China PLA's Attack Gyrocopter is One Hell of a Ride!

Have you ever wondered if an unprotected gyrocopter can be a viable combat aircraft? Well, the Chinese PLA clearly thinks so!
/ eurasianavalinsight
www.buymeacoff...
Keywords: Hunting Eagle Strike Vehicle, People's Liberation Army, PLAAF, helicopter, Chinese air force, military

[@usernwn7qe]

I think before the Ukrainian war, people would have laughed it off. But now it seems like small nimble combat units are the future.

[@MuffHam]

Think 100,000 of these flying across thr Taiwan straight. That's 100,000 troops being dropped off. Combined with a naval landing. Don't forget China has lots of manpower.

[@King_Cola]

I thought exactly the same

[@King_Cola]

Light aircraft and drones are the future

[@alanxu3936]

Yup, if you think riflemen on gyrocopters is ridiculous, tell that to the IDF, who got it's ass handed to itself by insurgents on paragliders.

[@andrean2247]

@@alanxu3936 maybe mummus learn this from china. China only country that use gyros before 7oct attack. Hummus is like combined skill of russian wagners & mechanical strategy & logistic of China's PLA. Only lacking in heavy armor & airpower.

[@thetreekeeper143]

This is excellent for rough mountainous terrain. If you have military on top of a mountain, you can send resources up very quickly. Also on muddy terrain or getting passed areas that have been mined heavily. Also with sending small special forces reconnaissance mission.

[@tblk3747]

I don't think it's good for rough mountainous terrain. Small engine and low attitude flying means it's not capable to climb to avoid collision with complicated terrain. You need a powerful aircraft to fly low attitude above mountainous terrain

[@dimassalazar906]

Thinner air up on mountains require bigger engines and rotor blades.

[@exploreandunravel5773]

TOFU Drag logic 😂

[@Vostadues]

This is the airborne version of motorbikes recon units, those missiles is to ensure they have some countermeasure when needed, does not mean they will be used for AT missions...

[@andrean2247]

Smaller KA-52 with shorten range & more number.

[@fuckyoutube-d2e]

its 5,000 per gyrocopter but I think they lie

[@makorek]

AT missions are still on your site of front line. Its just a super mobile and elevated ATGM position. Yeah, small and cheap KA-52...

[@BaronEvola123]

​@@makorek That fake "radar" on the nose? You believe that? It's fake. Those phony missiles up front? All b.s.

[@打工人-d1u]

​@@fuckyoutube-d2eYou can search for the Wuling EV mini car, which only costs 4000 USD

[@therover65]

Well, Hamas used something of a similar concept - motorized parachute glider - in their surprise attack on Israel.

[@GMATveteran]

This type of gyrocopter seems like it would make a very useful rapid recon & spec-ops insertion asset, especially in heavy ECM environments where UAVs are likely to be jammed. Since it relies purely on low altitude & mobility for survivability, perhaps the airframe, rotors, & other parts can be made out of non-metallic material to minimize the probability of radar detection.

[@omegabulldog5001]

composites will probably be used and military grade plastics too. with those replacing many of the metal parts I imagine their radar signature will be almost invisible. Imagine a division of paratroopers deploying with gyrocopters instead of being parachuted in. That will be a massive advantage and a huge tactical gain.

[@gelinrefira]

This is more likely used in mountainous regions where it is very difficult to get anything up there and west China is full of mountains. A small, fast lightweight vehicle that can be mass produced, hidden easily until used, easy to transport and packs a punch with anti-tank missiles, and can carry troops, will be a nightmare for any opposing force trying to bring tanks and other vehicles to a fight up in the mountains.

[@colapepsi132]

Millitants have used paragliders for exactly this in october

[@orbiradio2465]

That's not how stealth works. You can't make the engine non-reflective. So you have to shield it somehow. That would be impossible for a gyrocopter. Btw. most non-metallic materials reflect radar too.

[@gamingrex2930]

💀💀 assuming your foe can afford ECM at the operational level. Some fucker sitting in a foxhole or depot will probably have MANPADS literally just lying around and ready for use. As reliable and rugged as these platforms are, they have ZERO survivability against shrapnel of any amount. Zero chance against adversaries that aren’t insurgents.

[@psbj]

Well, it runs on regular gas and costs about 5,500 dollars. It is equivalent to a used car but give you a pair of wings instead. What else do you want?

[@Bytional]

PLA in the 90s tried this type of recon by using the Paramotor, yes the one just used by Hamas. And in the early 2000s, they switched to gyrocopters, back at that time, PLA was lacking traditional helicopters, both recon and transport ones, so the requirements for gyrocopters were: light and easy on the logistics.

[@IrishCarney]

This reminds me of the PRC vs Taiwan war novel "China Attacks" by Chuck DeVore and Steven Mosher. It was published way back in around 2000 when of course the cross-Straits balance of forces was not yet so heavily in the PRC's favor, so it had the PRC doing a lot of asymmetric warfare and "outside the box" tactics. One of them was swarms of paragliders crossing the Straits to minimize radar signature for surprise and to bypass conventional air defenses.

[@RUTHLESSambition5]

Oct 7th proved these things are very effective and they had a much cheaper version

[@katong1953]

I think the gyrocopter is developed for this reason -- to saturate and swarm the enemy's air defenses.

