Study on the Application of Foreign Air-Droppable Survival Kit

Study on the Application of Foreign Air-Droppable Survival Kit

Han Han Zhu Zheng

（AVIC Aerospace Life-support Industries,Ltd.,Hubei Xiangyang,441003)

【Abstract】It is one of the air rescue modes to deliver survival aids by aircraft to people in distress. At present,helicopters or transport aircraft are widely used to airdrop survival aids in China and abroad. With the rapid development ofUAVs, its advantages in air rescue are gradually coming into focus. This paper gives a brief introduction to theair-droppable survival kit developed by companies of LSI, MAPC and Irving GQ in order to provide guidance for the designand application of similar products in China, so as to determine the feasibility of future application of UAV airdrop.

【Keywords】emergency rescue; UAV; air drop; survival kit

Introduction

As an important part of the emergency rescue system, air rescue has become an effective emergency rescue method widely used in many countries in the world because of its advantages of fast, efficient and less limited by geographical space. It is one of the modes of air rescue to use aircraft as the carrier to drop relief materials to people in distress. At present, helicopters or transport planes are widely used to drop relief materials at home and abroad. With the rapid development of UAV, its advantages in rescue gradually appear。

For UNMANNED aerial vehicles (UAVs), because they are not limited by the site conditions and geographical environment, they can use the characteristics of hovering in the air to provide a relatively stable drop platform for emergency relief supplies, so it is usually safer and more economical to use UAVs to drop supplies The new supplies drop method, can make up for the inadequacy of man-machine in supplies drop applications, to the battlefield logistics and provide powerful guarantee for rescue and relief work Drop type life-saving supplies in view of this, the existing package on the basis of carrying out a research into the drop type life-saving supplies for unmanned aerial vehicle (uav) package, to determine the feasibility of the unmanned aerial vehicle (uav) dropped the future application have practical significance。

At present, the main foreign enterprises developing air-dropped life-saving kits are LSI(Life-support International), Irwin-GQ (UK) and MAPC(Maritime AppliedPhysics) LSI’s new HAWK underwing airdrop rescue kit for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is based on its UNI-PAC series (including man-machine airdrop kits) and has been put into practical use。

1 Basic concept and classification of air-drop lifesaving supplies package

Whether it is combat logistics supplies or distress emergency relief supplies, airdrop requires a container to integrate the supplies, which is usually called the supply bag (capsule). Due to the diversity of air-dropped items, many factors should be considered in the design of the material bag (capsule), such as height, speed, air-dropped method, load weight, loading requirements of lifesaving materials and safety, so as to ensure the successful air-dropped of the material bag (capsule)。

At present, the material bags developed abroad can be divided into man-machine and unmanned aerial vehicle air-dropped life-saving material bags (capsules) from the applicable models, and can be divided into soft capsules and hard capsules from the material of the capsules. The material bags developed by the above enterprises are mainly human-machine, and the unmanned aerial vehicle air-dropped material bags have not been popularized as a new field of products. In order to ensure the reliability of the application of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a relatively mature man-machine airdrop lifesaving package is used as reference to study and test the uav airdrop lifesaving package。

2 Life Support International (LSI) supplies package

Life Support International, Inc. (LSI) is a manufacturer and distributor of quality services and products (safety equipment, lifesaving spare parts, search and rescue equipment and protective clothing) for aviation personnel, U.S. Marines and ground combat forces worldwide. LSI’s lifesaving equipment not only meets the requirements of the United States military standard, but also is certified by the FederalAviation Administration (FAA) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The company has man-machine airdrop lifesaving supplies package mainly has the following kinds：

