The Changhe Z-11 is a light utility

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

developed by

Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) () is a Chinese helicopter manufacturer and supplier to the People's Liberation Army, Chinese military. It is a member of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The company is based in ...

(CAIC). According to the Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation website, it is claimed to be the first indigenously-designed helicopter in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. However, it is largely based on the

Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil The Airbus Helicopters H125, previously the Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil, or Squirrel, is a single-engine light utility helicopter designed and originally manufactured by the French corporation Aérospatiale, and later by Eurocopter, now Air ...

Development

The Z-11 project started in 1989 and the first flight was made in Dec 1994. In Oct 2000, test flights of Z-11 were completed. The chief designer of Z-11 is Mr. Wu Ximing (吴希明), who is also the chief designer of three other Chinese helicopters, including the Z-10. Under Mr. Wu, the Z-11 became the first Chinese helicopter to be completely designed using

CAD/CAM CAD/CAM refers to the integration of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). Both of these require powerful computers. ''CAD'' software helps designers and draftsmen; ''CAM'' "reduces manpower costs" in the manufacturi ...

techniques. The Z-11WB, the attack and reconnaissance variant, features pintle mount weapons and two weapon pylons on each side of the aircraft. The engine is replaced by Turbomeca Arriel 2B1A turboshaft engine developing 632 kW (848 shp) of power.

Variants

;Z-11: original unarmed version. ;Z-11W: military version of the Z-11 (battlefield surveillance and reconnaissance, ground attack, and medical evacuation roles) ;Z-11WA: military reconnaissance and observation helicopter, fitted with a sensor pod. ;Z-11MB1: civilian and commercial version fitted with French Arriel 2B1A engine ;Z-11ME1: export civilian and commercial version. ;CZ-11W: export light attack helicopter variation. It is powered by one WZ-8D, LTS101-700D-2 or Arriel 2B1A turboshaft engine and is equipped with integrated avionics systems, antitank missiles, rockets and machine guns. The helicopter is fitted with a targeting sensor turret, and can carry four Chinese HJ-8 antitank missiles. ;Avicopter AC311: Multi-role civilian helicopter. Developed from earlier Z-11 models, featuring a redesigned airframe, cockpit, tail, a Honeywell LTS101-700D-2 engine, and other subsystems. 2 crew and four passengers. Maiden flight in 2011. ;Avicopter AC311A: Multi-role civilian helicopter. Developed from AC311, featuring a redesigned main rotor and other improvements, a license-built Arriel 2B1A turboshaft engine. Maiden flight in 2013. ;Z-11WB: Attack/reconnaissance helicopter developed from the AC311 platform. The first flight was on 28 September 2015. Officially unveiled at

Zhuhai Airshow China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (), also known as the Airshow China () and Zhuhai Airshow (), is a biennial international aerospace trade expo held in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, Guangdong, since 1996. It is the largest ai ...

on 1 November 2016. Enhanced attack/reconnaissance variant with a new EO ball, redesigned cockpit, SW-6 UAV, and pylons for weapons. Its roles include ground support, attack, battlefield reconnaissance, command, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, and other tasks.

Operators

; *

People's Liberation Army Ground Force The People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF), also referred to as the PLA Army, is the army, land-based service branch of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), and also its largest and oldest branch. The PLAGF can trace its lineage from 192 ...

: Z-11WB.

Specifications (Z-11J)

References

External links