Recently the CCTV military microblog released some pictures of PLA Aviation’s utility helicopter Z-20, and according to Chinese military analyst Wu Long, Z-20 is superior to UH-60 Black Hawk in many ways.
Wu Long pointed out that although Z-20 is similar to the overall configuration of the US Sikorsky S-70/UH-60 “Black Hawk” helicopter, it’s more square in the outline of the fuselage, especially in the rear of the passenger cabin. And this improvement is apparently based on the experience gained by China’s Army Aviation Force during the 30 years of using Black Hawk. Besides, compared with the old Black Hawk, Z-20’s workmanship is very delicate.
If viewed from the front, the difference between Z-20 and “Black Hawk” is more obvious. Z-20 uses two windshields instead of three, which improves the pilot’s field of vision. Compared with the original S-70C purchased in China, the nose of Z-20 contains a weather radar. So it can perform tasks under complex weather conditions, with an infrared forward-looking turret under the nose, which is more compact than Z-10 and Z-19, allowing pilots to fly at nights and under low visibility.
In terms of power and airborne equipment, Z-20 is much more advanced than “Black Hawk”. It uses 5-blade bearingless composite paddles, its rotor blades have a de-icing system, and can fly in low-temperature weather.
In addition, Z-20 uses a digital fly-by-wire flight control system, which is only equipped in “upgraded version” of UH-60M that has entered service for about two years apart from NH-90, which reduces the weight of the fuselage and the pilot’s driving burden, and is the first time it is adopted in China’s domestic helicopters. Therefore, Z-20 was classified as China’s domestically produced fourth-generation helicopter by its chief engineer Deng Jinghui.
