The Rainbow UAV, the "King of the Clouds"! The Rainbow-6 made its debut at the Zhuhai Air Show. What surprises will it bring?

The large-scale international air show held in Zhuhai has kicked off, and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's Rainbow-6 UAV made its debut. Of course, it is better known by its code name CH-6.

As a high-endurance, twin-jet engine, multi-purpose drone, in the past, we have only seen design models and low-resolution renderings of the aircraft.

The CH-6 is conceived as a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned system for intelligence gathering, support, and strike missions. It looks almost a bit like a significantly enlarged CH-5, but its rear configuration is very different from the earlier design. It has a high T-shaped tail, and the two jet engines are mounted side by side on top of the tail section. The drone's mid-mounted long wing is also swept back a bit, and the entire body rests on tall landing gear. The aircraft also has a distinct streamlined edge that wraps around the oval fuselage.

CH-6 basic data include:

The maximum take-off weight is 7.8 tons, the maximum load is 120 kg (reconnaissance type) or 450 kg (reconnaissance and strike type), the total length is 15.8 meters, the wingspan is 20.5 meters, the height is 5 meters, the maximum horizontal flight speed is 500-700 km/h, the cruising altitude is 10 kilometers, the ceiling is 15 kilometers, and the maximum endurance time is 21 hours (reconnaissance type) or 18 hours (reconnaissance and strike type).

The CH-6 seems to be positioned as an unmanned fighter with medium flight altitude, medium endurance and low visibility. Its appearance will fill the gap between long-flight, medium-altitude, propeller-powered reconnaissance drones and high-altitude, long-flight intelligence collection and sensor jet-powered drones. Moreover, the CH-6 has the ability to be armed from the beginning.

The end of this wing is also a unique design, somewhat similar to the MQ-9B but not exactly the same

The speed provided by the aircraft's jet engines will enhance the drone's transit time over a patrol or target area and maximize endurance once it arrives. Two engines will also improve reliability, which could be key given the distances involved in operating such an aircraft, and the underdeveloped state of Chinese jet engine technology. In fact, the Chinese unmanned aircraft that we know of that is most similar to the CH-6 is probably the Yunying drone.

Chengfei's "Yunying" UAV also uses jet engines as its power. Currently, UAVs from various countries have begun to transition from propeller power to jet engine power, and have begun to focus on stealth to improve survivability.

This is a single jet engine (WP-11C engine) design UAV, and China's previous propeller-driven unmanned combat aircraft design also has many similarities, but is smaller and lighter than the CH-6. Both aircraft can complete surveillance and reconnaissance dynamic missions, but the CH-6 may be more suitable for the former because its size and weight allow it to carry multiple sensor systems - and large sensor systems - to conduct reconnaissance work at longer distances and higher altitudes.

In the US, the closest thing to the CH-6 is probably General Atomics' Avenger drone, although the CH-6 is less low-observable in its design and appears to be capable of high-altitude operations for certain types of missions. The Avenger, in its limited aspects, might be better categorized as somewhere between the CH-6 and the Cloud Shadow. In addition, the CH-6's overall design is also simpler.

US MQ-20 Avenger drone

This is a big deal because the CH-6 could provide China with an "everyday" high-altitude, long-endurance platform that is not inherently very sensitive and not very expensive to procure and operate. It could be a platform that potentially provides power, but can also carry larger sensors and other payloads when needed, all with the reliability of a twin-jet engine. This would once again fill the gap of an unmanned flying "sensor truck."

The CH-6 is far from a sophisticated drone, especially compared to some of the stealth drones that China is currently pursuing, but this also means that the CH-6 will be much cheaper and can be purchased and used in large quantities by users.