2.1 UNI-PACM IGeneral purpose aircraft airdrop survival kit

    UNI-PACM II The outer packing of air-drop lifesaving material bag is a semi-rigid cylindrical cylindrical package, which is equipped with an adjustment rope, the operator can adjust the volume of the packaging barrel according to the actual use needs. The package can be dropped from the side doors, tail ramps or bomb bays of various multipurpose aircraft. The kit could carry multi-person lifeboats and rescue kits, floaters, lighted mark buoys, medical supplies, rations, water, clothing, tents, communications equipment, weapons or spare parts. The package is a soft pod with handles, and the built-in lifeboat is environmentally friendly. The lifeboat can be installed or not according to the user’s needs. Uni-pactm II is currently used by many military users around the world with the following features: First, security. Uni-pacm II is different from previous packs in that it packs the previously scattered lifesaving supplies together into a single package, thus removing the connecting belt between the lifesaving supplies. Uni-pacm II package can be dropped at a speed of 200 Kt (about 370km/h) without lowering the flaps for safety. Second accuracy. The UNI-PacTM II can be dropped to within 10m with parachute deceleration and stabilization. The third training module. Uni-pacm II features a training module that can be reused many times, resulting in cost savings。

2.2 UNI-PACTMIll Airdrop life-saving supply kit

UNI-PACTM III The Survival kit was selected by the Australian Military in 2016 as an airdrop rescue kit for aircraft. The kit contains a 20-person lifeboat and life-saving supplies, floatable cables, illuminated marker buoys, etc. Each aircraft can carry up to five of these kits, so the number of rescued people can be up to 100

2.3 UNI-PACTM(U)Light multipurpose aircraft airdrop survival kit

UNI-PAC(U)It is an airdrop lifesaving kit designed for small multipurpose aircraft. During the search and rescue mission in the water, the rescue personnel can manually throw the package from the exit or hatch of the aircraft to save survivors in the water. The package is cylindrical and adjustable (extensible). Users can add or remove lifesaving items as required to ensure that the required equipment and the normal size and shape of the package meet the requirements of the mission and aircraft model。

The package contains 6 to 9 person lifeboats and life-saving items, floating cable, luminous marker buoy, etc. The lifeboats comply with U.S. Navy regulations, are environmentally friendly and have a maintenance cycle of 36 months. The lifeboat is a double buoy design with a self-supporting canopy, landing ramp and insulation bottom, and can carry a maximum of nine people. The lifesaving bag can be installed or not according to the user’s needs. The lifesaving bag usually contains drinking water, signal flares and first aid kit。

Uni-pacm (U) airdrop Windows or doors shall not be less than 16in. (40.6cm) in diameter. The drop pod shall not interfere with any part of the engine room, antenna or fuselage. The uni-PACM (U) package opening procedure is as follows：

The opening rope is 13ft(3.96m) long and must be connected to a firm point not more than 3ft(0.9m) from the door or hatch to which the bag will be thrown, with the front end of the bag facing outward. After activating the pull-out rope, the lifeboat deploys, its bag still attached to the aircraft. Pull the pontoon pouch out of the rescue boat as it falls. After the three buoyancy bags are opened, the buoyancy cable is unfolded. Drop the cable at a vertical distance of at least 300 ft(91m) from survivors in the water. The buoy is pulled out of the bag, and the bag, under the action of the anchor strap, disconnects from the open cord, which is then recovered into the aircraft (note: there are no metal buckles or hardware on the open cord to avoid damage to the fuselage). The 200 ft(60.96m) long cable is attached to a water-activated buoy at one end and an inflatable lifeboat at the other, which is inflated once in the water。

When water enters, the entire system floats toward and around the survivors for use。

2.4 UNI-PACTM,Skymaster Airdrop life-saving supply kit

Search-and-rescue airdrop Survival kit mounted below the exterior of cessna 02’s aerial wing (military version only)。

The system consists of a six-person rescue boat, rescue kit, 150ft (45.72m) long floating cable, luminous marker buoys, package opening system and reduction parachute, encapsulated in an independent variable density drop power. The airdrop pod has multiple mounting lugs for securing the airdrop lifesaving package under the wing。

In the event of an emergency or an accident in the water, the Skymaster aircraft would be able to fly in a set pattern over the area, drop search and rescue equipment to survivors, and ensure that they could be recovered and boarded lifeboats。

