Tengoen TB-001 Twin-Tailed Scorpion

Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV / UCAV

China | 2020

"The Tengoen TB-001 Twin-Tailed Scorpion is believed to have entered service with Chinese military forces as of 2021."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/22/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

China continues to assert itself as a leader in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) / drones with a particular eye towards the export market. A plethora of developments have arisen from within the borders of the Asian defense powerhouse, resulting in a market flooded with economically-minded, efficient air systems like the Tengeon TB-001 "Twin-Tailed Scorpion" - or simply "Scorpion" - to compete with more advanced, expensive Western offerings.

The TB-001 is the product of Tengoen Technology of China, a firm founded in January of 2016. Offerings in the company line include the TA-001 "Striking Hawk" as well as the aforementioned TB-001 system and encompass rotary-wing (i.e. Helicopter) unmanned vehicles as well. Both of the fixed-wing designs are cleared to carry combat munitions including air-to-surface missiles and precision-guided bombs.

The Twin-Tailed Scorpion relies on a proven twin engine / twin-boom layout to give it its required performance and operational range, particularly over-water. The system is classified as a Medium Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV type.

The wing mainplanes are of monoplane form and straight in its design, capable of mounting various air-to-surface ordnance, and sits atop the rounded fuselage featuring a shape similar to that of the American "Global Hawk" detailed elsewhere on this site. The booms are fitted under each wing mainplane and extend rearwards, joined by a high-mounted, shared horizontal plane connecting the twin rudder panels. Ground-running is through a wheeled, retractable tricycle arrangement, preserving the aircraft's aerodynamic efficiency when in the air.

The engines are of tractor / puller design and drive three-bladed units. The installations are at the tailboom heads and extended just past the wing leading edges.

All told, the aircraft has a wingspan of 65.5 feet and an MTOW rating of 6,000lb. It can fly to altitudes of 26,250 feet for up to 35 hours out to a range of 1,620 nautical miles via SATelite COMmunications (SATCOM).

It is thought that three prototypes have made up the development phase of the product.

In August of 2021, a TB-001 was intercepted and photographed by the Japanese Ministry of Defense over the East China Sea, leading to suspicions that the design has actually entered into operational service with the Chinese Air Force or Navy services.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

August 2021 - The Japanese Ministry of Defense photographed the TB-001 over the East China Sea during an interception action, leading to reports that the system has achieved some sort of operational-level service with the Chinese military.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Tengeon TB-001 Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV / UCAV.

2 x Conventional engines in puller configuration driving three-bladed propellers.
Propulsion

155 mph
250 kph | 135 kts
Max Speed

134 mph
215 kph | 116 kts
Cruise Speed

26,247 ft
8,000 m | 5 miles
Service Ceiling

1,864 miles
3,000 km | 1,620 nm
Operational Range

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Tengeon TB-001 Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV / UCAV.

0
(UNMANNED)
Crew

65.5 ft
(19.95 m)
O/A Width

4,409 lb
(2,000 kg)
Empty Weight

6,008 lb
(2,725 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Tengoen TB-001 Twin-Tailed Scorpion Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV / UCAV provided across 4 hardpoints.

Variable depending on mission type. Believed to support in-service Chinese air-to-surface missiles as well as precision-guided drop bombs.

X

Hardpoints Key:

Centerline

Wingroot(L)

Wingroot(R)

Wing

Wingtip

Internal

Not Used

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Tengoen TB-001 Twin-Tailed Scorpion family line.

TB-001 "Twin-Tailed Scorpion" / "Scorpion" - Base Series Designation.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Tengoen TB-001 Twin-Tailed Scorpion. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 10 Units
Contractor(s): Tengoen Technology - China

[ China ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 200mph

Lo: 100mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (155mph).

Graph Average of 150 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

10

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

1 / 1

Image of the Tengoen TB-001 Twin-Tailed Scorpion

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

GROUND ATTACK

RECONNAISSANCE

UNMANNED

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Going Further...
The Tengoen TB-001 Twin-Tailed Scorpion Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV / UCAV appears in the following collections:

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