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Baiweiflight · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗ · Modified
FORCETALLY
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Measured figures
Wing Loong I · Length
Single source9.05 m (29 ft 8 in)[source]
Configuration
| Specification | CAIG Wing Loong | CASC Rainbow |
|---|---|---|
| Crew | None (UAV)[source] | — |
| Type | MALE UCAV[source] | — |
| Manufacturer | Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group[source] | — |
| Designer | Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute[source] | — |
| Status | in service & in production[source] | — |
| Primary users | People's Liberation Army Air Force Egyptian Air Force United Arab Emirates Air Force Pakistan Air Force |
Wing Loong I · Wingspan
Single source14 m (45 ft 11 in)[source]
Wing Loong I · Height
Single source2.77 m (9 ft 1 in)[source]
Gross; Wing Loong I · Gross weight
Single source1,100 kg (2,425 lb)[source]
Maximum; Wing Loong I · Maximum speed
Single source280 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)[source]
Wing Loong I · Range
Single source4,000 km (2,500 mi, 2,200 nmi)[source]
Wing Loong I · 1 × Rotax 914 turbocharged 100 shp
Single source1 × Rotax 914 turbocharged, 75 kW (100 shp)[source]
Wing Loong I · Endurance
Single source20 hours[source]
Wing Loong I · Service ceiling
Single source5,000 m (16,000 ft)[source]
Wing Loong I · of air-to-surface weapons
Single source200 kilograms (440 lb) of air-to-surface weapons[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| — |
| Manufactured | 2009[source] | — |
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| Introduction date | 2011[source] | — |
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| First flight | 2009[source] | — |
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| Developed into | CAIG Wing Loong II[source] | — |
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| Propellers | 3-bladed[source] | — |
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| Country of origin | People's Republic of China[source] | China[source]Inventory Origin column; table 6, row 5, cell 3; revision 1367705697; retrieved 2026-10-01 China[source]Inventory Origin column; table 6, row 12, cell 3; revision 1367705697; retrieved 2026-10-01 China[source]Inventory Origin column; table 3, row 11, cell 2; revision 1375623248; retrieved 2026-10-01 China[source]Inventory Origin column; table 3, row 3, cell 2; revision 1377229343; retrieved 2026-10-01 China[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 41, cell 2; revision 1377598795; retrieved 2026-10-01 China[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 42, cell 2; revision 1377598795; retrieved 2026-10-01 China[source]Inventory Origin column; table 2, row 13, cell 2; revision 1375224446; retrieved 2026-10-01 China[source]Inventory Origin column; table 2, row 6, cell 2; revision 1376552245; retrieved 2026-10-01 |
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| Role | — | series of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) marketed[source] |
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| Source manufacturer statement | — | The UAVs are produced by CASC's China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA).[source]Only the subject, component or variant named in this passage; unresolved names do not create a manufacturer identity |
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| Source measurement | — | The CH-3 is a fixed-wing unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). It first flew in 2007. The CH-3 has a 70 kg payload, and can carry the AR-1 air-to-ground missile and FT-9 guided bomb.[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Externally, the CH-4 looks almost identical to the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper , with the only distinct visual difference between the two UAVs being the ventral fin below the V-tail on MQ-9 which is absent on the CH-4. There are two versions, the CH-4A and CH-4B . The CH-4A is a reconnaissance drone (capable of a 3500–5000 km range and a 30- to 40-hour endurance life) while the CH-4B is a mixed attack and reconnaissance system with provisions for 6 weapons and a payload of up to 250 to 345 kg.[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage CH-4 is capable of firing air-to-ground missiles from an altitude of 5,000 meters (~16,400 feet), meaning the aircraft is capable of staying outside the effective range of most anti-aircraft guns. It also allows the CH-4 to be able to fire from a position that provides a wider area of view.[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Length: 8.5 m (28 ft)[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Wingspan: 18 m (59 ft)[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Maximum takeoff weight: 1,300 kg (2,900 lb)[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Payload: 345 kg (761 lb)[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Endurance: 40 hours[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Powerplant: 1 x 100 horsepower piston engine[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Maximum speed: 235 knots (435 km/h)[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Cruise speed: 180 knots (330 km/h)[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Communications range: >1,000 km (620 mi) with SatCom (1,500-2,000 km for CH-4B), ~150 km (93 mi) from Ground Control Station (GCS)[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Armaments: AR-1 missile, AR-2 missile (20 kg, 5 kg armour-piercing warhead, inertial guidance system with terminal semi-active laser (SAL) seeker, maximum range 8 km), AKD-10 air-to-surface anti-tank missile, BRM-1 90mm guided rocket, FT-7 130 kg glide bombs, FT-9/50 50 kg bomb, FT-10/25 25 kg bomb, GB-7/50 50 kg precision-guided munition (PGM), GB-4/100 PGM.[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-4; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The CH-5 is a large UAV with a wingspan of 21 metres, a payload of 1,000 kg, a maximum takeoff weight of over 3 tonnes, a service ceiling of 9 km, an endurance life of up to 60 hours, and a range of 10,000 km. Thanks to a shared data link system, it can cooperate with CH-3 and CH-4 drones. It conducted its maiden flight in August 2015 at its first airshow flight (in northern Hebei province ) in July 2017. The drone can carry a maximum of 16 missiles at a single time. There were also plans to extend its range up to 20,000 km. Chinese officials claimed the CH-5 Rainbow was similar in performance to the US MQ-9 Reaper and "may come in at less than half the price". Compared to the Garrett TPE331 turboprop engine mounted on the Reaper, the CH-5 is equipped with an unidentified turbo-charged piston engine with less than half the horsepower . This design consideration limits the maximum altitude of the CH-5 to 9 km compared to the 12–15 km of the Reaper, but it also extends CH-5's endurance life to 60 hours compared to the Reaper's 14 hours.[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-5; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage A more recent engine variant, with a 300 kW piston engine from Anhui Hangrui Co., will increase the service ceiling to 12 km and the endurance life to 120 hours.[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-5; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Armaments: AR-1 missile, AR-2 missile (20 kg, 5 kg armour-piercing warhead, inertial guidance system with terminal semi-active laser (SAL) seeker, maximum range 8 km)[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-5; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The CH-6 is a large UAV with a MTOW of 7800 kg with two variants: a strike variant with an 18-hour endurance life and a 450 kg payload; a reconnaissance variant with a 21-hour endurance life and a 120 kg payload. It was in development in 2021.[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-6; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The CH-7 is a stealth , flying wing UCAV similar to the X-47B , with a 22m wingspan and a 10m length. It can fly at 920 km/h and an altitude of 13,000 m. The endurance life is around 15 hours with an operational radius of 2,000 km. It can carry anti-radiation missiles and standoff weapons. According to its chief designer, "the CH-7 can intercept radar electronic signals, and simultaneously detect, verify and monitor high-value targets, such as hostile command stations, missile launch sites, and naval vessels". It was planned to make its maiden flight in 2019 and commence production from 2022. A live airframe was spotted in 2024.[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-7; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance , and strike UAV with 11,500 km range.[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-9; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage VTOL micro-surveillance and attack UAV with a top speed of 64.8 km/h and an endurance of 15 minutes.[source]CASC Rainbow · Series / CH-817; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Nigerian Air Force : 1+ CH-3 (as of 2023.) One crashed in January 2015. The UAVs were operated infrequently due to poor quality. In 2020, another eight in delivery.[source]CASC Rainbow · Operators / Current; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage |
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| Reported operators |
| — |
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