[@teckmenglee8060]

wow, this is very powerful upgrade over most infantry troops and definitely gives great mobility for attack and defense for small troop sizes and quick attack possibility.

[@phils4634]

Autogyros are VERY manoeuvrable, and the combination of low speed and fast turn rates makes them a useful asset. Almost vertical landing, and extremely short take off for a VERY low cross-section aircraft, combined with a ridiculously low cost and easy, fast training - what more do you need. Assuming a "reasonable Mil. Spec." entry level model costs $10,000, you can buy a fleet of 15,000 for the cost of ONE F-35. The economics are even better when you consider flying an F-35 for ONE Hour costs more than buying FOUR of these machines!

[@crybabylebongo]

@@phils4634 no you sound like ccp, at most the gyros can recon and harass. dropping units can only be done by parachute out of the gyro into enemy lines. these dam things arent even built in volume

[@phils4634]

@@crybabylebongo I wouldn't be so sure about that. SE Asia has seen a very big increase in Gyroplane sales, and there are at least four Gyroplane Manufacturers in China, along with a host of large drone Manufacturers, so the capacity to build is certainly there. These are cheap, simple aircraft, and China has control over the entire supply chain, so if there is a perceived need, that's the one Country that can meet that need, and in a very timely fashion.

[@thecomment9489]

I think these gyrocopters are more useful in those areas which are hard to reach by road/rail and large aircrafts like in some natural disaster zone or remote mountainous areas.

[@BSenta]

Not really it can't take off vertically didn't you listen to the video?

[@gelinrefira]

@@BSenta It doesn't need a runway. Just a small clearing to take off and land.

[@hhvictor2462]

The crafty PLA has been watching old James Bond movies

[@phils4634]

Nice to see my suggestion! I think the Chinese versions use the Zongshen C115, which is a close copy of the Rotax 914 UL Turbo. Having flown a gyro, they are VERY easy to learn to fly, remarkably safe, and an absolute hoot to fly. They may be a bit slower than a jet-powered modern Military chopper, but are FAR more economical to operate, VERY economical on fuel, and offer far more "smiles per gallon" to the gyro pilot 🙂

[@phils4634]

Takes about FOUR hours training to fly one of these aircraft. It wouldn't be too difficult to put lightweight armour under and around the cockpit area either, which would certainly improve operator protection, especially against small arms fire.

[@maxdc988]

😂

[@serronserron1320]

Seems like a good decision for harassment campaigns and special forces.

[@Xinjiangbro]

@@phils4634朋友又看到你了😊，那天我们聊过没多久咱们两国就又继续增大了贸易量🎉中澳关系有所改善！恭喜我们两国以此贸易通道为生的人民🫶 话说你们要不要这么了解我们的军备啊😂搞得我们很慌……因为我是退役的PLA

[@phils4634]

@@Xinjiangbro Good to meet you too (again!), and as you say with trade everyone benefits. Australian wines are VERY good indeed and the trade hiccup wasn't good for anyone (where I live we have a LOT of Wineries, many within cycling distance from home!). I'm ex Royal Navy (Medical Branch), so there's the explanation for my interest in everything surface warship associated (especially fire control and data management). Although currently "retired", I still teach on an occasional basis in the local Medical School, and provide fortnightly "Clinical Update" sessions for our Palliative Care and Rehab. Medicine Consultants - mainly on new drugs, new therapies and interesting future developments (especially in Venom Peptide development, which is currently a very "hot" area!).

[@ex0duzz]

China can literally make millions of these easily if they cost 5,000 only. You can literally have an army of one million flying infantry, too much for anti air missiles to even shoot down. There are unlimited uses for this, going over minefields protected by artillery and anti air missiles etc..

[@Zerpentsa6598]

They can be easily converted into pilotless drones.

[@mathiaslimbodal667]

They don't cost 5000.

[@curtiswong7280]

@@mathiaslimbodal667 The video does mention they just cost 5,000 USD; it's the sensors and weaponry that costs more

[@phils4634]

Even if you double the price (cheap sensor ball and associated systems), you can still buy 15,000 of these for the price of just ONE F-35. The sensor ball doesn't need to have all the extras - an IR imager ($1000), decent camera (another $1000), and possibly a laser illuminator ($500 max). They could be fitted with a compact "off the shelf" X band radome, and datalink capability to provide a useful, VERY cost effective surveillance platform

[@ex0duzz]

@@phils4634 yep. And they don't even need all those sensors, especially if they are just using them as short range transporters. Like to move a million man infantry army over 20-30km of minefields protected by anti air missile defenses. They would also be accompanied by heavier and better armed helicopters and jets which have all the necessary tools to take out anti air machine guns that would be the main defense against such an attack. Imagine if Russia had 200,000 of these. Or Ukraine. It would change the way the war is fought. Lastly, the more china makes, the cheaper it would be. I think China is right in keeping such low tech options available and not going full on high tech for everything. Numbers and reliability is still very very important as Ukraine war has demonstrated. all of wests high tech stuff has not changed much in terms of giving Ukraine any advantage whatsoever.

[@peterhsieh380]

Good for city uses by the SWAT team during a very heavy traffic jam when police vehicles cannot bypass the city traffic jam.

