Harbin BZK-005

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The BZK-005 is classified as a Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) developed by Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics with manufacturing handled by the Harbin Aircraft Industry concern. At its core, the aircraft is intended for the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) over-battlefield role with only later models supporting an integrated attack function. The type is in service with the Chinese Army (PLA), Air Force (PLAAF) and Navy (PLAN) branches of service with over 100 units produced to date (2022).

The aircraft utilizes a twin-boom design with a centralized fuselage sporting a blended wing-body design. The fuselage has a rounded nose with streamlined styling. The mainplanes are slightly swept backwards and are long-spanning appendages with clipped tips. The booms originate at the rear of the trailing edges of the mainplanes near the wing roots. The booms terminate at a shared horizontal plane at rear with each boom capped by a vertical tail fin. The powerplant is buried within the rear of the fuselage with the engine driving a multi-bladed propeller unit arranged in "pusher" fashion. The optics set (Electro-Optical / Infra-Red = EO/IR) is held in a traversing blister at the "chin" position. A wheeled, retractable undercarriage is used for ground-running of the vehicle. The drone is rated for a payload capacity of 330lb.

Performance-wise, the aircraft reaches speeds of 105 miles-per-hour reaching a service ceiling of about 26,245 feet. Its Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) is estimated to be around 2,645lb. The aircraft can stay aloft for some 40 hours of continuous real-time camera coverage.

Dimensions include an overall length of 29.5 feet and a wingspan of 62.3 feet.

The BZK-005 variant denotes the unarmed reconnaissance-minded product of 2006 while the BZK-005C is an attack-centered derivative revealed in late-2018. The reconnaissance mark has been actively used by China to patrol the reaches of the East and South China Seas - proving a maritime / over-water capability.

The BZK-005 joins a growing stable of Chinese-originated drones beginning to permeate the global market in direct competition with more expensive, though more technologically-advanced, Western types.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

2007

Origin

China

Status

ACTIVE
In Active Service.

Crew

0
UNMANNED

Production

105
UNITS

Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics / Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Company Limited - China

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

China

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.

✓ Close-Air Support (CAS)
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.

✓ Special-Mission: Search & Rescue (SAR)
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).

✓ Maritime / Navy
Land-based or shipborne capability for operating over-water in various maritime-related roles while supported by allied naval surface elements.

✓ Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

✓ Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.

RADAR-CAPABLE

Houses, or can house (through specialized variants), radar equipment for searching, tracking, and engagement of enemy elements.

PUSHER-PROP

Design incorporates rear-facing pusher-prop arrangement, a contrast to the more conventional puller-prop layout.

WING SWEEPBACK

Mainplanes, or leading edges, features swept-back lines for enhanced high-speed performance and handling.

RUGGED AIRFRAME

Inherent ability of airframe to take considerable damage.

HIGH-ALTITUDE PERFORMANCE

Can reach and operate at higher altitudes than average aircraft of its time.

EXTENDED RANGE PERFORMANCE

Capability to travel considerable distances through onboard fuel stores.

MARITIME OPERATION

Ability to operate over ocean in addition to surviving the special rigors of the maritime environment.

RETRACTABLE UNDERCARRIAGE

Features retracting / retractable undercarriage to preserve aerodynamic efficiency.

UNMANNED OPERATION

Design features ability to fly sans pilot, actions controlled onboard through programming and / or ground-based operator.

AUTONOMOUS OPERATION

Design features autonomous flight operations made possible through onboard artificial intelligence or pre-programming.

CAMERA EQUIPMENT

Payload supports photographic equipment providing still and / or real-time image / video results.

Length

29.5 ft
(9.00 m)

Width/Span

62.3 ft
(19.00 m)

Empty Wgt

2,205 lb
(1,000 kg)

MTOW

2,646 lb
(1,200 kg)

Wgt Diff

+441 lb
(+200 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Harbin BZK-005 production variant)

monoplane / low-mounted / swept-back

Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.

Low-Mounted
Mainplanes are low-mounted along the sides of the fuselage.

Swept-Back
The planform features wing sweep back along the leading edges of the mainplane, promoting higher operating speeds.

(Structural descriptors pertain to the base Harbin BZK-005 production variant)

Installed: 1 x Conventional gas-fueled engine driving multi-bladed propeller unit at the rear of the fuselage in pusher arrangement.

Max Speed

112 mph
(180 kph | 97 kts)

Cruise Speed

93 mph
(150 kph | 81 kts)

Max. Speed Diff

+19 mph
(+30 kph | 16 kts)

Ceiling

26,247 ft
(8,000 m | 5 mi)

Range

2,175 mi
(3,500 km | 6,482 nm)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Harbin BZK-005 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

Typically none for ISR role; BZK-005C incorporates an ordnance-carrying capability for drop bombs and laser-guided bombs.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition

Graphical image of an aircraft guided bomb munition

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

BZK-005 - Base reconnaissance model.

BZK-005C - Armed variant.

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Aviation / Aerospace

Harbin BZK-005

Reconnaissance / Attack Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) [ 2007 ]

The BZK-005 is a Chinese-originated drone utilizing a twin-boom configuration - it is in active service with the PLA.

Specifications