Gyundoan-Han GH-36 Mulsuri

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GH-36 Mulsuri
Role Heavy compound utility helicopter
National origin Menghe
Manufacturer Gyundoan-Han Helicopter Factory
First flight 2012
Introduction 2018
Status In service
Primary user Menghean Navy
Produced 2017-present

The Gyundoan-Han GH-36 "Mulsuri" (Osprey) is a twin-turbine-engine heavy compound utility helicopter designed in Menghe by the Gyundoan-Han design bureau. Its most distinctive feature is a push rotor in the tail boom, which, in conjunction with a streamlined airframe and a coaxial rotor, allows the helicopter to cruise at speeds of 410 kilometers per hour and reach maximum speeds of 450 kilometers per hour. It is primarily used by the Menghean Navy in the anti-submarine and utility transport roles.

Development

The GH-36 grew out of a Navy requirement for an anti-submarine-focused helicopter which could cover a wider area of ocean than the existing Gyundoan-Han GH-28 Ppulsoeori. The designers focused on increasing the helicopter's cruise speed, which would allow it to deploy a larger sonobuoy field in the same span of time. Increased speed also conferred other advantages: a faster sprint speed results in a shorter reaction time to transient sonar contacts, and a smaller search area upon arrival. Once on site, a faster helicopter can also lay rows of sonobuoys more quickly, increasing the chance of detecting a submarine in a V-type search pattern.

To better exploit this increased speed, the helicopter would require more sonobuoys; to better exploit a larger sonobuoy payload, it would require greater endurance; and to better exploit greater endurance, it would require a heavier weapon load. All of these requirements resulted in increasingly large sizes for the competition entries. Because the Navy planned to use the new type on the Hasŏ-class cruisers, still in development, increased size was deemed to be an acceptable constraint.

While design work was underway, the Ministry of National Defense observed that the helicopter's speed, power, and internal volume would make it well-suited to transport roles, and proposed that a general-purpose utility variant be designed. Previously, the Menghean Navy had relied on a combination of GH-28 utility models for ship-to-ship vertical replenishment and larger land-based helicopters for shore-to-ship carrier onboard delivery; but the GH-28 lacked a rear ramp for easy unloading, and land-based helicopters lacked folding rotors and could only park temporarily on a carrier's deck or lower supplies from the air.

Design

Like the GHK-38 Wolverine, whose development it influenced, the GH-36 uses a coaxial rotor to increase lift and stability for a given rotor diameter and eliminate the need for a side-facing tail rotor. Instead, the GH-36 has a pusher propeller on its tail boom, resulting in a gyrodyne configuration. This enables the helicopter to cruise at speeds in excess of 400 kilometers per hour.

Most Navy variants of the GH-36, including both the GH-36DJG and the GH-36SG, have an aerial refueling probe under the lower right corner of the nose. This probe has a telescoping design, and can extend in flight to clear the rotor blades, otherwise retracting to reduce the helicopter's deck parking footprint. Aerial refueling allows the GH-36SG to reach surface ship formations far from its takeoff point, and can extend the patrol time of the GH-36DJG.

Because the GH-36 is designed for use aboard ships, the main rotor blades are hinged and can fold over the rear fuselage. The tail boom is thick and non-folding.

Variants

GH-36DJG

The GH-36DJG is a specially designed variant for anti-submarine operations, and the original objective of the project. It was first introduced on the Hasŏ-class cruisers and Insŏng-class destroyers. It can carry a total of 42 sonobuoys, with 30 in a reserve storage rack and 12 in two revolver assemblies ready for ejection. These are typically a mix of active and passive sonobuoys, as well as a few special-purpose sonobuoys for measuring water temperature and currents and communicating with submarines. Within the four-man crew, the assistant sonar operator is tasked with manually loading sonobuoys from the reserve rack to the ready revolvers; once back at his seat, he remotely controls the revolvers, selecting the desired sonobuoy type and ejecting it through a small hatch in the bottom of the fuselage. Because of this ejection system, the cabin is not pressurized, which limits the GH-36DJG's maximum safe altitude.

Unlike the GH-36SG, which has large sponsons on either side of the fuselage, the GH-36DJG has two stub wings, each supporting two hardpoints. It is able to carry torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and air-to-air missiles, as well as rocket pods and bombs. These diverse payload options allow the GH-36DJG to engage in anti-surface missions, attacking isolated corvettes, auxiliary ships, and small craft. YGG-5 Dando air-to-air missiles provide a small measure of self-defense capability when operating in contested airspace, and allow the helicopter to engage targets of opportunity, such as enemy helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft.

Because the sponsons were reduced in size to make space for these stub wings, extra fuel tanks are carried inside the cargo compartment, which is also occupied by sonobuoy storage, sonar-processing computer equipment, and the sonar operator stations.

Sensors consist of a deployable magnetic anomaly detector over the left side sponson, a surface-search radar under the fuselage for detecting periscopes and snorkels, and an electro-optical sensor under the nose. Chaff/flare ejectors are installed on either side of the tail, and four missile approach warning lenses and radio frequency jammers are spread around the airframe.

GH-36SG

The GH-36SG is the baseline utility model which grew out of Gyundoan-Han's concept-demonstration prototype. It has no armament or hardpoints, and no sensors apart from basic navigation equipment. Crew and passengers can enter through vertically-opening clamshell doors on the right side of the cockpit, and there is a cargo ramp under the tail boom. There are also emergency exit windows on each side of the cockpit and on the left side of the fuselage aft. On the military version of the GH-36SG, the cargo bay is left empty, and can be either loaded with light vehicles and supplies, or fitted with stretchers or folding seats.

This model is mainly used for supply transport and personnel transport missions within friendly airspace, including vertical replenishment of certain ship classes.

GH-36SGG

The GH-36SGG was specially ordered in 2017 for Menghe's Marine Infantry. It consists of a GH-36SG fitted with missile warning systems and countermeasures, and the ability to mount machine guns in the opened right-side clamshell door and forward left-side emergency exit. The Menghean armed forces initially saw it as a potential platform for conducting surprise heliborne assaults across the Strait of Portcullia, which it would be able to cross with the help of aerial refueling. In 2020, however, the Navy determined that the risk of such an operation was too high, and made no infantry attacks on the island of Portcullia during the 2022 One-Month War. Instead, the few ordered GH-36SGGs are used on Menghe's landing helicopter docks.

Ship classes using the GH-36

Users

Specifications (GH-36DJG)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 4 (pilot, copilot, 2 sonar operators)
  • Length: 16.93 m (55 ft 7 in) fuselage only, probe retracted
  • Wingspan: 4.93 m (16 ft 2 in)
  • Height: 5.16 m (16 ft 11 in)
  • Empty weight: 9,702 kg (21,389 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 16,500 kg (36,376 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Taesan T508-1 Turboshaft, 2,400 kW (3,200 hp) each
  • Main rotor diameter: 2× 14.98 m (49 ft 2 in)
  • Main rotor area: 1,409.9 m2 (15,176 sq ft)
  • Propellers: single blade, 3.39 m (11 ft 1 in) diameter

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 450 km/h (280 mph; 243 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 410 km/h (255 mph; 221 kn)
  • Never exceed speed: 460 km/h (286 mph; 248 kn)
  • Range: 1,200 km (746 mi; 648 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 4,850 m (15,910 ft)

Armament


See also

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