China’s Wuzhen-8 (or DR-8) drone has appeared again, this time at the Changchun Air Show. Its new presence caused controversy about the purpose of this mystery UAV.
So far, the analysis of this unmanned aerial vehicle concludes that it is a hypersonic drone that flies at high altitudes and operates in a reconnaissance and target-finding role. However, reports include statements by Chinese scientists talking about suicide missions against US F-22 and F-35 fighters.
The drone actually has a speed of over 3.3mh, then it will fly at about 4mh. This number is very close to the vehicle being considered supersonic. Of course, other reports speak of a maximum speed that will exceed 5 times that of sound.
If all this is true and we are dealing with a drone that will fly at 5 mh, then the vehicle will be able to reach American F-22s in a matter of seconds.
In this way, China has been operating drones that can reach US bases – such as Guam – for some time.
The design of the DR-8 doesn’t appear to be fully stealth, due to the absence of absorptive metal and some details that are easy to spot. Of course, it is definitely designed for low observability.
The drone features a triangular design, with no vents. This means it does not work with propulsion that requires air, such as a jet engine that needs to draw in atmospheric air to compress, heat and ignite the jet fuel mixture. But it has not been officially confirmed whether it has a rocket engine, although third-party sources have reported it.
A second very important feature is that it has two holes in the upper part of the fuselage, a detail that indicates that it will be launched from aircraft. A photograph of the H-6N aircraft shows a possible stabilization mechanism on the underside of its fuselage. This has led to speculation as to whether the H-6N is intended to be the launch platform for the new drone.
If the DR-8 is an air-launched drone, then the H-6K and H-6N bombers are quite likely to carry it, because no other Chinese PA aircraft can carry such a heavy and large drone. The H-6 series of aircraft are strategic bombers designed to carry a variety of cruise and land attack missiles, as well as anti-ship missiles.
According to reports, two very complex technologies have been applied to the new Chinese drone that have been “educating” experts for years. The first is the landing of vehicles at very high speeds. The DR-8 is seen to have landing gear, and according to reports the drone can do so at supersonic speeds. You can understand that such a process is particularly challenging.
The second technology is related to the promotion of liquid fuel, since it is reported that the system that gives energy to the vehicle works with liquid fuel. This means that the country has also perfected this technology, in which liquid propellant gas, which is less stable and harder to store, results in easier control of the burn rate.
