Z-19E
Contents
Description
The Z-19E is a premium gift rank VI Chinese attack helicopter with a battle rating of 10.3 (AB/SB) and 11.3 (RB). It was introduced in Update "Danger Zone".
The Harbin Z-19 is a light reconnaissance and attack helicopter. It was originally developed on the basis of the French SA 365 Dauphin (license produced as the Harbin Z-9), whose heritage can be seen in the engine section and distinctive Fenestron tail, but the Z-19 has an all new forward fuselage with tandem seating for a pilot and gunner. This transformation is reminiscent of the relationship between the AH-1 Cobra and UH-1 Huey. The Z-19E here is an export variant with increased use of composite materials.
The Z-19E is the first Chinese helicopter to be introduced to War Thunder and brings a lot to the table. The flight performance is great and it can perform aerobatic maneuvers that many contemporaries could only dream of. The Z-19E's main anti-tank weapons are laser-guided BA-9 ATGMs that function as lightweight equivalents of the AGM-114B Hellfire with shorter range and less penetration, assisted by excellent optics and high quality thermal sights. Countermeasures and a missile approach warning system make the Z-19E a slippery opponent for enemy air defenses. But a standout in its arsenal is the TY-90 air-to-air missile, designed specifically for helicopter use. With high agility, a 6 km all-aspect lock range, and flare resistance, the TY-90 is the last word in helicopter anti-air capabilities and can easily swat other helicopters and even maneuvering fighter jets from the airspace. Carrying up to eight TY-90s, the Z-19E can uniquely function as an air superiority helicopter!
General info
Flight performance
Describe how the helicopter behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m) |
Max altitude (metres) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | ||
| Stock | ___ | ___ | 4200 |
| Upgraded | 315 | 293 | |
Survivability and armour
Examine the survivability of the helicopter. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical systems.
Modifications and economy
2 × 50 / 220 / 340 % 2 × 214 / 214 / 214 % | Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Armaments
| Ballistic Computer | ||
|---|---|---|
| CCIP (Guns) | CCIP (Rockets) | CCIP (Bombs) |
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Offensive armament
The Z-19E is armed with:
- A choice between two presets:
- Without offensive armament
- 48 x countermeasures
Suspended armament
The Z-19E can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
- 72 x Type 57-1 rockets
- 28 x Type 90-1 rockets
- 8 x Blue Arrow 9 missiles
- 8 x TY-90 missiles
- 2 x 12.7 mm QJK99-12.7-1 machine guns (400 rpg = 800 total)
- 8 x Blue Arrow 9 missiles + 8 x TY-90 missiles
- 8 x Blue Arrow 9 missiles + 2 x 12.7 mm QJK99-12.7-1 machine guns
- 8 x Blue Arrow 9 missiles + 14 x Type 90-1 rockets
The Z-19E has a decent variety of armaments to choose from. As discussed before, the two most important offerings are the BA-9 ATGM and the TY-90 AAM.
The Blue Arrow 9 (BA-9) can be considered a smaller AGM-114B Hellfire, as a semi-active laser guided missile that can also follow a lofting flight trajectory and can lock-on-after-launch (LOAL). However it has a 25% shorter range, only 800 mm of penetration akin to the Soviet 9M120 Ataka, and a lower flight speed by around 30% than the Hellfire. Although the BA-9 is nothing special compared to its contemporaries, it still gets the job done against most tanks, particularly if it is able to hit them from above. Multiple missiles can also be launched at the same target if the need arises.
The TY-90 is an excellent air-to-air missile purposely designed for use by helicopters, in contrast to the typical adapted MANPADS such as the ATAS (AIM-92) and 9M39 Igla used by most helicopters. It tracks well, pulls hard, and is very resistant to flares. A successful hit will usually bring down aircraft in one hit because of its 1.5 kg warhead, three times as large as a MANPADS. The TY-90 has few issues in shooting down enemy CAS jets above the battlefield. It can handle opposing helicopters as well, but their lower thermal signatures can make them more difficult to lock.
Two types of rockets are available. The 57 mm Type 57-1 rockets have the highest capacity of 18 per pod, but have poor penetration and velocity. The 90 mm Type 90-1 rockets are more powerful and their higher flight speed makes them easier to aim, but only 7 can be carried per pod. Neither has enough penetration to reliably dispatch MBTs from the front, so hits to the side or roof armour are better.
The last weapon available is are gun pods each containing a single 12.7 mm machine gun with 400 rounds. They compensate for the Z-19's lack of an internal cannon, but the machine guns are also too weak to do any real damage to ground targets and the TY-90s are far better against air targets, making them more of a novelty than a practical choice.
Custom loadout options
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.7 mm QJK99-12.7-1 machine guns (400 rpg) | 1 | 1 | |||
| Type 57-1 rockets | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | |
| Type 90-1 rockets | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
| Blue Arrow 9 missiles | 4 | 4 | |||
| TY-90 missiles | 4 | 4 |
Usage in battles
Describe the tactics of playing in a helicopter, the features of using the helicopter in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Small and very agile
- BA-9 missiles have loft, LOAL, and salvo firing capability like Hellfires
- Excellent optics with thermal sights for easy targeting
- TY-90 AAMs are very effective against air targets and can be carried in large numbers
- Has ballistic computer, flare/chaff countermeasures, and MAWS
Cons:
- No internal gun
- Very little armour
- No HIRSS or IRCM, limited flare/chaff capacity compared to other helicopters
History
Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the helicopter in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).
Media
- Images
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the helicopter;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
| Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (哈尔滨飞机工业(集团)有限责任公司 ) | |
|---|---|
| Jet Bombers | H-5* |
| Helicopters | |
| Z-9 | Z-9W · Z-9WA |
| Z-19 | Z-19 · Z-19E |
| *Unlicensed and modified copy of the IL-28. | |
| China helicopters | |
|---|---|
| Attack/Utility | Z-9W · Z-9WA · Z-10 · Z-11WA · Z-19 · Z-19E |
| ␗OH-58D (USA) | |
| Attack | ␗AH-1W (USA) |
| Utility | SA.342L Gazelle (France) |
| Pakistan | ▄Mi-35M |
