Changhe Z-18#Variants
{{Short description|Chinese medium-lift transport helicopter}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
|name = Z-18 |image = File:PLANAF Changhe Z-18J AEW.png |caption = PLANAF Changhe Z-18J AEW from the aircraft carrier Liaoning }}{{Infobox aircraft type |type = Utility helicopter |national origin = China |manufacturer = Avicopter (Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation) |introduced = 2018 |retired = |status = In service, in production |primary user = People's Liberation Army |more users = |produced = |number built = |developed from = Avicopter AC313 |variants with their own articles = }} |
The Changhe Z-18, also known as Z-8G, is a medium-lift transport helicopter developed by Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) to replace the Changhe/Harbin Z-8.
Design and development
The Z-18 is a development of the Avicopter AC313 and Changhe/Harbin Z-8, both of which are developments of the Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon.{{cite web|last1=Fisher|first1=Richard D Jr|title=CAIG Z-18 transport helicopter looks to have entered service with PLAGF|url=http://www.janes.com/article/76908/|website=IHS Jane's 360|accessdate=13 January 2018|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20180113145300/http://www.janes.com/article/76908/caig-z-18-transport-helicopter-looks-to-have-entered-service-with-plagf|archivedate=2018-01-13|location=Xinjiang|date=9 January 2018|url-status=live}}
Notable changes include a redesigned lower fuselage similar to the AC313 which results in larger internal space.{{cite web | url=http://chinese-military-aviation.blogspot.com/p/helicopters-iii.html | title=Chinese Military Aviation: Helicopters III }} It also reportedly makes greater use of titanium and composites in its rotor blades and rotor, and replaces the Z-8's boat-shaped lower fuselage with a tail ramp for small vehicles. It has a glass cockpit and is powered by three WZ-6C turboshafts.
The Z-18's maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 13.8 tonnes. In late-2014, the only People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships able to operate the helicopter at MTOW were aircraft carriers and large amphibious assault ships.{{citation|title=China unveils ASW version of Z-18 helicopter|url=http://www.janes.com/article/42184/china-unveils-asw-version-of-z-18-helicopter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822111143/http://www.janes.com/article/42184/china-unveils-asw-version-of-z-18-helicopter|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 22, 2014|author=Andrew Tate|date=August 20, 2014|website=IHS Jane's 360}}
Operational history
The Z-18F anti-submarine warfare (ASW) version was undergoing testing by the end of August 2014.
The army transport Z-18A first appeared in Chinese state media in December 2014, and reportedly underwent high-altitude testing on the Tibetan Plateau in January 2015. The Z-18A reached an altitude of {{convert|9,000|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} during testing.
The Z-18A was in service with the People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) by January 2018.
Variants
File:Z-18 China Navy.jpg Z-18 in Zhuhai Airshow 2024, with the visible folding tail]]
File:Z-8l cns 2024.png Z-8L with its widened airframe]]
- Z-18: Naval transport variant with folding tail boom and rotor blades. Features a nosed mounted weather radar and FLIR/TV turret.{{cite web | url=http://chinese-military-aviation.blogspot.com/p/helicopters-iii.html | title=Chinese Military Aviation: Helicopters III }}
- Z-18A / Z-8G: Transport variant with extended nose expected to replace Z-8A/B. Features a nose mounted terrain-following radar. Multiple subvariants with differing equipment configurations such as: SATCOM fairing on tailboom, flare/chaff launchers + MAWS/RWR/LWR sensors on fuselage and sponsons, QJH001 machine gun on side door, ECM equipment on fuselage, retractable SAR radar replacing rear ramp etc.
- Z-8L: Transport variant with wide-body fuselage and enlarged fuel sponsons, first spotted in January 2019.{{cite web |last1=Tate |first1=Andrew |title=Image emerges of Z-8G helicopter variant |url=https://www.janes.com/article/85859/image-emerges-of-z-8g-helicopter-variant |website=Jane's 360 |access-date=21 January 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190121181141/https://www.janes.com/article/85859/image-emerges-of-z-8g-helicopter-variant |archive-date=21 January 2019 |location=London |date=21 January 2019 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }} The internal width of the load area has been increased from 1.8m to 2.4 m, making it larger than old Z-8 and SA321 variants.{{cite web|url=https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/update-images-show-wide-body-variant-of-z-8g-helicopter-undergoing-load-carrying-trials |website=Janes |title=Update: Images show wide-body variant of Z-8G helicopter undergoing load-carrying trials |date=21 August 2020 |first=Andreas |last=Rupprecht}} Features a nose mounted terrain-following radar. Multiple subvariants with differing equipment configurations such as: SATCOM fairing on tailboom, flare launchers + LWR/RWR sensors on sponsons, RWR/MAWS sensors on front fuselage, roof mounted FLIR etc.
- Z-18F: ASW variant with chin-mounted surface search radar, dipping sonar, and may be equipped with up to four lightweight torpedoes and 32 sonobuoys.
- Z-18J: Airborne early warning (AEW) variant, with a lowerable radar antenna in place of the ramp. The radar has a range of 320 km.{{Cite web |title=Z-18 helicopter |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/z-18j.htm |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=www.globalsecurity.org}}
Operators
;{{PRC}}
- People's Liberation Army Ground Force Aviation (Z-18A)
- People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (Z-18, Z-18F and Z-18J)
Specifications (Z-18F)
{{Aircraft specs
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|crew=2 flight crew
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- 27-30 troops or
- 15 stretchers or
- small vehicles or 5 tonnes of cargo to a range of up to 1000 km. (Z-18A)
|length m=23.05
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|empty weight kg=7000
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|max takeoff weight kg=13800
|max takeoff weight lb=30360
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|eng1 number=3
|eng1 name=WZ-6C
|eng1 type=turboshafts
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|rot number=1
|rot dia m=19
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|max speed kmh=336
|max speed mph=
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|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=9000
|ceiling ft=29528
|g limits=
|roll rate=
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|climb rate ftmin=
|lift to drag=
|disk loading kg/m2=
|disk loading lb/sqft=
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|armament=
- Up to 4 Yu-7 ASW torpedoes or YJ-9 anti-ship missiles{{Cite web|date=2019-06-01|title=The world's ten best anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters|url=https://www.naval-technology.com/features/feature-the-worlds-best-anti-submarine-warfare-asw-helicopters-4153353/|access-date=2020-08-15|website=Naval Technology|language=en-GB}}
- Up to 32 sonobuoys
|avionics=
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See also
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References
{{Reflist}}
{{AVIC aircraft}}
{{PRC helicopters}}
{{Chinese Military Aircraft}}
Category:Military transport helicopters
Category:2010s Chinese helicopters
Category:2010s Chinese military utility aircraft