NRIST unmanned helicopters are Chinese UAVs developed by Nanjing Research Institute of Simulation Technology (南京模拟技术研究所) (NRIST), also known as the 60th Research Institute of People's Liberation Army General Staff Department (总参六十所), an ISO 9001 ceritified research/production facility headquartered in Nanjing.
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Z-1
Z-1 is an unmanned helicopter developed by NRIST and it is the first attempt to incorporate additional mission capabilities in addition to being a drone. Z-1 is in conventional layout and can carry payload. Z-1 is no longer in service, having been replaced by more advanced version, Z-2, which in turn, eventually superseded by Z-3 Sky Hawk 3. Z-1 program begun in 1984, four years after the larger Z-2 begun, but Z-2 program was put on hold, and priority was given to smaller Z-1. After completion of the Z-1 development, Z-2 program resumed based on the experience gained from Z-1.
Z-2
Z-2 is an unmanned helicopter developed by NRIST and it is the development of earlier Z-1. Like earlier Z-1, Z-2 is also in conventional helicopter layout, and like its predecessor Z-1, Z-2 is also remotely controlled. Landing gear of Z-2 consists of a pair of skids, which is the most obvious external visual difference between Z-2 and Z-1, which still retains the wheeled landing gear of earlier I-2 drone. Like its predecessor Z-1, Z-2 is no longer in production either, superseded by its successor Z-3 Sky Hawk 3. However, some legacy Z-2 might still in service before being phased out. Originally, program begun in 1980, but it was later decided to wait, and the smaller Z-1 was given priority first. After the development of Z-1 was complete, development of Z-2 resumed based on experience of the smaller Z-1.
WZ-3 Sky Hawk 3
Originally designated as Z-3, the designation is changed WZ-3 to avoid confusion with manned helicopter with designation also starts with Z. W standards for Wu-Ren (无人), meaning unmanned. WZ-3 Sky Hawk 3 (Tian-Ying 3 or Tianying 3, 天鹰) is an unmanned helicopter in conventional helicopter layout with a pair of skids as landing gear. Z-3 Sky Hawk 3 is equipped with fiber optic gyro and GPS navigation, and it is developed from earlier Z-2, with technologies of Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese remote control airplane manufacturer, whose products were sold to China and some of which has been reverse engineered. Z-3 Sky Hawk 3 is intended for various duties such as aerial cinematography / patrol / photography / surveying, and it is also intended for communication relay. Various payload can be carried based on the mission requirement. Specification:
WZ-5 Sky Hawk 5
Originally designated as Z-5, the designation is changed WZ-5 to avoid confusion with manned helicopter Z-5 with W standards for Wu-Ren (无人), meaning unmanned. WZ-5 Sky Hawk 5 is the larger cousin of the smaller Z-3 Sky Hawk 3 developed earlier. Like its smaller cousin, Z-5 Sky Hawk 5 is intended for various missions and it is also in conventional helicopter layout with a pair of skids as landing gear. Specification:
WZ-6B
WZ-6B is the largest unmanned helicopter developed by NRIST as of mid-2014. The existence of WZ-8 is revealed when it made its public debut in June 2014 at the 5th UAV Exhibition held in Beijing. WZ-6B is the naval version of WZ-6, and it is specifically developed for naval use on board ships. WZ-6B is equipped with fishhook type ship landing system and it is intended for various mission such as reconnaissance, electronic warfare and surveillance missions. WZ-6B is in conventional helicopter layout with a pair of skids as landing gear. Specification: