Harbin Z-19 (Black Whirlwind) (WZ-19)

Reconnaissance / Light-Attack Helicopter [ 2012 ]

The Harbin Z-19 is a heavily modified attack helicopter version of the Harbin Z-9 transport series.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/06/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from the Chinese Ministry of Defense.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

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China garnered much experience in the license production of the French-made Eurocopter AS365 "Dauphin" (which it produced as the "Z-9" under the Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation label). Thought eventually turned to an armed variant of the type, keeping the general design largely intact though instituting several notable changes including armament pylons and applicable tracking / engagement equipment. From this was born the "Z-19", a dedicated attack helicopter with "stealth" qualities intended to work in conjunction with upcoming Z-10 attack helicopter units. The Z-19 has entered operational service with Chinese forces and has recorded its first-flight in May of 2010. One of the prototypes was lost to an accident sometime in September of 2010 during testing which has delayed development to an extent.

At its core, the Harbin Z-19 comparable in capabilities to current-generation attack helos such as the American Hughes AH-64 "Apache" and the Russian Mil Mi-28 "Havoc" - though more akin in mission scope to the USMC Bell AH-1 "Viper", a highly modernized version of the Vietnam War-era "Cobra" attack platform. As such, it follows conventional wisdom in its design configuration with the two pilots seated in tandem - the primary pilot in the rear elevated cockpit with the weapons officer in the front cockpit. Avionics will feature the latest in Chinese fly-by-wire technology, processing systems and digital functions seen in newer indigenous military aircraft (essentially evolved from their original Soviet/Russian origins). As the Z-19 is built from the French AS365/Chinese Z-9, it shares roughly the same tail unit structure and engine placement - the key defining physical feature of the Z-19 being its stepped cockpit and slim fuselage design. A chin turret holds various optical equipment (TV, FLIR, Laser Rangefinder) while the undercarriage is fixed with two main legs emerging from the fuselage sides and a tail wheel supporting the aft structure. The engines are mounted high and away from the ground to help reduce heat signature and this is further assisted by special dampeners fitted at the exhaust ports. The empennage is nearly identical to that as found on the Z-9 with its shrouded Fenestron tail rotor, high-reaching main vertical tail fin and a pair of vertical stabilizers supported on short pylons along the tail stem. The dual engine layout powers the four-blade main rotor as well as the shrouded tail rotor in a conventional fashion. Armament will be suspended from wing stubs and provide a flexible ordnance mix consistent with current-generation offerings seen elsewhere. The low-altitude attack nature of the Z-19 ensures that it will feature an armored cockpit for the crew and crash resistant seats for worse case scenarios.

Power for the Z-19 stems from 2 x Zhuzhou Aeroengine Factory WZ-8A turboshaft engines - the same as featured on the Z-9B series and a copy of the French Turbomeca Arriel turboshaft. The engines are rated at 848 horsepower each resulting in a maximum speed estimated at 152 miles per hour with a range out to 435 miles.

In terms of armament, the Z-19 will sport the usual pattern of weaponry common to all modern attack helicopters. This will include various Chinese-made air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles (including anti-tank), rocket pods, gun pods and cannon pods. Hardpoints may also be plumbed for the carrying of external fuel stores for longer sorties. The Z-19 has been mentioned with the HJ-8 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) and TY-90 air-to-air missiles as well as a 23mm cannon.

While the upcoming Z-10 is categorized as a "heavy" attack helicopter, the Z-19 will be of the lighter classification. In this way, the Z-19 will be a direct complement to the Z-10 and work in conjunction as a "hunter-killer" team while the Z-19 will also be further utilized in the armored scout role. At any rate, the Chinese Army is certainly broadening its tactical capabilities in the new millennium, intending to show the world that it belongs as a major defense superpower. For the Asia-Pacific region - and the United States for that matter - this certainly stands as a red flag.

The Z-19 is also intended for export customers and these will carry the designation of "WZ-19". Since the Z-19 remains in development and in prototype form as of this writing (2012), it is suspected that service entry will not commence until sometime in 2015 or later as many of the onboard systems will need to pass their various evaluations before being declared fully operational at the military level.

As mentioned, the Chinese Army has also taken to arming their Z-9 family of helicopters in the latest standard "Z-9WZ" guise with an expansive weapons capability giving the PLA a modern attack performer until the more dedicated helo platforms come online.

AVICopter is developing the export-minded version of the Z-19 (as the "WZ-19").©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

May 2017 - The first-flight of the export-minded Z-19E reconnaissance-attack helicopter variant was recorded.

October 2018 - Batch production of the export-minded Z-19E is set to begin before year's end.

Specifications

Service Year

2012

Origin

China

Status

ACTIVE
In Active Service.

Crew

2

Production

200
UNITS

Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation / AVICopter - 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.

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

Empty Wgt

5,181 lb
(2,350 kg)

MTOW

9,921 lb
(4,500 kg)

Wgt Diff

+4,740 lb
(+2,150 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Harbin Z-19 production variant)

Installed: 2 x WZ8A turboshaft engines developing 848 horsepower to four-bladed main rotor system and fenestron tail rotor.

Max Speed

152 mph
(245 kph | 132 kts)

Range

435 mi
(700 km | 1,296 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

1,800 ft/min
(549 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Harbin Z-19 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)

Variable based on mission parameters and set about conventional wing stub pylons:

"Blue Arrow-9" Anti-Tank Guided-Missiles (ATGMs), TY-90 Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs), HJ-8 ATGMs, rocket pods (unguided), cannon pods and gun pods supported.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft automatic cannon

Graphical image of an aircraft machine gun pod

Graphical image of an aircraft cannon pod

Graphical image of an air-to-air missile weapon

Graphical image of a short-range air-to-air missile

Graphical image of an aircraft anti-tank guided missile

Graphical image of aircraft aerial rockets

Graphical image of an aircraft rocket pod

Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition

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

Hardpoint Mountings: 6

Z-19 - Base Series Designation

Z-19E - Export model

WZ-19 - Alternative designation

General Assessment

Firepower

Performance

Survivability

Versatility

Impact

Values are derrived from a variety of categories related to the design, overall function, and historical influence of this aircraft in aviation history.

Overall Rating

The overall rating takes into account over 60 individual factors related to this aircraft entry.

66

Rating is out of a possible 100 points.

Relative Maximum Speed

Hi: 200mph

Lo: 100mph

This entry's maximum listed speed (152mph).

Graph average of 150 miles-per-hour.

City-to-City Ranges

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Harbin Z-19 operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

Aviation Era Span

Showcasing era cross-over of this aircraft design.

Unit Production (200)

200

36183

44000

Compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian).

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Images Gallery

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Image of the Harbin Z-19 (Black Whirlwind) (WZ-19)

Image from the Chinese Ministry of Defense.

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Image from the Chinese Ministry of Defense.

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Image from the Chinese Ministry of Defense.

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Image from the Chinese Ministry of Defense.

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