Recently, a military magazine published a large photo of the People's Liberation Army Army Z-20 helicopter. Although at first glance, this Z-20 is very similar to the ordinary Army tactical general-purpose type, but after careful observation, it is found that this Z-20 has many differences from the ordinary type. It is a special-purpose Z-20 helicopter! After many attempts to cover up its face, this helicopter finally revealed its true appearance to the world openly and openly.
The latest disclosed Zhi-20S search and rescue aircraft
This new type of Zhi-20 is a battlefield search and rescue helicopter with both search and rescue and medical evacuation functions. We will temporarily name it Zhi-20S (Zhi-20 Search and Rescue). helicopter. Since the official debut of the Z-20 in 2019, there have been successively the Army’s tactical general-purpose Z-20 and the armed assault transport type Z-20W; the Navy’s ship-based tactical general-purpose Z-20J and ship-based multi-purpose anti-submarine Z-20. 20F; the Armed Police's tactical general-purpose Z-20WJ; the Air Force's tactical general-purpose Z-20K have been unveiled one after another. In addition to the newly unveiled Z-20S, there are already hundreds of helicopters of seven different models and different functions in service. The army covers the army, navy, air force and armed police force. It has a wide range of popularity and has become a true all-rounder!
Zhi-20 aircraft fleet
The new model Zhi-20S that appeared this time has actually appeared in reports about an air assault brigade of the 75th Group Army in the southern theater as early as the beginning of this year. However, in the photos at that time, the aircraft Some of the appearance details were modified and painted over by the publicity department, so that many people did not notice the difference between the aircraft and the ordinary Z-20. In photos that have been released since then, several of the aircraft's more critical mission equipment have been dismantled. This photo is the first time the aircraft has appeared in its complete state, showing some of the design features of the new helicopter.
html The photo when it first appeared in early 2000 has been daubed and modified.
From the appearance, the aircraft is different from the ordinary Z-20 in many ways. The first is the satellite communication system antenna above the tail boom. Its radome is larger. It is speculated that the antenna inside is larger and has a wider rotation range and angle. This antenna is closer to the satellite communication antenna that appeared on the Z-20 prototype. It is much larger than the ordinary type, but smaller than the naval carrier-based type.
Secondly, the beacon antenna at the tail under the tail boom has been cancelled, replaced by a red circular beacon antenna, installed further forward, close to the connection between the cabin and the tail boom. This kind of circular beacon antenna is commonly seen on helicopters that fly at sea all year round and perform search and rescue missions. They are mainly used to provide location information to other rescue forces when the helicopter crashes in an accident. This beacon has the ability to float. When the helicopter falls into the water, the red beacon buoy will detach from the fuselage and float on the water to continuously emit positioning signals, so that the rescue force can find the crash location through direction finding and positioning.
Photos when they reappeared later, some equipment was removed
The third difference is that two new knife-shaped antennas and a cylindrical electronic equipment antenna are added to the belly of the fuselage. Installed a set of antennas for electronic equipment. Two of the knife-shaped antennas should be the antennas of the two newly added radio stations. They are arranged side by side and installed in the middle of the main landing gear, slightly to the right side of the fuselage. The cylindrical antenna is installed on the belly of the machine on the left side behind the knife-shaped antenna. Judging from its position and shape, it should be the antenna of the radio direction finder . Since they are installed on the lower part of the fuselage, the purpose of these three antennas is obviously to strengthen communication with the ground and direction finding and positioning of ground targets.
Zhi-20S belly view
The purpose of the newly added equipment antennas on both sides of the fuselage observation window is currently unknown. Judging from the fact that the aircraft still retains the basic full set of radar and optical warning systems, this device should not be used for self-defense. Judging from the fact that it protrudes more from the fuselage and the head is semi-cylindrical, This equipment is likely to be an auxiliary direction finder that works together with the belly direction finder antenna to achieve precise positioning.
The last and most critical difference is the location of the main landing gear mounting base.The basic model is equipped with two sets of forward interference bomb launchers under the main landing gear installation base. The new model cancels these two sets of launchers and lengthens the front section of the base forward to form one equipment installation base on the left and right. seat. A spherical photoelectric system is installed on the right base, while a powerful searchlight for night lighting is installed on the left base. Since the aircraft still retains the pilot's night vision system under the nose for night flights and the anti-collision/weather dual-purpose radar on the nose, this new set of equipment will not be used for flight, but may only be used for night search and rescue. Task. The reason why it is installed in this position is because the height of the Z-20's fuselage from the ground is very low. If installed at the bottom, the device will touch the ground, so it can only be installed on both sides of the fuselage. At the same time, the combination of photoelectric sphere + searchlight is also a standard configuration for search and rescue helicopters.
The photos released this time are in full condition
In addition, a set of modular medical emergency equipment is also installed in the cabin of Z-20S. This set of equipment is installed in the front left part of the cabin in a longitudinal manner. Above it are brackets for various medical emergency equipment. It can place electrocardiogram monitor , defibrillator , oxygen supply system, etc. and hospital critical illness equipment. The intensive care unit is equipped with -level first aid equipment. Below is the stretcher placement position, where up to two stretchers can be placed. This configuration is similar to the U.S. Army's UH-60Q dedicated medical helicopter, but its mission is not only medical evacuation like the UH-60Q, but also search and rescue missions.
The domestic helicopter medical emergency module
UH-60Q is designed with a full set of special medical equipment in the cabin. It can evacuate up to 6 critically injured people who need real-time monitoring at a time. Although it also has an winch , the space in the cabin is not enough to carry out suspension operations. The stretcher hanging operation is stopped, so the aircraft lands near temporary medical points on the battlefield most of the time, picking up the wounded who are in urgent need of evacuation to high-level field hospitals. The Zhi-20S only has one set of medical equipment installed. Although it can only transport two seriously injured people, it retains the space in the rear seats and the right half of the cabin, so it can conveniently carry out hovering operations and carry more search and rescue personnel. At the same time, the Z-20S is equipped with a complete self-defense countermeasures system, as well as a pilot night vision system and an electro-optical search probe. It can fly close to firefighting areas day and night and perform fire-line rescue by hovering.
U.S. Army UH-60Q medical helicopter
Therefore, combined with these configurations of the Z-20S, the main mission of the aircraft will be search and rescue rather than medical evacuation. The aircraft can operate together with the air assault formation, conduct hovering search and rescue of personnel on downed helicopters during air assault operations, and urgently return injured combatants to field hospitals. Since when performing such missions, the aircraft is operating in formation with air assault troops, and its mission area is located in our control area or near the firing line, the nature of its mission is "battlefield rescue", rather than those that need to be carried out alone and secretly behind enemy lines. "Combat Rescue" mission of special operations mission.
The U.S. Army’s latest MH-60M special operations helicopter
However, the emergence of the Z-20S has laid the foundation for China’s exploration and development of dedicated combat search and rescue helicopters. By adding weapons and a complete set of high-level self-defense defense systems to this aircraft, and then installing a helicopter air-refueling pipeline, it can become a dedicated combat search and rescue/special operations helicopter similar to the "Pave Hawk". The armed version of the Zhi-20 has already appeared. A complete set of high-level self-defense systems have been put into practical use on the Zhi-10ME foreign trade armed helicopter, and the development of an aerial refueling system has long been confirmed by the Zhi-20 Commander-in-Chief. Therefore, will the Chinese version of "Pave Eagle" keep us waiting for a long time?
