Nanbin W.54

The Nanbin W.54 is a, (UAV) built by the Nanbin Aircraft Corporation. It was originally developed as a reconnaissance platform. It can also be used in support roles in disaster relief operations and military missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, and intelligence.

Design and development
The Nanbin W.54 is a remotely piloted tilt rotor UAV developed for use in the Imperial Kodeshi Army. It was designed as a reconnaissance platform and can carry four and half hours of loitering on a 93 km (58 mi, 50 nmi) radius or hover for two hours.

The fuselage of the W.54 consists of an open framework that has a composite material on the upper portion, and an aluminium alloy clamshell structure at the lower part. The rotors of the aircraft are powered by a one SKMCO SK-900A air-cooled horizontally-opposed engine mounted within the fuselage of the aircraft.

The 3-bladed rotors are linked to the power plant by a gear box and shaft, which drives the propellers through a reduction unit. The two prototypes built during the initial development phase were designed with the requirements of carrying out reconnaissance and surveillance tasks and did not have weapon systems fitted.

Later developments saw the W.54 being modified with various payloads, including reconnaissance equipment and cameras. The first flight was carried out in 2012 and the type was cleared for mass production. The Nanbin W.54 was inducted into service in 2017 after successful completion of field trials.

The Nanbin W.54 was developed under contract from the Kodeshi Ministry of Defence. Its mission is multi-purpose intelligence gathering and surveillance. It is controlled remotely, via satellite or a direct line of sight link. The W.54 is operated in two ways – autonomously or manually. For autonomous operation, it is controlled via satellite communication system.

Kodeshia
The Nanbin W.54 has seen action in Kodeshia as an Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance platform. The Nanbin W.54 was deployed for its combat trial as a V/STOL reconnaissance platform. In mid-November, the Nanbin W.54 completed a combat training exercise conducted by the air wing of the army. The Imperial Kodeshi Navy quickly adopted the type to complement their existing WZ.5QFS unmanned helicopter platform. The W.54QFS offers superior performance and range. It can perform reconnaissance and surveillance, search & rescue and antisubmarine missions while providing real-time video streaming. The W.54's long range also makes it useful for anti-surface warfare, close air support and aerial reconnaissance.

Prototype Models

 * Nanbin W.54YM
 * F = 原型; Yuánxíng ("Prototype"), M = 模型; Móxíng ("Model")
 * Prototype version, two built.

Production Models

 * Nanbin W.54QZ
 * Q = 轻型; Qīngxíng ("Light"), Z = 侦察; Zhēnchá ("Reconnaissance")
 * Current production variant with autopilot, avionics, datalinks, and countermeasures abilities. Operates as a reconnaissance drone for the Imperial Kodeshi Air Force, 12 built.


 * Nanbin W.54QFS
 * Q = 轻型; Qīngxíng ("Light"), F = 反潜战; Fǎnqián zhàn ("Antisubmarine Warfare"), S = 搜救; Sōujiù ("Search & Rescue")

Armed naval version operates as a light ASW and SAR helicopter for the Imperial Kodeshi Navy, 24 built.

Operators
 Kodeshia
 * Imperial Kodeshi Army: has operated W.54s since 2017. The IKAF has 12 W.54QZ in service.
 * Imperial Kodeshi Navy: has operated W.54s since 2019. The IKAF has 24 W.54QZ in service.