to build a new automated manufacturing plant in the eastern city of Taizhou to expand its production capacity.
The new facility, located in the Taizhou Bay Circular Economy Industrial Cluster, was put into use in December 2019. The first batch of aircraft produced in Taizhou – dedicated to aerial surveying and geospatial mapping operations – have been delivered to the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Natural Resources.
by Jr Ng
