Harbin BZK-005

Reconnaissance / Attack Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)

China | 2007

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

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.

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.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Harbin BZK-005 Reconnaissance / Attack Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).

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

112 mph
180 kph | 97 kts
Max Speed

93 mph
150 kph | 81 kts
Cruise Speed

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

2,175 miles
3,500 km | 1,890 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 Harbin BZK-005 Reconnaissance / Attack Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).

0
(UNMANNED)
Crew

29.5 ft
9.00 m
O/A Length

62.3 ft
(19.00 m)
O/A Width

2,205 lb
(1,000 kg)
Empty Weight

2,646 lb
(1,200 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 Harbin BZK-005 Reconnaissance / Attack Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) .

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

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Harbin BZK-005 family line.

BZK-005 - Base reconnaissance model.

BZK-005C - Armed variant.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Harbin BZK-005. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 105 Units
Contractor(s): Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics / Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Company Limited - China

[ China ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 120mph

Lo: 60mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (112mph).

Graph Average of 90 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

105

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

♦

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

GROUND ATTACK

CLOSE-AIR SUPPORT

AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING

SEARCH & RESCUE

MARITIME / NAVY

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 Harbin BZK-005 Reconnaissance / Attack Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) appears in the following collections:

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