BMP YZ

BMP YZ series UAVs are Chinese UAVs developed by Beijing MicroPilot Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flight Control System Ltd. (BMP, 北京麦克普特无人飞行器控制系统有限公司), a company originally formed in 2001 specifically handle the import business of auotpilots produced by Canadian firm MicroPilot for UAVs. Over the decade, the company expanded its business to importing other flight control systems to China, such as those produced by Russia. In recent years, in addition to being a supplier of subystems to other Chinese UAV manufacturers, BMP further expanded its business to developing its own brand of UAVs by integrating autopilots and flight control systems to existing airframes, but there are some BMP UAV are designed by BMP itself. As an original equipment manufacturer, BMP is also contractor to produce UAVs developed by other Chinese establishments such as universities, research institutes and other Chinese UAV manufacturers.

YZ-6

YZ-6 is the larger cousin of the smaller LHK developed by the same company, and is also in the same twin-boom layout. Propulsion is provided by a two-blade propeller driven by a pusher engine mounted at the rear end of the empennage, and the UAV has tricycle landing gear system. YZ-6 adopts modular design concept and it can be equipped with several engines by different suppliers. Specification:^[1]

• Length: 6 m
• Wingspan: 3.1 m
• Height: 0.84 m
• Fuselage width: 0.55 m
• Max take-off weight: 80–120 kg
• Empty weight: 35 kg
• Payload: 20–50 kg
• Fuel: 30 L
• Endurance: > 7 h
• Max speed: 160 km/h
• Cruise speed: 120 km/h
• Stall speed: 70 km/h
• Launch: taxiing
• Take-off distance: 50–100 m
• Recovery: taxiing

YZ-8

YZ-8 is a large fixed UAV of YZ series, and it’s in conventional layout with high wing configuration and V-tail. Propulsion is provided by a two-blade propeller driven pusher engine mounted at the empennage. Winglets are incorporated and landing gear consists of tricycle landing carriage. YZ-8 adopts modular design concept and subsystems such as engine can be changed rapidly among different types, and fuel tanks can be added or reduced based on mission requirement. Externally, YZ-8 looks very similar to another Chinese UAV, the GAIC Harrier Hawk II Air Sniper, because both share similar layout. The most distinct visual difference between ZY=8 and Harrier Hawk II Air Sniper is that the propeller of the former only has two blades while that of the latter has three. There is a bulge on the top of the nose of YZ-8 housing communication satellite dish, which the fuselage of Harrier Hawk II Air Sniper has no such bulge. Winglets are also an important visual cue to distinguish the two UAV, for that YZ-8 has winglets but Harrier Hawk II Air Sniper does not. Specification:^[2]

• Max take-off weight (kg): 220 – 320
• Empty weight (kg): 115
• Wingspan (m): 8.1
• Length (m): 5
• Height (m): 1.8
• Fuel (L): 80 – 140
• Typical engine: MD 550
• Max payload (kg): 50 – 80
• Take-off: taxiing
• Endurance (hr): > 30
• Cruise speed (km/hr): 120
• Max speed (km/hr): 170
• Ceiling (km): 6

See also

List of unmanned aerial vehicles of China

References