Shaanxi Baojii Special Vehicles Lie Ying Falcon

Falcon
Role	Autogyro
National origin	China
Manufacturer	Shaanxi Baojii Special Vehicles Manufacturing Company/ Shaanxi Bao He Defense Technology[1]
Designer	Wang Baohe; Shaanxi Baojii Special Vehicles Manufacturing Company; Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics[2]
First flight	2011[3]
Status	In production (2015)
Primary user	People's Liberation Army[4]
Developed from	"German autogyro technology"[5]

The Shaanxi Baojii Specialty Vehicles Lie Ying (猎鹰, lit. "Falcon"), otherwise known as Falcon Strike Gyrocopter,[6] is a Chinese autogyro that was designed and produced by the Shaanxi Baojii Special Vehicles Manufacturing Company of Baoji in Shaanxi province. The aircraft was supplied complete and ready-to-fly.[7]

The manufacturer is a well-known builder of armoured vehicles for police and military use and the aircraft was reportedly flying in 2015, but the original website was taken down in late 2016.[7][8] However, there is a new company website.[9]

The aircraft gained media attention when it appears as part of 2019 China National Day military parade.[10] Nicknamed "air tricycle". In 2022 the aircraft reportedly costs approximately 40,000 Chinese Yuan (approximately 5,500 USD).[11]

Design and development

The Falcon was designed for police and military use as a surveillance aircraft. It features a single main rotor, a two-seats-in tandem open cockpit with a windshield, tricycle landing gear and a Rotax 914 engine in pusher configuration. The Rotax engine is an Austrian-made, four-cylinder, liquid- and air-cooled, four stroke turbocharged 115 hp (86 kW) unit.[7]

The aircraft has a two-bladed rotor with a diameter of 8.4 m (27.6 ft). It has a typical empty weight of 290 kg (639 lb) and a gross weight of 560 kg (1,235 lb), giving a useful load of 270 kg (595 lb). With full fuel of 70 litres (15 imp gal; 18 US gal) the payload for the crew and mission equipment is 220 kg (485 lb).[7]

The basic model of the aircraft is a two-seater. An upgraded three-seater version of the aircraft also exists.[12] The three-seat variant feature a 135 hp (101 kW) engine, a larger fuel tank made from different materials, to give greater range, and allow the transportation of more cargo, as well as for parachuting operations.[13]

The aircraft can be armed with anti-tank guided missiles. The two-seater version can carry four missiles on hardpoints.[14]

Specifications (Falcon)

Data from Tacke[7]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Capacity: one passenger
• Empty weight: 290 kg (639 lb)
• Gross weight: 560 kg (1,235 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 70 litres (15 imp gal; 18 US gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 914 four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke turbocharged aircraft engine, 75 kW (100 hp)
• Main rotor diameter: 8.4 m (27 ft 7 in)
• Main rotor area: 55 m^2 (590 sq ft)
• Propellers: 3-bladed composite

Performance

• Maximum speed: 180 km/h (110 mph, 97 kn)
• Cruise speed: 150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn)
• Rate of climb: 2.5 m/s (490 ft/min)
• Disk loading: 10.2 kg/m^2 (2.1 lb/sq ft)

See also

• List of rotorcraft
• Celier CA-22
• Kamov A-7 – Autogyro armed with dumb rockets, bombs and machine guns
• Kayaba Ka-1 – Autogyro armed with depth charges
• Trixy Eye

References

1. Panyue, Huang (9 October 2019). "Gyroplane can send stealth missions". eng.chinamil.com.cn. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
2. "中国"猎鹰"旋翼机:蓝天上翱翔着民族骄傲". 千龙网·中国首都网.
3. "宝鸡民企造出猎鹰旋翼机". 宝鸡日报. 27 June 2013.
4. "70周年国庆阅兵专题——阅兵展大国雄风，新装备加速列装". 华泰证券军工研究团队.
5. "拥军模范、"中国硬汉"王宝和的传奇故事--新闻报道". Guangming Daily. 16 September 2015.
6. Marcus Clay. ""Flying Twice" No More: Assessing the Aerospace Component of the PLA Military Parade" (PDF).
7. Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 199. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
8. "陕西宝鸡专用汽车有限公司". cnnewstar.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
9. "陕西宝鸡专用汽车有限公司". Retrieved 8 June 2022.
10. Kay, Linda (1 October 2019). "Unique Flying Vehicle at Chinese Military Parade".
11. ""狩猎鹰"轻型旋翼飞行器（空中突击旋翼机）-中国"狩猎鹰"轻型旋翼飞行器（空中突击旋翼机）图片性能技术参数怎么样-武器百科大全". www.wuqibaike.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022.
12. "阅兵最萌装备:空中"三蹦子"载特种兵,可挂导弹". Crazy Warfare-Show [Wikidata]. 2 October 2019.
13. "猎鹰旋翼机,猎鹰旋翼机多少钱一架". 今日头条娱乐新闻网.
14. "China's 'Hunting Eagle Stirke' Gyrocopters Boasts of Anti-tank Missiles". SOFREP. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2023.