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CASC CH-5 Rainbow

China (2017)
Picture of CASC CH-5 Rainbow Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV)

The CASC CH-5 Rainbow is a newer, more potent, attack addition to the existing Rainbow UAV line to emerge from China.


Detailing the development and operational history of the CASC CH-5 Rainbow Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV).  Entry last updated on 1/2/2018. Authored by Staff Writer. Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com

The CASC CH-5 Rainbow is one of the newer additions to the indigenous Chinese Rainbow line of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The type has been developed for the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) meaning it can carry (and deliver with a level of precision) munitions of various types. The CH-5 more or less follows the American MQ-9 Reaper UCAV in both its form and function.

The aircraft exhibits a straight wing mainplane configuration and seats its conventional turbocharged piston-driven engine (of about 450 horsepower output) at the rear of the fuselage driving a multi-bladed propeller unit in "pusher" fashion. The vehicle is fully integrated into the existing CH-3 and CH-4 framework due to a shared data link infrastructure. The CH-5 has a reported mission endurance window of up to sixty hours, can fly at alttiudes nearing 30,000 feet and can carry a mission payload up to 2,205lb. The structure includes a wingspan of 68.8 feet and a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 6,000lb.
Planned future revisions to the series will include extended loitering times, improved operational ranges and broadened support for more potent munitions options.

Saudi industry is making plans to produce the CH-5 locally for the Royal Saudi Air Force.






Our Data Modules allow for quick visual reference when comparing a single entry against contemporary designs. Areas covered include general ratings, speed assessments, and relative ranges based on distances between major cities.

Image of collection of graph types

Relative Maximum Speed Rating
Hi: 300mph
Lo: 150mph
    This entry's maximum listed speed (298mph).

    Graph average of 225 miles-per-hour.
City-to-City Ranges
NYC
 
  LON
LON
 
  PAR
PAR
 
  BER
BER
 
  MOS
MOS
 
  TOK
TOK
 
  SYD
SYD
 
  LAX
LAX
 
  NYC
Graph showcases the CASC CH-5 Rainbow's operational range (on internal fuel) when compared to distances between major cities.
Aviation Era
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Pie graph section
Pie graph section
Pie graph section
Pie graph section
Useful in showcasing the era cross-over of particular aircraft/aerospace designs.
Unit Production Comparison
Comm. Market HI*: 44,000 units
Military Market HI**: 36,183 units
50
50


  * Commercial Market High belongs to Cessna 172.

  ** Military Market High belongs to Ilyushin Il-2.


Altitude Visualization
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Origin: China
Year: 2017
Type: Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV)
Manufacturer(s): China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) - China
Production: 50
Status: Active, In-Service
Global Operators:
China; Saudi Arabia
Historical Commitments / Honors:

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway
Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift
Military lapel ribbon for the Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War
Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War
Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency
Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era
Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur
* Ribbons not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns/operations.
Measurements and Weights icon
Structural - Crew, Dimensions, and Weights:
Unless otherwise noted the presented statistics below pertain to the CASC CH-5 Rainbow model. Common measurements, and their respective conversions, are shown when possible.

Operational
CREW


Personnel
0


Dimension
LENGTH


Feet
36.75 ft


Meters
11.2 m


Dimension
WIDTH


Feet
68.90 ft


Meters
21 m


Dimension
HEIGHT


Feet
12.47 ft


Meters
3.8 m


Weight
EMPTY


Pounds
4,905 lb


Kilograms
2,225 kg


Weight
LOADED


Pounds
5,997 lb


Kilograms
2,720 kg

Engine icon
Installed Power - Standard Day Performance:
1 x Turbocharged conventional engine driving a multi-bladed propeller unit at the rear of the fuselage in pusher arrangement.

Performance
SPEED


Miles-per-Hour
298 mph


Kilometers-per-Hour
480 kph


Knots
259 kts


Performance
RANGE


Miles
6,214 mi


Kilometers
10,000 km


Nautical Miles
5,400 nm


Performance
CEILING


Feet
29,528 ft


Meters
9,000 m


Miles
5.59 mi

Supported Weapon Systems:

Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition
Armament - Hardpoints (6):

Variable: Precision-guided drop and air-launched munitions to include bombs and missiles. Mission payload of up to 2,205lb.
Variants: Series Model Variants
• CH-5 - Base Series Designation