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New Flying Wing UAV by Chinese Academy of Sciences Emerges

FlyMarshall NewsroomBy No Comments6 Mins Read

The aircraft is similar to another concept model revealed during the 2018 Singapore Air Show, called the Star Shadow, which was developed with an unspecified Chinese institution.

A new flying wing type UAV has emerged in China’s northeastern city of Changchun, in the run up to the air show expected to kick off on Sep. 19, 2025. The aircraft bears the logo and markings of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

While its designation and identity remain unknown, one angle shows the letters KZ-2 on the port-side wing. It is not known, however, whether this is its official designation.

Some observers have tied it to the Star Shadow conceptual UAV, which was first unveiled at the 2018 Singapore Air Show. The mock up of the Star Shadow, developed by Star UAV System Co. Ltd., and the full-sized aircraft at Changchun appear to be nearly identical.

The Star UAV System official in an interview covered by DefenseWebTV on YouTube in 2018 said they “developed this aircraft with a Chinese institution,” suggesting a collaboration with CAS or any of its laboratories. It is not clear whether he was referring to any other Chinese state or military-affiliated aerospace science body.

Unidentified CAS flying wing aircraft

CAS is the umbrella body overseeing nearly a hundred research institutes involved in nearly every branch of core STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) research and various inter-disciplinary fields. The affiliated laboratories routinely have foreign, non-Chinese scientists on their staff. The website access to both CAS and almost all of its laboratories, is also open and unrestricted.

Along with the publicized news releases on participation in foreign conferences and research papers, it is suggested that UAV developed by CAS might have largely civilian technology demonstration applications. This could pertain to developing a tailless flying wing design to exhibit CAS’s advancement into aeronautical sciences, or field new avionics, flight control or propulsion technology.

We also do not know if the aircraft has flown yet. However, full-scale models or aircraft are usually not displayed at exhibitions without having undergone some amount of actual flight testing.

It is also too early to say if the PLA might develop an interest in the aircraft. The Chinese military has over a dozen operational unmanned systems, with at least four pure flying-wing type aircraft. These include the GJ-11, two of the four new CCA/UCAVs displayed in the parade earlier this month and the CH-7 UCAV.

The new unknown aircraft has a prominent bulge on the top that slopes down towards the tail, and a prominent chine line that runs along the wing’s leading edge. The air inlets are resting diagonally on the hump and the upper fuselage, and then flowing into the exhaust that does not have protruding nozzles. The blended wing-body flying wing has a cranked arrow-type wing, somewhat similar to the Northrop Grumman X-47B that was tested off the U.S. Navy carriers.

However, the mounting of the intakes on the side suggests the dorsal ‘hump’ is supposed to hold space for a variety of unknown systems – depending upon whether the KZ-2 has civilian or military applications. The aircraft is also mounted on jigs, and no landing gear is clearly visible. It is possible this is temporary, and that this would be removed during the course of the exhibition.

Star Shadow UAV at 2018 Singapore Air Show

The Star Shadow, according to its company representative, as per the overlaid audio translation by the interpreter, is “specialized for the high-altitude environment” with a turbofan engine, developed by a sister company of Star UAV System. The company already specializes in producing large-scale, autonomous UAVs for transport and cargo roles to remote regions.

This UAV appears, as mentioned earlier, nearly identical to the CAS’ unidentified flying wing example at Changchun, except for the exhaust section. A 2D thrust-vectoring nozzle – like the F-22, with two vertically-opening flaps – sits between two rectangular flat exhausts, in a triple outlet system. This is consistent with a three-engine configuration, but the UAV has only two intakes, like the CAS aircraft, resting diagonally along the ‘hump’.

It is possible the three exhausts are configured to further divide the hot gases with a view to reduce the IR signature. This could also simply be a loosely designed model, not representative of what the actual flying example is envisaged to look like.

However, since this is a scale display model, this assessment remains in the broad realm of speculation. In general, it is suffice to say that such projects also serve largely as technology demonstrators to test and validate a range of aerospace technologies.

These include everything from stealth materials, engines, communication, navigation systems – with quantum navigation and quantum communication being the latest – electronics, and avionics. Those successful could find their way on to future aircraft. China’s large fleet of Gen. 4, Gen. 4++ and Gen. 5 aircraft allows it the luxury of pursuing projects like its three next-generation jets, which may not be successful.

This is unlike the U.S., which has all its future operational plans and doctrines revolving around the B-21 Raider, the F/A-XX and the F-47 NGAD. As it is now emerging, the outcome of future wars is being written on the factory floor. As for the new flying-wing UAV, we would have more information with new images and more details that would emerge as the expo opens.


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