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China shows off powerful new turboshafts for China’s versions of Apache and Osprey helicopters

By chankaiyee2 on September 11, 2015 • ( 6 )

China says its Z-10 helicopter is better than the US Apache

The following is based on a translation of a report on a Chinese news site:

A report in mil.huanqiu.com says that at the upcoming Tianjin Helicopter Exposition, China will showcase its new Wozhou-16 turboshaft engine and the model of a 5000kw turboshaft it is developing.

China’s WZ-10 armed helicopter is regarded as better than the U.S. AH-64 Apache, but lacked a powerful engine so that it could not operate fully to its designed capacities.

When it was designed, China planned to use a powerful Canadian engine but the United States told Canada not to sell such an engine to China.

As a result, China had to use the Wozhou-9 engine, which has less power, in the WZ-10 and gave up some of the auxiliary equipment that it was designed to carry to reduce its weight.

The report says that the new Wozhou-16 engine has a takeoff power of 1,240 kw and maximum continuous power of 1,100 kw, much better than the Wozhou-9.

It is characterised with low power-weight ratio, high unit power, low fuel consumption, high reliability, easy maintenance, advanced control and fault detection.

Moreover, there is potential to raise its power by 15% through further improvement.

The engine is now undergoing certification procedures and is expected to be put into mass production in 18 months.

By that time, it will be used in the WZ-10 and China’s AC313 13-ton class large helicopter with three engines.

The report continues that, in addition, China will showcase the new model of its new 5000kw turboshaft engine.

According to Wu Ximing, chief helicopter designer of AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Helicopter Company, the new engine will be used to develop a tiltrotor aircraft similar to the US V-22 Osprey, with the code name “Lanjing (Blue Whale)” with a takeoff weight of 40 tons and internal load of 20 tons.

Contributed by “Tiananmen’s Tremendous Achievements” – Author of “Tiananmen’s Tremendous Achievements” and “Space Era Strategy” – Also English/Chinese translation service