(China Armed Forces No.23)
by Tian Chen
The Second China Helicopter Exposition opened in Tianjin on September 5, 2013. With the curiosity for the Z-10 armed helicopter, the author of this article, as an aviation lover，went to Tianjin to get a first close look at China’s new Z-10 armed helicopter.
Close Observation
In the expo display square, about 40 different helicopters stood in a row, but most of the crowd passed them by and went straight to the Z-10. For us aviation enthusiasts, we would have a careful look at each one and take as more pictures as possible if it were in normal time. But this time, we even had no time to look much at other helicopters and went straight to the Z-10.
Numerous photos have shown the Z-10 at military forums or in magazines, but they were all taken at a distance. Up close you can see its power. The stepped tandem cockpit – pilot front, gunner rear – flowing line fuselage, scissor-like tail rotor, and green and black color scheme all display a swift and fierce nature. A 23-mm cannon is mounted in the nose. Above the cannon is the round synthetic electro-optical system with laser warning. Behind it is the magazine. The narrow space of the front is fully utilized. On the front windshield is the wiper, the aerial to identify friend or foe and the emergency ejection handle. Bulletproof cabin doors open upward, with the front door in the left side, and the back in the right. A bulletproof panel separates the two cabins, but there is no bulletproof shield for passengers in the seats.
The firing equipment for non-control weapons such as cannons and rockets likely can be coordinated, with the pilot using non-control weapons, while the gunner focuses on the control of precision guided weapons. This would take advantage of the pilot’s ability to react immediately and launch suppressing fire on small targets on the ground. With the support of targeting systems such as the helmet mounted sight, the pilot can complement the gunner in carrying out air to air strikes. Such design indicates the tactical ability of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) armed helicopters.
The flight instrument panel in the two cabins has two large multi-function LED displays. The front cabin has a head-up display. These enable information fusion and processing and battlefield situation transmission capabilities. Under the cabin doors, short wings extend out straight, each with two weapon carriers that can carry cannons, anti-tank missiles, air-to-air guided missiles and unguided rockets.
The Wozhou–9 turboshaft engine lies above the wings. The air inlet has a metal filter. The direction of the air outlet is vertical to the hull. Above the engine cabin is the hub transmission system, with hydraulic oil and fire extinguishing agent symbols.
The fuselage curve runs from the nose to the tail. The symbol of the Fenglei (wind and thunder) aerobatic team of the PLA army aviation wing was painted on the vertical fin.
The general structure of the Z-10 features tricycle landing gear, stepped fuselage, stub wing carriers, double engines, five-blade main rotor and four blade tail rotor. The appearance looks rather delicate with a flat and smooth skin, exhibiting very high craft levels. Surprisingly, the tail skin seems rather soft, maybe because of the use of compound materials intended to reduce weight and detectability.
Perfect Stunt
In the aerobatic show, the Fenglei team flew three Z-10s and two Z-9 armed helicopters in an arrow formation, passing above the crowd before performing an air ballet, double helicopter jump and quadruple bloom. Led by Senior Colonel Li Kuiyuan, the team flew the Z-10s vertically to the clouds, trailing smoke, before flying upside down and deploying infrared countermeasures simultaneously to the cheers of the crowd.
It was a moving display. The somersaults are widely recognized as the most difficult and dangerous helicopter stunts. Each step needs careful calculation for the different points at the somersault circumference. The pilots must always keep their sense of spatial perception during rapid movement and position changes, paying attention to distance and rudders. Meanwhile, the helicopter itself should have excess power, a strong structure and reliable rigidity. The control system should be responsive and flexible; the rotor system should react quickly; and the fuel system should remain constant. All these are severe tests for pilots and helicopters, but we saw the perfect somersault, displaying the Z-10’s abilities and the skills of the pilots.
According to Li Kuiyuan, a veteran pilot who completed the somersault, only a few pilots and types of armed helicopter can carry out the somersault move, which is always highly risky. Li said it was worth it to fly a China-made armed helicopter.
The low noise intensity in front of the Z-10 was an interesting phenomenon. When the Z-10 flew toward us, the spectators only heard the noise equivalent to an ordinary farm vehicle – not enough to drown out talking. But there was a sharp increase in noise from its back and sides, almost equivalent to that of the Z-9. This would indicate the Z-10 is designed for night raids and low-altitude attacks.