[@phils4634]

Chinese Police forces are already using Autogyros. Xi'an Supersonic Aviation Tech. Co. are another Chinese Autogyro supplier; their HS-150 is very similar to this vehicle.

[@lance4698]

I even want to buy one for myself😂

[@seansixsixsix]

imagine some of the fighting groups in the middle east get hold of this thing.

[@peterwang5272]

沙特本来就是中国军购大客户

[@prastagus3]

you mean like Hamas who just used gyros on Oct 7?

[@felixleong61]

@@prastagus3 Hamas uses paragliders with armed soldiers on them. A parachute attached to a seat with a fan behind it.

[@prastagus3]

@@felixleong61ahh, thanks for the correction. The functions and intent of paragliders share similarities with gyros to the point which could consider them to be a makeshift cheap version of a gyro perhaps?

[@serronserron1320]

@@prastagus3 If they had these their attack would have been far more devastating on contested territories

[@dyong888]

Imagine a couple hundred of these small copters flying in low and inserting special force troops. Say 1 pilot and two behind for each plane. After landing you have 400 ground troops and 200 air scouts providing close air support. They can also fire off their air to ground missiles to hammer enemy positions and then land their troops which will take said enemy positions. Problem is they can't hover. If they could it will be an immense benefit as troops can jump off near the ground or it can hover at tree line to avoid AA missiles.

[@davidmoss2576]

Problem is portable manpads.

[@dyong888]

So you think helicopters will have less of a problem with MANPADS? LOL @@davidmoss2576

[@kapitankapital6580]

​@@davidmoss2576 or honestly even small arms with these kinds of vehicles. I don't think you'd want to send them into any fortified position. That said, OP's suggestion about insertion of spec ops troops makes a lot of sense.

[@dyong888]

Exactly. Just like you won't send Navy SEALS onto a beach head lined with enemy MG positions and land mines. Instead you find a spot that is quiet and you insert your spec ops teams. Remember even the yankee SEAL teams have paragliders. They function identical to PLA Gyrocopters. I'd say also that China's method potentially lets them carry more equipment and certainly some Air to Ground ordanance in case they chance upon enemy positions. Or how about the "little birds" of the yankee green berets? They use little choppers which can carry 3 or 4 troops at once too. I don't hear anyone talking about MANPADS. LOL Maybe they've been watching too much Captain Amerika. Yankee spec ops die just the same when hit with missiles or ground fire. @@kapitankapital6580

[@andrean2247]

​@@kapitankapital6580fortified position need to soften first by missile barrage or artillery barrage.

[@SgtCandy]

My guess is more the PLA has learned from Russian experiences in urban fighting and might put anti-tank ambush teams onto these to land at suitable high-rise buildings to top-attack enemy armour

[@ragabara1031]

That's definitely one way to exploit gaps in anti-air defenses.

[@wateryoung2997]

The types and quantity of conventional weapons in the PLA far exceed those of Russia, and Russia's experience is of no reference value to the PLA.

[@mrobocop1666]

@@wateryoung2997 PLA have a lot of armored vehicles but still much less than giant Russian stockpiles. The airforces are roughly the same level, but Russia have more various helicopter fleet with state of the art Ka-52, which can survive loss of tail because of having no tail rotor, can blind the manpads and have ejection seats for the crew

[@allenli7387]

不好意思，解放军拥有的各型无人机、机器狗是俄军梦寐以求的，俄罗斯空天军和陆军的现况也和印象里的存在水份。当然一些苏联遗产还是令人羡慕的，比如图-160

[@太直白]

It was displayed on the square in 2019. And at that time, Russia and Ukraine were not yet at war

[@joshuaarmand5236]

They are perfect for border surveillance/patrol and Wildlife and Fisheries/anti poacher patrol.

[@moss550]

I'd guess they are employed like air assault troops. Moving by gyro rather than helicopter. Individually, the gyros are more vulnerable than helicopters, but as a unit they are probably more survivable. Plus they make up for China's shortage of helicopter. It only takes 2 MANPADS to destroy a platoon of 20 men carried in 2 black hawks, but it will take 10 MANPADS to take out a equivalent 20 man platoon carried in 10 gyros. Plus these gyros are cheap, cheaper than a single javelin or stinger missile.

[@gelinrefira]

Yea, I think they probably will not fly directly into areas where they know it is defended. This can act more like a very mobile troop insertion. If you use a three-seater, that means 10 of these can insert 20 soldiers very close to the frontline or to extract them quickly. Mobility, especially on mountainous areas will likely be crucial. The troops get in near the enemy site, and inserted from multiple locations, and overcome impassable terrain and may even allow them to get behind the enemy lines. The possibilities are endless.

[@Cyyanss]

@@gelinrefirait’s probably much easier to keep these forward deployed too which is huge for logistics. Russians and Ukrainians have found out how hard it is to keep expensive helicopters close enough to respond in time due to the high risk environment of a battlefield with manpads everywhere. I imagine the maintenance is far less complex for short term stuff and you wouldn’t need anywhere near the support in terms of personnel or giant nice hangers. You could use tons of these 20 miles or less from frontline with relative impunity due to the numbers/low cost.

[@gelinrefira]

@@Cyyanss Agreed.

