Hongdu N-5
| Company type | Company (manufacturer) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Predecessor | Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Company |
| Founded | 1998 (renamed from Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Company) |
| Headquarters | People's Republic of China |
| Products | Aircraft (including Hongdu N-5 agricultural aircraft) |
| Website | https://web.archive.org/web/20081120201755/http://www.hongdu-aviation.com/english/html/product-3.htm |
The Hongdu N-5, initially designated as the Nanchang N-5, is an agricultural aircraft from the People's Republic of China that had its maiden flight in 1989 and entered production starting in 1992. This single-engine, low-wing monoplane is offered with either a piston engine or a turboprop powerplant.
Development and design
Design work commenced in November 1987 at Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Company (which was renamed Hongdu Aviation Industry Group in 1998) to develop a contemporary agricultural plane intended to succeed the license-built Antonov An-2 models used in China. The first flight of the N-5 occurred on 26 December 1989. It incorporates a traditional low-wing monoplane configuration constructed primarily from metal, except for a sealed, pressurized chemical hopper made of glassfibre located forward of the cockpit to shield the crew during pesticide application. The aircraft is equipped with tricycle landing gear and is operated by one pilot, accompanied by a tandem jump-seat designed for a mechanic.
The N-5 is powered by a single Lycoming O-720 eight-cylinder piston engine and received airworthiness certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China on 12 August 1992. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration granted certification for the N-5A model on 26 February 2007, permitting its use within the United States.
To address the demand from Chinese users for enhanced power, evaluations were conducted on more potent piston engines and turboprop alternatives before selecting the Czech-made Walter M601 turboprop engine for the N-5B variant. This version replaced the nosewheel landing gear with a tailwheel undercarriage and completed its first flight on 28 December 2006.
Variants
- N-5A
- Primary production variant featuring nosewheel landing gear, powered by a 298 kW (400 hp) Lycoming IO-720 piston engine.
- N-5B
- Model equipped with a 580 kW (777 hp) Walter M601F turboprop engine and fitted with tailwheel landing gear.
References
- Lambert, Mark (ed.). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–94. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. .
- Sobie, Brendan. "Hongdu switches engines to uprate agricultural aircraft". Flight International, 15–21 June 2004. p. 29.
- Taylor, Michael J.H. (ed.). Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000. London: Brassey's, 1999. .