Even as the US Army begins selecting candidates for its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, and other conventional rotorcraft are considered finalists in the Future Vertical Lift Aircraft (FVLA) selection process, the Chinese may have lapped the competition with their own next-generation “chopper”.
The Type 075 helicopter, which some are calling the “Super White Shark”, looks more like a flying saucer than a true combat helicopter, sporting a circular fuselage with a center-mounted bulbous cockpit, all of which is purportedly clad in a coating of radar absorbent material designed to defeat radar detection at both low and high altitudes. Shown for the first time at the recently held Tianjin military expo, The Super White Shark concept model was described by Chinese State media as a two-seat turbojet stealth aircraft with a ceiling of 6,000 metres (19,685 feet), a top speed of 650km/h (404mph) and a range of 2,950km.
Although the Super White Shark’s developer – known as the Parrot Laboratory – claimed to have learned from designs such as the US’ AH-64 Apache ground attack helicopter and Russia’s Ka-52 reconnaissance and combat chopper, it said no country had yet succeeded in developing and perfecting such wing-body-fusion technology.
A static prototype was shown sitting atop several square pedestals so it isn’t clear if the rotorcraft can actually fly and maneuver in flight as advertised or whether the aircraft was simply meant to spook western defense analysts.