[@andrescarmona6993]

Very good idea. Easy to use and to maintain .

[@thehumus8688]

it definitly aint for frontal combat, it would be nice for infiltration and small skirmishes rather than Missile, they should carry small loitering drone Imagine if Drone like lancet was air launched the Gyrocopter can flee afterwards, while the co pilot operating the Drone Lancet is only like 40kg ? very light. with air launched it will extend the range immensely - allowing it to strike backline The Gyrocopter also can be operated in some random field or some road near frontline. that basicly very hard to track and detect

[@allesiofondressi2602]

Bingo!

[@zhli4238]

We've seen this used by Hamas breaching Gaza border wall. The larger rotor at top is free spinning, serves as gliding parachute function, and the smaller rotor pushing forward behind the driver is the power unit. This thing was believed to be a useless invention until 100 years later today.

[@zhli4238]

This could be another cheap technology like DJI drones. The lesson from DJI is, it was first marketed as civilian use, then proliferated to non-government militants.

[@halfrhovsquared]

You are clearly unaware of their multiple roles in WWII, then.

[@colonylaser4860]

Man, I would love to have one looks so fun. And if you're a rancher or farmer or have to cover a lot of land, hell yeah. But for combat.... uh, no.

[@Xinjiangbro]

朋友，其实在我高中的时候我们学校就有这个了。因为我的学校在郊区而且教学楼只有三层周围是大平地。所以实验室的同学经常在学校区里玩这个。相信我，它一定能为耕种甚至消防等民生问题服务。然而为军队服务，只是保护这一切的一个必要选择。当然，前提是你所在的区域没有低空禁飞😅

[@Camilo19832001]

Yea… these people that think all tacticool thinking they will have 200 of these things in the air are in for a rude awakening when the get picked off from the skies

[@hillsideonly]

​@@Camilo19832001how many can you shoot down before Chinese jets take down your anti air defence??

[@Camilo19832001]

@@hillsideonly air defense? How about a million rifles shooting in the air? Dumbas

[@HieuMau]

i personally think this gyrocopter will be the future of warfare next to drones mainly for how cheap they are but their downside are still a big concern for how vulnerable they are like small arms like 5.56 and 7.62x39 which doesnt really require MANPADs to deal with tho if they come in numbers then that would be a different case, Hamas used similar type of glider and they will be great for surprise offensive if China still planning to invade Taiwan then these gyrocopters will take a very big part of it they surely developed a good doctrine to use them by now but obviously they wont be taking too many part when a frontline and active combat zone is set i barely have any positive view on China but i gotta admit that this is the first revolutionary idea they ever came up in modern warfare

[@xworld021]

除了尖端高科技武器，中国从来没放弃过最简单的武器，不依赖导航、雷达、电磁、网络、昂贵燃料等，在某些情况下，依然能保证战斗力，比如核战后。

[@kapitankapital6580]

I think this really shows the dual nature of the PLA's operational requirements. They have to be prepared for high intensity peer-to-peer warfare in the Pacific and Korean Peninsula (and historically the Russian border) but they also have to be able to operate on extremely lengthy supply lines in the West, especially the Indian border. You're probably not going to see vehicles like these in an invasion of Taiwan, but their low logistical profile and cheap cost make them exceptionally useful at providing rudimentary air assets in skirmishes against India or against potential insurgents in Tibet or East Turkestan.

[@crybabylebongo]

I can see these being used in remote areas where logistics 'fuel, maintenance, skilled pilots' would be hard to supply. these things are like the kawasaki dirt bikes of the sky. they can recon, transport, harass, basically all around. and if used in large numbers they can be deadly. how can you defend against 1,000 of these dam things flying behind enemy lines

[@metanews7656]

Where is East Turkestan?

[@kapitankapital6580]

@@metanews7656 Xinjiang

[@dylanting3969]

@@metanews7656 The politically correct name for Xinjiang.

[@biochemwang2421]

Well, I think gyros are useful for communication and light cargo transportation on a battlefield rather than offensive tasks. Or should I put it this way: This thing is a mini car that can fly. Of course it is useful in some scenarios.

[@crybabylebongo]

well in tibet and the border to india this would be the only thing in the air

[@OldTownCrab]

This feels like it would be at its most useful in an ultralight aerial recon role - Easy to transport and move means light recon units without heavy trucks or cranes and quickly deploy this - Regular Gasoline usage means recon units dont have to transport vulrenable aviation fuel, a jerry can would work - Fire and Forget AT missiles or Guided Bombs would let this have a shoot and scoot ability against armor or infantry it recons

[@biochemwang2421]

@@crybabylebongo Not sure if the engine on this bird can still work at that altitude.

[@crybabylebongo]

@@biochemwang2421 your chinese? Im south asian

[@biochemwang2421]

@@crybabylebongo me 100% Chinese 😆

[@ragabara1031]

I think the main use of the gyrocopter in a military application would be to support ground operations from the air by designating ground targets while there are holes in enemy air defenses. Manned gyrocopters fill in a gap between commercial/retail quadcopter drones, man-portable fixed-wing military drones, and MALE UAV drones. While the first two are capable of identifying and designating ground targets, they lack the fuel capacity for longer duration loitering. The latter has both designation and fuel capacity, but due to high attitudes can't easily identify targets on its own, and the person operating it may not have sufficient ground combat experience to identify enemy silhouettes and shapes. The gyrocopter flies low enough with a experienced human to identify targets, has the equipment to designate targets, and has sufficient fuel to support ground operations if they are deployed close enough. Basically, the manned gyrocopter does everything better than the light observation helicopters of the 20th century, and more, at lower cost. Its adoption by a large and modern military is another reminder of the return of peer-to-peer and near-peer warfare.

