Chapter 899 Market Potential and Multi-Purpose Helicopters

J-11F fighter, this is the export version of J-11B.

Therefore, it is only with the J-11B that there is the J-11F fighter improvement team.

Like the work of the J-11E fighter improvement team, this is to adjust the performance according to export needs.

The export price of J-10 and J-11 fighters is expensive, which is cheaper than the same type of F16 and F15. The poor countries that can afford these two aircrafts are definitely not able to afford them, only the local tyrants in the Middle East and some developed countries.

The largest customer group is still the local tyrants in the Middle East.

And because of the agreement with the Americans, some countries cannot export, such as Iraq, which cannot export J-11 fighters, and even J-10 fighters cannot be exported now.

There is also Persia, which cannot export J-11 and J-10 fighters to Persia now, because the Americans have not lifted all sanctions against Persia.

The current customer base is Saudi Arabia, with a market potential of about 500 aircraft in the next 20 years. As for advanced trainer aircraft, the two sides have signed an order to deliver 120 "Eagle" advanced trainer aircraft and 120 K8 primary trainer aircraft in the next ten years. In terms of helicopters, the two sides signed an order for 200 "Ray Sculpture" helicopters in the next fifteen years.

Secondly, there are five Middle Eastern countries, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman. The future potential of J-10 fighters and J-11 fighters should be two to three hundred.

Finally, there is Pakistan, but Pakistan's economic strength is limited, and the market potential in the next 20 years is about 200.

Other countries such as African countries, Latin American countries, and Southeast Asia will hardly have a market in the next 20 years, or they are not suitable for export. Maybe there is some potential for the Thai Air Force.

In return, Southeast Asia, India, South Korea, etc. will not be equipped with American third-generation aircraft.

Panshan Group exports to Brazil and Argentina, at most J-7 series fighters and J-8 series fighters, which Americans do not take seriously.

It can be said that the main market for the J-10 and J-11 fighters is actually still in China.

According to Liu Tao's estimate, China's internal market potential requires about 2,500 J-10 series fighters and 800 J-11 series fighters.

If China wants to have a large air force to ensure air sovereignty, then China will definitely need so many air forces.

In the future, China's air force will need both quality and quantity.

After all, China has a vast land area and a large territorial sea.

As long as the Guifei Group is fully committed to production, in about 15 years, that is, by 2010, the Chinese Air Force will have so many J-10 and J-11 fighters.

At the latest, by 2015, as long as the funds keep up, it can be realized.

Before leaving the Guifei Group, Liu Tao went to the Helicopter Research Center.

In addition to improving the different application versions of the "Ray Sculpture" helicopter, it is also developing light helicopters and medium helicopters.

In the past, helicopters have always been China's weakness. More than a decade ago, there were only a few Gazelle ultralight armed helicopters that could only fire some rockets.

The Gazelle light helicopter was jointly developed by the French Aerospace Company and the British Westland Helicopter Company to replace the "Skylark" II helicopter. This helicopter began to be designed in 1964. It uses the transmission system of the "Skylark" II helicopter, Turbomeca's "Astec" III engine and rotor blades jointly developed with Germany's Berkov Company. It first flew in 1967.

This light helicopter has a rotor diameter of 10.5 meters, a rotor disc area of ​​86.59 square meters, a tail rotor diameter of 0.695 meters, a tail rotor disc area of ​​0.37 square meters, a length of 11.97 meters (rotor rotation), a fuselage length of 9.53 meters, a width of 2.04 meters (rotor folded), a height of 2.72 meters (to the top of the rotor hub), an empty weight of 999 kg, a maximum external weight of 700 kg, a maximum take-off weight of 2000 kg, a maximum permissible speed of 280 kilometers per hour (sea level), a maximum cruising speed of 260 kilometers per hour, a climb rate of 7.8 meters per second, a practical ceiling of 4100 meters, a hovering altitude of 3040 meters (in ground effect), and a range of 710 kilometers.

Later, China imported the "Black Hawk" helicopter from the United States. As the price of the "Black Hawk" helicopter soared, and China developed the "Ray Eagle" helicopter, the military used the "Ray Eagle" helicopter and the originally imported "Black Hawk" helicopter as armed helicopters, transport helicopters, search and rescue helicopters, anti-submarine helicopters, early warning helicopters, and communication helicopters.

In other words, the "Ray Eagle" helicopter, as a general-purpose helicopter, has enhanced its functionality on the basis of the "Ray Eagle" helicopter to meet the needs of helicopters in different application scenarios.

The "Ray Eagle" helicopter is advanced, but it does not mean that light helicopters and medium helicopters are no longer needed, because this involves economic considerations.

The cost of using the "Ray Eagle" helicopter is not cheap.

If there are light helicopters and medium helicopters, the cost of use will be further reduced.

Luxury cars are good, but mid-range and low-end cars are also needed.

The Helicopter Research Center is now developing a light helicopter and a medium helicopter.

The development of these two helicopters has now come to an end.

‘Swift’ single-rotor multi-purpose light helicopter, crew of 2, load capacity of 14 infantrymen or 6 stretchers, 2,000 kg (internal), 2,750 kg (external), rotor diameter of 13.5 meters, height of 4.6 meters, disk area of ​​143.1 square meters, loaded weight of 6,000 kg, maximum take-off weight of 6,500 kg, powered by two turboshaft engines, 956 kW, 1,282 horsepower. Maximum speed of 300 km/h, cruising speed of 275 km/h, range of 615 km, practical ceiling of 5,150 meters, climb rate of 10.4 m/s.

The 'Golden Eagle' multi-purpose helicopter is 19.4 meters long, 5.23 meters high, with a rotor diameter of 16 meters, an empty weight of 6.4 tons, a maximum take-off weight of 10.6 tons, a maximum speed of 310 kilometers per hour, a maximum range of 1,100 kilometers, a ceiling of 6,000 meters, and is powered by two turboshaft engines, with a single power output of 1,662 kilowatts.

When these two multi-purpose helicopters are successfully developed, different types of helicopters will be developed, including ultra-light helicopters like the 'Little Gazelle' helicopter.

After all, different helicopters have different uses.

For example, Liu Tao plans to develop a heavy helicopter by himself, a heavy helicopter of about 20 tons, or even a heavy helicopter of 30 tons, 40 tons or even 50 tons. Liu Tao also has this idea.

There are other helicopters in China, but they are all imitations of Soviet helicopters. Some helicopters have also been developed, but their performance is still not as good as that of Soviet helicopters.

Liu Tao checked the progress and estimated that in another year, the pre-production helicopter would be able to make its first flight. Once it made its first flight, the subsequent work would be much easier.

Liu Tao was quite pleased. After years of continuous investment, he finally saw obvious progress. Compared with one or two aircraft, he actually valued the training and growth of talents more, because as long as there were enough talents, not to mention one or two aircraft, even ten aircraft could be produced!