How it works: Once the pilot activates the release mechanism of the external underwing mounting rack, the UNI-PACM airdrop survival kits drop from the aircraft. During its descent, the opening rope will initiate the opening procedure of the airdrop lifesaving package. When the aircraft is flying at a speed of approximately 110KIAS(203.7 km/h) at an altitude of 60 to 120ft(18 to 36m), the rescue package drops to approximately 3m behind and 2m below the aircraft, the package is opened. After the package is opened, the system’s luminous buoy opens first and connects to one end of the 150ft(45.72m) long floating cable. About 1.5 seconds later, the buoys and buoyancy cables are fully straightened behind the falling drop pod, after which the reduction chute is opened to reduce the descent speed of the drop pod to within an acceptable impact speed while the lifeboat is inflated。

Skymaster airdrop capsule: The main feature of the Skymaster airdrop capsule is its variable density airdrop capsule. Due to the variable density, the airdrop capsule not only provides the necessary rigid support for the external transportation of uni-PACM airdrop rescue capsule, but also enables the endurance speed up to 150 Kt(277.8km/h), lasting up to 6h; It is also flexible enough to withstand impact with water or land after opening the capsule. The structure is 1/16-in. (1.6-mm) thick fiberglass stress plates, which are located on the important suspension parts, and a quarter of the interior of the capsule The in(6.35mm) thick polyester nylon rope is coated with a thin stress plate covering the drop pod and a 20 oz(0.6kg) outer shell. The main suspension bracket is made of neoprene coated nylon fabric with an integrated lightweight stainless steel frame structure and Kevlar closure system Uni-pacm Airdrop Lifesaving kits have training modules that can be used for airdrop training on land to save money or, as required, for rescue kits for use in polar mountain deserts or tropical jungles。

2.5 UNI-PAC,Skymaster II Airdrop life-saving supply kit

UNI-PACM,Air-Drop,Skymaster IIThe airdrop lifesaving kit is mounted on the outside and below the wing of the E-2-C/S-2. It contains a 10-person lifeboat (with a canopy) lifesaving kit. The 150ft(45.72m) long floating cable light-up marker buoy unpacking system and reduction parachute the entire system is housed in a separate variable density airdrop pod In the event of an emergency or an accident in the water, the E-2C/S-2 aircraft can fly over the area in a set pattern, drop search and rescue equipment to survivors, and ensure that they can be recovered and loaded onto lifeboats。

How it works: Once the pilot activates the release mechanism of the external underwing mounting rack, the UNI-PAC airdrop lifesaver package will drop from the aircraft during its descent. The opening rope will initiate the opening procedure of the airdrop lifesaver package when the aircraft is flying at approximately 130 Kt(240.76 km/h) at 200 altitude Flying at ft(60.96m), the rescue package drops to about 3m (3m) behind and 2m (2m) below the aircraft, and the system’s luminous buoy opens first. It is connected to one end of a 150 ft(45.72m) long floating cable with the rescue boat at the other end About 1.5 seconds later, the buoys and buoyancy cables are fully straightened behind the falling drop pod and the lifeboat is pulled out. The reduction chute is then opened to reduce the descent speed of the drop pod to within an acceptable impact speed while the lifeboat is deployed and inflated。

By the time it hits the water, the boat is fully filled and the buoyancy cable is long enough to allow easy access to survivors for quick recovery A slightly upwind position is chosen for the drop of supplies, and floating lifeboats and buoys are combined to drive a buoyancy cable around survivors in the water, so that even if survivors cannot swim to the lifeboat, they can easily recover the lifeboat。

Airdrop pods: The Skymaster II airdrop survival kits have the same pod features as the Skymaster’s。

2.6 HAWKigh altitude under wing airdrop lifesaving supply kit

HAWK(High Altitude Wing Kit)Based on LSI’s Skymaster Uni-PACTM family of products, the high altitude Underwing Airdrop Rescue Kit is a search and rescue solution for UNMANNED aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are rapidly becoming an important tool in search and rescue operations thanks to their use of high-definition video and forward-looking infrared cameras HAWK UAV airdrop lifesaving kit has 3 models: Falcon (1 to 4 people) Osprey (4 to 6 people) and Eagle (6 to 8 people) HAWK series airdrop lifesaving kit can be customized to meet the requirements of various search and rescue missions this type of lifesaving kit provides survival items and equipment according to the land desert Water area or freezing conditions are configured for 48h use by a single person.