[@markchan8110]

Good for commandos and elite force for special mission.

[@ZaynSalimon7089]

One thing is for sure, those things look like a looot of fun

[@neiljia2332]

After Oct 7 2023 every military man needs to recognize how much damage this little toy can do, it allows special forces to infiltrate enemy lines in units of 3-4 and attack enemy rear targets in surprise

[@themanformerlyknownascomme777]

thouse where Paragliders. these gyrocopters are MUCH more capable then what Hamas used.

[@china_airguns]

I think it's quite clever tand these little gyrocopters make sense and cost almost nothing. This is just as clever as the German Wiesel tankets. These are also small, fast and can be used for both anti-aircraft and anti-tank purposes.

[@cubas3870]

those models are civilian with guns strapped on, imagine what a military model can do, or even worst put in a electric motor or some kind of hybrid motor and you have a silent death machine from above, also there is a way to make them do a hop takeoff and landing with some adjustments to the rotor blades, and there are 4 seat models out there.

[@calanmacleod3948]

Brilliant move, fast cheap and effective.

[@ivannightly1919]

you must remember if the engine is turned off it will glide in very quietly that could make it a real danger

[@garychin5321]

Just Pop by to introduce the AVADI MA-250 Engine.....Well, worth A Lookin'. Really....

[@makorek]

You just fly it ~6km from the frontline and your anti tank missiles have 8km reach. You are save from small arms. You can even fly it 3km from the frontline.

[@marcc1830]

I think a gyrocopter might make better drones. Light armor would not be too much of an issues, the pilot and passenger weight (minus drone control equipment) could be used for extra payload. The low cost would allow to make a lot of these. Drones can be networked together for each to have different roles.

[@Thinkofwhat]

Hopefully it requires only 91 octane instead of the premium 98:)

[@jebise1126]

what backward country are you from? 95 is norm and 100 is premium

[@Zerpentsa6598]

Yes they can.

[@douginorlando6260]

I imagine DJI electronics could turn Gyrocopters into drones that can launch 200 Kg missiles/rocket assisted glide bombs from a safe distance. Low cost if destroyed, easy to hide and move near the front lines for rapid response. Easy to reload 200 Km from the front lines. Also they could provide decoy safety for manned helicopters … 5 drone gyros flying with the helicopter in a way that makes the gyrodrone the most likely target (they all look so similar in the sensors). Also, gyrodrones are a low cost way of delivering 500 pounds 50 Km to inaccessible locations (lowered on tethers, unlatched from tether, then retracted).

[@springbloom5940]

China already has helicopter drones that carry bomb racks and ATGMs

[@iwantmorenews557]

US special forces use the Montague folding mountain bike. Likewise European special forces are trialling electric bicycles. Lightweight dispersed mobility.

[@pinoyreformat]

Gamechanger if this can avoid anti-air missles and artillery

[@azuaraikrezeul1677]

it's used by special forces for infiltration.idiotic filipinos always head on and always complain when they loose.

[@prelude3007]

its too small to be target. pls low temp make it hard to detect by thermal sensor

[@Netcentric-fk6ek]

Silliness

[@oxvendivil442]

A better name for this is the Buzzing Sparrow, kinda cringe/unsettling naming a small machine with the largest of Raptors whose name should only be used by large jets but I guess the Chinese would name a large future fighter jet the Hummingbird just to troll its enemies. It would also be great if they named their cruisers the Slippery Sardine while naming their gunboats as Deep Blue Leviathan! the PLA's main battle tank Stinky Badger and its military motorbikes Crimson Bison.

[@privacyhelp]

in the modern war, small vehicles, small uav, drones, etc are more powerful than big tanks or big artillery

[@siberiantiger1585]

The pilot and observer would have to rely on full body armor (graphene would be the ideal material) for protection - extending to arms and thighs for example.

[@Xcerptshow]

Fun fact: 0:56 if the guy with the launcher fires then the guy beside him is most likely dead. Back blast is a thing...

[@syedanasbaqi]

They're basically putting their army in the air. At a much cheaper rate.

[@antonmoric1469]

Wow, interesting. Given a small enough radar signature, they could be quite effective in infiltrating and exfiltrating spec ops, VIPs, etc.

[@Ortiane]

But isn't the downside extremely vulnerable to static defenses especially now that we have almost automatic targeting of heavy machine guns...

[@AY2121-i4y]

We saw how hard it was for patriot missiles to shoot down drones in Ukraine. These might work well if it's flying down low. Better then solders running on the ground with 50+lbs of equipment.

[@kapitankapital6580]

Yeah but there's more to air defence than just anti-ballistic missile systems. Anti-air cannons or even a couple of machine guns, let alone smaller SAM systems, will tear these vehicles apart.

[@lolcatjunior]

​@@kapitankapital6580Pair these with drone operators. Drones will pick apart ground defense systems and create openings in defenses.

