Aerospace

Flying saucer-like attack helicopter to take to the sky in 2020

China has showcased an attack helicopter model that looks just like a flying saucer, a scale prototype of which is scheduled to make its maiden flight in 2020. Chinese military experts said on Friday that though the aircraft is highly experimental and may not be put into practical use anytime soon, it is beneficial to China's technology development for future helicopters.

Dubbed the Super Great White Shark, the sci-fi-like aircraft is on display at the 5th China Helicopter Exposition in Tianjin, which runs from Thursday to Sunday.

The 7.6-meter-long, 2.85-meter-wide helicopter features a blended wing body design, which makes it seem as though the aircraft itself is a wide ring with its cockpit fixed in the center.

According to the information board at the exposition, inside the ring there is a coaxial rotor system with a diameter of 4.9 meters, which will likely provide vertical lift. On two opposite sides of the ring, both parallel to the direction the cockpit is facing, there are two turbojet engines that could provide huge horizontal thrust for high speed movement.

Two pilots can fit in the cockpit, and can steer the direction of the aircraft by controlling a set of rudders located under the rotor system. The rudders could also work with the rotor system to provide a small horizontal thrust for low speed movement.