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There’s all sorta knockoff crap that you can get from China nowadays: watches, clothes, and things that look vaguely like iPhones. Looks like the cloning factories are turning to a more sinister purpose, however, with China unveiling a new fleet of drones that look suspiciously similar to their American counterparts. Real question is, will Apple be able to sue them?
Revealed at China’s International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, “China’s” Wing Loong UAV (pictured left) looks a hell of a lot like the American MQ-9 Reaper (on the right), which anyone who frequents the Afghanistan/Pakistan border will doubtless be familiar with. It’s not just the UAV they’ve ripped off, either; the ground control cabin again bears a startling resemblance to the American version (though I think they might’ve removed the bespoke doughnut holder).
Like all Chinese knockoffs, the Wing Loong undercuts the full-fat version on price, at around £600,000, while a Reaper will run even your most influential oligarch a cool £20 million. That pricetag does come with some trade-offs though; fewer weapons and less endurance than the Reaper, so if you’re planning a mass-murder maybe don’t go placing your orders just yet.
It all goes to show, though, that China’s becoming ever better at copying America’s biggest and baddest toys; guess we’d all better watch out for a sky flooded with cheap Chinese drones — I don’t want one falling on my head. [Defence News via Wired]
Image credit: David Cenciotti and US Air Force
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The one on the right.
Really? Look again, you are wrong.
I was taking the piss! Man alive no one on here can read sarcasm. I saw the Chinese lettering on the left picture. Also US drones are rarely marked like the Chinese one with the bird image across the fuselage. Also most American PD’s are grey coloured on the top half, like the one on the right.
Also noting that Chris already told us:
“Revealed at China’s International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, “China’s” Wing Loong UAV (pictured left) looks a hell of a lot like the American MQ-9 Reaper (on the right)”
Damn, did I give away the answer?
Just a long shot, but I’d say it’s probably the one sitting beside the sign with the Chinese writing on it.
Whatever the additional capabilities of the American one I can’t imagine they justify the 3333% price markup.
The chinese one is probably made from recycled takeaway containers and spit though.
You’d be surprised.
How else are you going to make back the billions spent on original development?
Oh and the other billions they’ve wasted on goat staring.
This thing is actually much closer to the Predator than the Reaper. Its little 100hp piston engine is thoroughly trounced by the 900hp turboprop in the Reaper, and is similar to the Predator’s spec.
The unit cost of the Predator is more like £4m, so that’s not quite as bad. Still pretty lousy.