[@武任君]

@@kapitankapital6580 These gyrocopters can also operate with loyal wingman drones, probably even fully auto without need for human operators

[@jordibt1789]

this seems more of an "internal troops" sort of thing or very lpw budget COIN campaign

[@dand4075]

They should make a version for recreational purposes, it'll be a big hit.

[@goldsilvervscrisiscollapse4320]

Each probably costs a thousandth of a regular attack copter at just 5000 USD. A swarm of 1000 of these for the cost of one, they are effective infantry transport and less vulnerable than a land APC with more ordinance to provide limited air support... missile lock means any helicopter is doomed anyway, eschewing excessive armor makes sense short of attempting to strafe small arms fire when you're close. But in those scenarios, you would probably just deploy a regular attack copter or mass enough of these that it would be akin to an infantry push but with air superiority

[@crybabylebongo]

I mean 1,000 of these would be more useful than 1 blackhawk. you could essentially fly into enemy territory land 2,000 troops and then use the 1,000 gyrocopters to provide hit and run air support

[@XkMeng]

@crybabylebongo In fact, there is no need for ground soldiers anymore. China can easily equip each of its 2 million soldiers with such a vehicle.

[@lanzortiz3199]

Bro it feels weird you're talking about other military equipment aside from ship and submarines 😅

[@Jayjay511]

This is very very useful for border guard and patrol!

[@zetareticulan321]

Reminds me of Rocketeers from C&C: Red Alert 2.

[@Max-wo7zp]

Let me guess, one pilot, and one captain.

[@chrisyu98]

As others have pointed out toy drones were dismissed as a viable weapon. But ask Russia that now.

[@yudiji1596]

既然实际使用环境大多高度不高，我想相比增加防护更有意义的是在飞行失控/失效时增加载员安全着陆的能力。 UAV在未来一定可以取代大部分武器装备，但更快速、高效的前敌指挥、决策依然需要“人在回路”的能力，那么这种目标小、数量多且快的输送人员的系统一定会大有用处。可以想象各种类型的无人机持续不断的万机齐飞，掺杂着空中三蹦子的操纵人员前出，就可以按照飞行的速度同步解决陆地战斗并完成战役。

[@fogwhite5862]

这个东西的最大优点就在于，只要桨叶不被打断它就能自己安全着陆！

[@RoscoesRiffs]

Needs a fairly long runway. The ones I've witnessed in operation are awfully loud. It seems they would be a pretty good replacement for motorcycles in courier service and transporting critical personnel behind the lines.

[@tonywei423]

They will fly several thousands of drones in front of those manned gyrocopter if use for real attack, it would be impossible to defend, also high altitude drone will fire large missiles to finish the solid targets.

[@jameszhou162]

agile but vulnerable machine.

[@Vostadues]

Was not made for head on combat, it was a fast and light infantry support unit, so a team of those gyrocopters will carry a small recon team to it's LZ at hard to reach zone, then be hidden under cover, and go airborne to provide fire support if needed...

[@drandersjiang]

Certainly less vulnerable than bare infantry.

[@Ilovecruise]

Think of them as personal aerial transport equipment that were provided to once every 2-3 troops

[@lolcatjunior]

​@drandersjiang More mobile than mechanized armor too.

[@freeworld88888]

It is mobile and good to go difficult are areas. i 'm sure they would land and then the soliders get off than enter battle. it is a good idea. considering china's mountains and deserts lands.

[@wumao6797]

I thought there should be a propeller at the rear to counter the spin?

[@maeton-gaming]

Only for helicopters. Gyrocopters work on a slightly different principle ;)

[@soumao233]

这不是直升机。

[@kapitankapital6580]

The counterspin of a helicopter is caused by the engine rotating the blades, remember Newton's Third Law. When it's hovering in the air, the engine will spin the helicopter as much as it spins the rotors, and the tail rotor is there to counteract that. A gyrocopter on the other hand does not have an engine, and the blades (technically a wing) are spun by the wind as the vehicle moves forward. Because of this there's no spinning force on the body of the gyrocopter, and therefore no need for counterspin from a tail rotor. Despite appearances, a gyrocopter actually is much closer in principle to an airplane than it is to a helicopter. It works on basically the same function except that the wing spins, creating downthrust which allows it to operate at very low speeds.

[@wumao6797]

@@kapitankapital6580 Oh I see. So the prop at the top is spinning by the forward movement and not by a motor? Thanks for the explanation.

[@CjxJamie]

@@kapitankapital6580 Very clear explanation. Thanks.

[@peterwang5272]

如果哈马斯有这个。。。。突击当天可能就打到耶路撒冷了

[@FielValeryRTS]

A capable general have no useless soldier. Same with equipment. Such leader will find use of it somehow.

[@imkow]

better than super sport bikes..

[@rsuriyop]

I think I’ve seen the exact same thing used in the James Bond film “You Only Live Twice.” That was from 1967 though. So they’re basically using 55+ year old equipment.

Aircraft were used in WW1 and they're still using them. Same with howitzers.

[@ragabara1031]

At such low altitudes, gyrocopters will be easily detected by infrared and thermal sensors even under adverse weather conditions. I suspect their widespread use will spur the proliferation and development of these sensor networks among irregular forces and the poorer and less well-equipped militaries. The issue being of course that these gyrocopters won't be moving without oversight - there is probably a UAV loitering above to identify suspected sensor locations.

