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CH-10 Rainbow-10 Tilt-Rotor VTOL Shipboard Reconnaissance Strike Drone

Under the cover of the "Rainbow-7" giant wing, the "Rainbow-10" unmanned tilting rotorcraft exhibited on the same platform is more "small and exquisite". The "Rainbow-10" unmanned tilting rotorcraft debuted on the scene. The "Rainbow-10" is a new type of unmanned aerial vehicle with integrated helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft technology.

Like a helicopter, the drone can take off and land vertically and hover in the air, while as a fixed-wing aircraft, it cruises rapidly and travels a long distance. The shift of flight modes is done through the tilting rotor. t takes off and land vertically in helicopter mode and cruises fast in fixed-wing aircraft mode. Its biggest feature is that it can take off and land vertically without a runway. It is suitable for environments such as land, islands and complex mountains. If it is needed in the future, it may also develop into a model used on ships. It can take off and land on marine survey vessels and marine police vessels, and can be used by both military and civilian.

The Chinese Academy of Aerospace and Aerodynamics (CAAA) under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) on 01 November 2018 revealed the CH-10 tilt-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The CH-10 is a new unmanned aerial vehicle integrating helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft technology, according to a statement sent exclusively to the Global Times on Wednesday. Like a helicopter, the drone can take off and land vertically and hover in the air, while as a fixed-wing aircraft, it cruises rapidly and travels a long distance. The shift of flight modes is done through the tilting rotor, the academy said.

Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the CH-10 pioneers in using tilt-rotor technology, noting that the US-made Osprey also uses a tilt-rotor, but it is manned. As an unmanned platform capable of both reconnaissance and battle, the main mission of the CH-10 is to accompany large- and medium-sized naval ships or army forces and to conduct intelligence missions, including reconnaissance, detection, communications relay, search, target identification, and relay guidance, the statement said.

It can take off and land on medium and large destroyers and frigates, it said. The development of the CH-10 will also provide invaluable experience for China to develop its manned tilt-rotor aircraft, Song noted. The CH-10 was featured at Airshow China 2018 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province.

Essentially nothing has been heard of the CH-10 since the 2018 Zhuhai. There are no photographs of this vehicle in flight. It seems probable that this design was proposed in 2018, but as of mid-2021 had yet to find institutional sponsorship.