Kagedan KaG-62
| Kagedan KaG-62 "Chollima" Zahorski Zh-17 "Kajman" | |
|---|---|
| |
| KaG-62A initial production variant (top), KaG-62I variant (bottom) | |
| Role | Attack helicopter with troop-carrying capabilities |
| National origin |  Saegya Gorbatov
|
| Manufacturer | Kagedan / AVIC |
| Designer | Kagedan / Zahorski |
| First flight | 12 July 1990 |
| Introduction | 25 December 2017 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | Saegyan Revolutionary Army Proletarian Liberation Army |
| Produced | 1990–present |
| Number built | 102 |
| Unit cost | $22.5 million |
| Developed from | Silayev Si-28 Yurasov Yu-50 |
The Kagedan KaG-62 "Chollima" (Saegyan: 천리마, English: Pegasus), or Zahorski Zh-17 "Kajman" (Gorbatovic: Кайман, English: Caiman) is a medium helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport produced by Kagedan Aerospace and Aviation Industry Corporation of Gorbatov (AVIC). It was designed as a replacement for older-model Si-24 "Hind" gunships that filled the same role. It is a product of an intensive, near three-decade long cooperation between Zahorski Design Bureau and Kagedan Aerospace to design a helicopter able to improve upon the performance of the Si-24 in almost all aspects.
The KaG-62 suffered a number of design problems in its early development, which saw it delayed numerous times and nearly cancelled twice. It entered service with the 104th Air Assault Regiment of the Saegyan Revolutionary Army in late 2017, and with the Proletarian Liberation Army a month later. It is intended to supplement "Super Hind" designs and replace older Si-24 models.
Development[edit]
Origins[edit]
Production and improvements[edit]
Design[edit]
The KaG-62's airframe is based very heavily on the Silayev Si-28 attack helicopter, from which it obtains its weapons systems, cockpit layout, and the majority of its fuselage design. It is powered by a pair of Gorbatovic-designed power plants based on the Stasnovan VK-2500, which are some of the most powerful helicopter engines in the world in terms of power to weight ratio, which allow it to perform vertical takeoffs and maneuver in air with full combat and troop loads.
Operational history[edit]
- H-62/V-90 – Initial prototype technological demonstrator that first flew on 12 July 1990, with bare-bones avionics and without subsystems for weaponry.
- HA-62-1/V-90A – Prototype version mounted with dual 23 mm autocannons and with a weapons pylon.
- HA-62-2/V-90B – Final pre-production prototype which saw the weapons pylons strengthened, the 23 mm autocannons replaced with a 30 mm autocannon, and proper sensors added.
- KaG-62A/Zh-17S – Initial production variant.
- Kag-62S/Zh-17E – Export variant which has a single 23 mm autocannon, downgraded armor and engines, reduced pylon capacity, no millimeter radar, no HMD/self sealing tanks/downgraded avionics/etc.
- Kag-62I/Zh-17M – Improved variant which added additional weapon pylons, integrated millimeter wave radar, helmet-mounted optics, and enhanced electronic countermeasures.
Operators[edit]
Saegya: The Saegyan Revolutionary Army have around 32 KaG-62s in active service, with more in order.
Gorbatov: The Proletarian Liberation Army have around 49 Zh-17s in active service, with more in order.- Template:Country data Po Nagar: The Po Nagar National Liberation Army have around 11 KaG-62Ss in active service.
Ahras: The Ahrasi National Armed Forces have around 10 Zh-17Es in active service.
Specifications (KaG-62A/Zh-17A)[edit]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2 (1 pilot, 1 WSO)
- Capacity: 8 troops / 4 stretchers / 2,400 kg (5,291 lb) cargo on an external sling
- Length: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)
- Height: 4.93 m (16 ft 2 in)
- Empty weight: 8,590 kg (18,938 lb) equipped
- Gross weight: 10,700 kg (23,589 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 12,000 kg (26,455 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Zahorski VR-2500 turboshaft engines, 1,800 kW (2,400 shp) each
- Main rotor diameter: 2× 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in)
- Main rotor area: 330.3 m2 (3,555 sq ft) contra-rotating 3-bladed main rotors
Performance
- Maximum speed: 315 km/h (196 mph, 170 kn)
- Cruise speed: 270 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)
- Never exceed speed: 350 km/h (220 mph, 190 kn)
- Range: 545 km (339 mi, 294 nmi)
- Combat range: 470 km (290 mi, 250 nmi)
- Ferry range: 1,160 km (720 mi, 630 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 12 m/s (2,400 ft/min)
- Disk loading: 30 kg/m2 (6.1 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass: 0.33 kW/kg (0.20 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns: 1× chin-mounted 30 mm HK-80 cannon (250 rounds total, AP or HE-Frag)
- Hardpoints: 4 (6 on KaG-62I/Zh-17M) under-wing hardpoints, plus 2 on wingtips for countermeasures or air-to-air missiles with a capacity of 2,000 kg,with provisions to carry combinations of:
- Rockets: 80 × 80 mm S-8 rockets and 20 × 122 mm S-13 rocket,
- Missiles: 2 × APU-6 Missile racks, able to accommodate a total of 12 × PTRK-86 anti-tank missiles, AZR-84 air-to-air missiles, ANR-75 semi-active laser guided tactical air-to-ground missiles
- Bombs: 4 × 250 kg (550 lb) bombs or 2 × 500 kg (1,100 lb) bombs,
- Other: 23 mm PZ-23-250 gun pods (240 rounds each), 500 L (130 US gal) external fuel tanks. Reportedly, twin PZRK-82 or PZRK-16 light air-to-air missile launchers under each wingtip countermeasure pod (total 4 missiles).
- Two pods on the wingtips with flare and chaff countermeasure dispensers, 4 UV-26 dispensers each (total 32 chaff/flare cartridges in each pod)