[@etzwei7994]

Having cheap, replaceable aircrafts is by itself, already a huge plus. It means that more troops can be equipped with this aircraft, as well as ease of maintenance and usage means that unlike a more complex aircraft, it can easily be made ready and will be available most of the time. It's not a replacement, but a very good supplement. Because in a skirmish where the enemy lack proper anti air, these can be used very effectively to support ground troops, and when every unit has this, when such opportunity arises, they would have this option always available if needed, rather than relying on a complex attack helicopter or something which not only costs much more, but the risk of losing it is also high, so its unlikely to be called if you only need to deal with infantry. Kinda like the reasons why Toyota trucks are king atm. You'd rather have 10 squads with only 1 squad having the mobility with their armoured humvees, or all 10 squads equipped with MG mounted toyota trucks which enables all 10 squads to maneuver fast instead of only 1.

[@ragabara1031]

@@etzwei7994 At this point I think the main concern would be identifying the personnel to fly and operate the craft, as the costs of training and paying specialists will be far higher than purchasing and maintaining the crafts themselves. I don't really see this being used below the battalion level, which has short range air defense capabilities and sufficient artillery range to take advantage of gyrocopter recon.

[@etzwei7994]

@@ragabara1031 I think the cost of training would not be as pricey as it is a more simpler aircraft, and since it's low cost and a much simpler system, you could perhaps train more intelligent grunts to handle it like how drone operators are trained, and let more certified pilots fly the more complex aircrafts. Then again, we'll only find out whether the details of the trade off is feasible or not only if a war broke out, so personally, I hope we won't have to find out.

[@ragabara1031]

@@etzwei7994 The problem with that is 1. rising labour costs increases price of training and salary/wages for even the average grunt 2. if the sensor operator lacks AI assistance and can't identify targets any better than the MALE drone operator, then they provide no added value over the drone and 3. flying an aircraft according to a complex and evolving doctrine is very expensive to learn, and it may be more efficient for trained pilots to operate on a higher level asset.

[@liuliwuyugmail]

OK, just imagine how convenient it would be if you have one of these. A flying motorcycle!

[@MoreShockingScenes]

This tool has a low sound and is made of a large amount of composite materials, with weak infrared characteristics that are difficult to capture by various radars. Additionally, it is clearly equipped with anti tank weapons and short-range air-to-air missiles. So imagine using this tool to conduct aerial strikes on ground armored camps in a formation at night. What kind of counterattack can you use? Air defense missiles?, An airplane? Tank？ Rifles?

[@asdfx30lm]

Rifles most likely, as any regular anti aa currently fielded have enough saturation and damage to defeat swarm of this thing. I think more plausible doctrine is to attach this vehicle to regular infantry platoon to be used in frontline, whether to storm trenches or infiltrate weak point. The main advantage of this vehicle would be the quick-response ability of Helicopter but logistics of regular IFV

There are an increasing number of automated anti drone air defenses like 25 or 30mm guided autocannons and now lasers. It wouldn't take a high powered laser to make a drone pilots life fairly miserable.

[@dawuid1491]

2:22 This picture just cracked me up lol

[@standly5477]

Have you seen the Gyro copter in Far cry 4 with the 1 handed grenade launcher ?, they are on to something

[@John.S.Patton]

There probably be used like the d-day pre-landing for pathfinders or can escort the landing ships

[@loktom4068]

Light weight and fast deployment. I hoped it would have some protection light armor platings.

[@Leo-Orbis]

Interesting, thanks. Most pronounce gyrocopter with a soft "j": jai·row·kaap·tr. Is the pronunciation different in New Zealand?

gyro as in generate NZ

[@koalalove]

China currently still maintains cavalry troops and pigeon units.

[@Duc_Anh_809]

The conflicts in the Gaza Strip in 2023 and Ukraine in 2022 have shown that airborne assaults are a complete surprise to the enemy. Ha Mas used paragliders to land behind Israel's defense lines and surprised them. If China combines a large-scale air raid with missiles to destroy airports, radar stations, telecommunications and military infrastructure... then lands by sea and uses paratroopers to land behind Taiwan's (ROC) defense lines with over 5,000 gyrocopters and 20,000 paragliders, they can land about 30,000 to 35,000 elite troops in Taiwan to create a springboard for troops to land by sea on Taiwan Island.

[@yoyohighness]

I am impressed with the foresight the PLA deployed these small units. As shown in the Ukrainian war, drones makes big difference. THese manned drones were laughed by some of the military analyst, bit now, no more

[@echopapacharlie]

With 2 men with full equipment, plus onboard sensors and rockets / missiles, the gyrocopter will be operating at close to max gross weight. How high can these things really fly? I'm not talking about height above surface. I'm talking about density altitude. I don't think these gyrocopters can operate in Tibet along the Sino-Indian border.

[@JinKee]

The gyrocopter is just a platform for the ISR pod.

