State-owned aerospace and defense company Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has announced the maiden flight of its latest mid-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (MALE UAV), called the Wing Loong 1E.
The company claims the prototype Wing Loong 1E, made entirely of lightweight composite materials, took off from an undisclosed location on January 18 and completed a test flight lasting about 22 minutes to evaluate its airborne systems without incident, the company said on 1 Said on its official WeChat account on March 23.
AVIC has not disclosed detailed specifications of the prototype vehicle, but it appears to be broadly similar in size and design to the Wing Loong 1D the company flew earlier on December 23, 2020. Notable features that differentiate the two models include vertical wingtips and improved propulsion system air intakes.
Taking the Wing Loong 1D, China’s first all-composite MALE drone developed by a subsidiary of AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute (CADI), as a reference, the latest 1E model may be about 8.7m long and have a 17.6m wingspan.
First shown to the public at the 2018 Zhuhai Airshow, the Wing Loong-1D features a 330kg carbon fiber composite airframe supplied by Sichuan Xinwanxing Carbon Fiber Composites Company in Sichuan Province. The craft is said to be able to operate for up to 35 hours and reach altitudes of up to 7,500 meters, while carrying up to 400 kilograms of ammunition using its four underwing hardpoints.
Compared with the latest all-composite models, the original Wing Loong-1 UAV adopts a traditional aluminum fuselage, which is 9m long, with a wingspan of 14m and a maximum load of only 200kg. The aircraft completed its maiden flight in 2007 and is now in service as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) public aircraft No. 1 (Attack-1, or GJ-1). It has also achieved international success in countries such as Egypt, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
AVIC also developed the larger and more powerful Wing Loong II, which was unveiled at the 2016 Airshow China. The Wing Loong II has a length of 11m and a wingspan of 20.5m, with winglets, and also functions as a Public Aircraft 2 (Attack 2, or GJ-2).
by Jr Ng