Israel’s Elbit Systems Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicle also automatically launches the airdrop package. The Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicle, which can carry up to four six-person rescue boats on its wings, can utilize the DETECTION and Identification system’s automated inflatable rescue boats and precision airdrop capabilities for long-range search-and-rescue missions。

3 Martime Applicd Physics Corporation (MAPC) material pod

The M+-60R Sea Hawk is equipped with an ELRP that can be manually or automatically dropped in the most severe weather conditions and has the flexibility to operate in cold water while wearing a thick life jacket and gloves。

Designed and manufactured by MAPC, ELRP is designed to meet specified technical performance requirements. After various rigorous tests, the ELRP of Sikorsky helicopter has now become the optional part of m-60R and other H-60 helicopters for domestic and international customers。

The ELRP can be thrown forward at 60Kt(111.12ekm /h) from 50ft(15.24m) and is equipped with a standard Type 1 6-person lifeboat and lifepack, both of which are cold-weather compatible. The LRP has a rated temperature range from -40 to +70 The shell is 3/16in. (0.48cm) thick aluminum and weighs 2261B (102.51kg). When the aircraft is forced to land on water, the ELRP can automatically unfold and float to the surface of the water, which is convenient for survivors to approach. The pod will be unsealed only after manually activating the large orange release handle. The buoyant LED stroboscope positioning light can be automatically activated before and after opening the pod, and the visible range is 3mi(4.8km) after starting。

4 Irwin-gq Supplies pack

Irwin GQ is an aerospace company that designs, manufactures and supplies a wide range of parachutes, emergency and rescue equipment for the military and civilian markets, and is the world’s largest parachute manufacturer. Owen -GQ company research and development of the airdrop lifesaving supplies package mainly SKAD（Survival Kit Air Droppable)、ARK(Aerial RescueKit)和HARK(Helicopter Aerial Rescue Kit).

4.1 Airdrop life-saving supply kit

Survivors can die of hypothermia before a conventional helicopter or rescue fleet can reach the scene. Providing temporary shelter and enough food can prolong the rescue time and greatly improve the survival rate of those in danger SKAD system plays an important role in various search and rescue missions. The system can be used for water or land rescue, and can adapt to a variety of rescue boats and rescue equipment configuration requirements. SKAD system can be divided into light and heavy according to the weight of the work, and can be divided into sea SKAD and land according to the application scenario SKAD.SKAD can be equipped with lifesaving items or not. Users can use SKAD’s existing lifesaving equipment in service as an important search and rescue and support equipment, with its versatility and rapid response capability second to none。

4.1.1 Light SKAD(LW SKAD)

The SKAD is an aircraft-mounted survival kit that enables the reliable and accurate airdrop of survival gear to meet squadron requirements in the event of an ejected crew member It can provide survivors with a lifeboat system or temporary shelter and enough food until rescue is organized。

4.1.2 Heavy SKAD(HW SKAD)

The HWSKAD can be used to airdrop a dowded crew to a small boat in distress or to a disaster site in a remote area in the Arctic desert, mountain or ocean. HWSKAD can also be used for special operations support High speed aerial resupply, as well as potential accident rescue in case of ejection。

4.1.3 Lands SKAD(Land SKAD)

The application scenario of land SKAD is the same as that of heavy SKAD. It is mainly used to provide maximum protection for personnel in harsh environments such as Arctic deserts and mountains. After being released from the aircraft, land SKAD is mainly opened by parachute system to drop life-saving equipment to survivors In order to minimize the impact of wind and ensure the accuracy of the drop, it also uses the IrvinGQ ground break device to detach the parachute from the rescue equipment when landing. Due to the strobe light and audio alarm system installed on the equipment, it can easily locate the IrvinGQ land HW even when the package is opened in adverse conditions SKAD can also be used as a general purpose container to resupply special forces。