[@felixleong61]

Global Liberation Army (GLA) Air Force super light terrorist helicopters from CnC generals. (Attack bikes but can *fly*)

[@Myth-of-sisyphus]

id be so scared of falling off sitting on these flying motorcycles

[@MrJonasinfinity]

Main rotor has not motor, it is auto-rotative due to push from the rear. That means it can glide safe&silent. It is spanish invention from Juan de la Cierva, precursor of helicopter.

[@AccordGTR]

400km range, 270kg payload plus 220kg for pilot and crew, 180kph!

[@douginorlando6260]

490 Kg drone payload minus 40 Kg for the conversion. The gyro drone could deliver 450 kg payloads … supplies, air released munitions, a 450 kg autonomous flame thrower vehicle, a pack of robodogs, a roboLion, a battery recharge station, remote controlled mortar with guided mortar rounds, 450kg anti shrapnel cap over a hole for instant fortification , etc

[@FF-cz8sg]

Chinese people are overall smart and creative, and this thing certainly have value if used the right way at the right time.

[@remliqa]

As shown during the Ukraine war, this thing would be extremely vulnerable in any contested airspace , forget MANPADS , even a soldier with a rifle and a good aim can bring this thing down . Evn drones would probably be better suited for recon roles. The best they can do is deliver small team of special forces or infiltrators behind enemy line. Any combat where they need to engage hostiles is just pipe dream

[@privacyhelp]

war in ukraine are not use gyrocopters

[@remliqa]

@@privacyhelp And for good reasons. No country on Earth would be stupid enough to use them in attack roles or anything that is highly contested.

[@privacyhelp]

@@remliqa because ukraine and russia doesnt have gyrocopters on their military

[@remliqa]

@@privacyhelp Again, there are good reason why no military on Earth used them in ways suggested here. Not even the US used them in Afghanistan and The Taliban are not knows for their air defence.

[@XkMeng]

But what if everyone has one? What would happen if the infantry system was simply abolished and all soldiers were equipped with such vehicles? If you calculate the price, it is too easy for China to do this.

[@ichenhong]

三蹦子造价非常便宜操作极为简单起降地点要求低，不需要花很大代价训练飞行员，在特定环境下是有奇效的。

[@erichuang2553]

一次性飛行員，不花費代價的😊

[@tomjohnson571]

China is SO original; simply genius. It would never occur to CCP to cheat or copy others innovations. I flew a gyro in 1973 and they were anything but new back then.

[@douginorlando6260]

Low cost swarms of unmanned gyrocopters … one more layer of domination over the battlefield

[@douginorlando6260]

Convert these into mass produced drones with a DJI conversion kit. Imagine what a low cost drone with a 200 Kg payload could do. Now imagine 10 waves of them each with 200 drones for the price of 1 attack helicopter. Each wave could drop 40,000 Kg of ordinance. (400 ordinance each weighing 100 Kg). The 10 waves could drop 400 tons and most would return.

[@kumbackquatsta]

can they automate these?

[@andrean2247]

They have the automated one, but manpower still needed in point combat & and holding areas then fortifying it.

[@hahnsoar4504]

This probably won't fly alone in combat. It would be companied with a swarm of drones.

[@ThePotentialFailure]

Lmao that picture at :55, hahaha

[@thebeautifulones5436]

They go the idea from James Bond, you only live twice.

[@itzcrazymay1906]

China just accidentally invented a flying car and put it into the military

[@201sovereign]

Hamas managed to infiltrate Israeli air defense by using primitive paragliders. Imagine what these missile armed gyrocopters can do. It's an idea not to be dismissed.

[@ianchan2624]

should do a spdt, one for engine to main vertical rotor for vtol then switch to scoop and rise via back propeller

[@alexprost7505]

Он именно так и работает, если не раскрутить несущий проперллер то разбег будет большим

[@ThePatriarchXCI91]

Damn, I want one..... it's really really really cheap and is an easy way to commute in busy traffic lmao

[@muhammadhaque3448]

Looks dope! I wonder if they'll sell civilian versions 🤔😂

[@abidfarooqui4899]

I design and make gyroplanes in Florida. SilverLight Aviation. Fairly easy conversion to this kind of role. Pilot experience and training is key to success. Chinese have been at it for better part of a decade and bought and licensed a German design to make these but none of them cost $5k. That is rubbish. More like $100k which is reasonably priced compared to helicopters.

[@redhongkong]

i feel they are better for search rescue operation, i dont feel its much useful as military usage(troop transport for 2?)

[@crybabylebongo]

why do you think modern army is using dune buggy, motor bikes, jet skis, etc because they can recon, infiltrate and transport without high risk.

[@redhongkong]

@@crybabylebongo they got drone for recon, the only thing i can think of is they trying to transport personal into warzone. but u can still hear the engine, i doubt it quiet enough for infiltration.

[@gunh4129]

And why do you think that this gyro can only bring human soldiers? It can also be utilized to transport several weaponized robot dogs with AI that can enter the battlefield before human soldiers. This gyro can work as transportation and relay for long range communication with dog bot in the frontline. Mean while your engineering team also use the same vehicle in the back to control those robots and UAV, before infantry can enter the combat zone.

[@redhongkong]

@@gunh4129 robot trasnport use similiar design like unmanned DJI farm drone , not this kind of "air tricycle". this is certainly louder and more visible from distant. the open frame only meant its very good for search and rescue mission where everyone gets unblocked view to all direction.