GHK-38 Wolverine

The Gyundoan-Han-Kansainyhteisön GHK-38 Wolverine is an advanced compound attack helicopter jointly developed by Hallia and Menghe. The Gyundoan-Han Helicopter Corporation contributed the powerplant and general layout, while Kansainyhteisön Ilmailu was responsible for the airframe materials and electronics. There are some minor differences between the baseline variants developed in Hallia and Menghe, including the type of autocannon mounted under the hull and the spacing of the bomb suspension locks on the pylons, but most of these parts can be swapped out in production to streamline parts commonality.

Design

Overview

The GHK-38 uses a compound helicopter configuration, with a six-bladed pusher propeller in the rear to provide forward thrust. Its main rotor uses a coaxial configuration with four rigid blades per level. Both the coaxial lifting rotor and the pusher propeller are driven from the same transmission by a pair of Taesan T508-1 turboshaft engines, each one generating 2,400 kW (3,200 hp) of power. There is also an auxiliary power unit forward of the transmission which provides power during the startup process and while grounded, though this is normally turned off during flight.

As on other attack helicopters, the crew consists of two personnel sitting in a tandem cockpit. The pilot sits in the rear, upper position, while the gunner and weapon systems operator sits in the forward, lower position. Both crew members have a full set of controls, meaning that the gunner can take over flying the helicopter if the pilot is incapacitated and the pilot can target weapon systems directly if necessary. The pilot and gunner both use a version of the Keikō-II helmet-mounted display, which projects target markers, threat markers, and avionics information in front of the user's eyes and allows the user to "see" icons through the floor of the cockpit.

In the rear fuselage, just behind the engines, there is an electronics access compartment with two rudimentary seats. This compartment can be used to evacuate personnel in an emergency. In a typical scenario, if one helicopter is shot down but its pilot and copilot survive, another helicopter in its flight can land nearby to pick them up. For this purpose, the rear compartment also contains a basic first aid and survival kit. If no other helicopters are available, the GHK-38 can also rescue other ground personnel, including special forces and civilian VIPs, though the small size and limited amenities of the rear compartment make the GHK-38 inefficient as a transport helicopter. Outside of rescue missions, the crew can also use the rear compartment to transport spare parts and personal effects when ferrying to a new base, or to deliver and recover high-value cargo. On most missions, however, the crew leave the compartment empty.

An unusual detail on the GHK-38 is the location of its exhaust. While most helicopters place the exhaust directly behind the turbines, the GHK-38 places it at the end of the tail boom, facing upward. Inside the fuselage, exhaust from the turbines combines with cool air drawn in through a set of vents on the roof, and the hot and cool air mix while proceeding through a pair of wide tubes in the tail, bringing the temperature of the exhaust closer to atmospheric temperature. The exhaust vent itself is beyond the main coaxial rotor, meaning that the rotor downwash does not blow the exhaust back onto the fuselage and heat up the helicopter's skin. While heavier and more complex than a conventional turbine exhaust, this system makes it harder for heat-seeking missiles to lock onto the helicopter, and also impairs detection and targeting by land-based infrared optics.