China takes wraps off Wing Loong 2
The Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) took the wraps off its second-generation Wing Loong MALE UCAV at the Beijing Air Show from 16-19 September.
Powered by a turboprop engine, the aircraft has a maximum ceiling of 30,000 feet (9,000m) and top speed of 200 knots. This is an improvement over the first-generation Wing Loong 1’s speed of 151 knots.
The Wing Loong 2 resembles the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, but it can accommodate a payload of just 480kg compared to the latter’s 1,400kg. This lower threshold relates to the sophistication of the engines that China is currently able
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