4.1.4 At sea SKAD(Marine SKAD)

The Marine SKAD consists of two inflatable life-boat assemblies and life-saving equipment. The pilot releases the SKAD system from the aircraft upwind of the survivor so that the SKAD system can be reliably and accurately dropped into the water The deployment process of the offshore SKAD is as follows: After the system is started, a pull rope triggers the thruster, while another pull rope opens the stability parachute；

The thruster pushes out the tail cone, which opens the main umbrella and triggers the cutter with a delay of 4s; The main parachute pulls out the first lifeboat assembly from the kit (at this stage the kit stabilizes the parachute being pulled out); The cargo bag stabilizes the parachute opening, maintains the stability of the cargo bag in motion, and deploys the floating cable connecting the two lifeboat assemblies; A 4s-delay cutter releases the unclosed canopy, increasing the speed of descent to 15.2m/s, while a 7s-delay mechanism on the first lifeboat starts to inflate the boat at or after entry (depending on the height of drop); After the material is packed into the water, the 7s delay mechanism in the partition assembly opens the CO2 cylinder, which inflates the ejection capsule, ejects the second lifeboat assembly and starts inflating it “; Two lifeboats are inflated on the surface of the water, and the entire system is deployed to drift towards the survivors, who swim to the lifeboat by floating cable, survivors board the lifeboat, sea anchors and flashlights are deployed automatically to enhance stability and visibility in severe weather conditions。

4.2 ARKAir-dropped life-saving supplies kit (for sea use)

ARK Drop type life-saving supplies package is a manual on the lifesaving system, every material package contains the following components: parachute lifeboat rescue package floating bags and covering pull on the rope It is suitable for a variety of types of aircraft, can through the aircraft tail ramp or a side door Once has the staff in the waters of the distress, search and rescue personnel to the survivors in the water delivery the goods with package The airdrop speed is 130~150Kt(241~278km/h) and the airdrop altitude is 300~500 ft(91.4~152.4m). The ARK lifesaving equipment is built into the lifeboats and connected with the lifeboats by floating cables. After the drop, two, three or four lifeboat assemblies can be lined up on the surface of the water On the life-saving supplies to survivors of upwind position at the time of package, so the lifeboat can drift in the natural water flow direction, interconnected float line can maximize the cover area search and rescue, is advantageous for the survivors used close to the lifeboat ano life-saving supplies are exactly the same, so can very accurately and effectively to the survivors on the life-saving equipment After entering the water, the inflatable device of the lifeboat in each bag will be activated and the lifeboat will start inflating. Meanwhile, the parachute will be stabilized from the lifeboat and the bag to avoid entangling with the survivors。

The advantages of this kit include the following 6 aspects：

First, four packages can be airdropped at a time. ARK is designed to drop up to four kits into the water at once. Each kit contains a lifeboat with lifesaving supplies. The system is suitable for various types of lifeboats and lifesaving items, but also compatible with active lifesaving items.
Second, lifesaving items are built in. Lifesaving items built into the lifeboat this configuration ensures quick and easy access to lifesaving items such as blankets, water, first aid kit, flares (flares), etc. (to be customized by the customer). If the survivor is in a state of exhaustion or injury and does not have the energy to pull the item into the lifeboat, it will not be impossible to save him。

Third, enters the water after aeration Because the lifeboat after filling in the air easy to blow fly, thus deviating from the normal position, so the designers for its improved after the improvement, the system of the lifeboat and quickly operated automatically after the water filling sea anchor The major improvement not only solve the above problems, and accelerated the ano descent to the surface at a speed of 70 The ft/s (21.3 m/s). In addition, when the lifeboat is inflated, the sea anchor is deployed and the system is usually dropped within 50 ft(15.2m) of the target。

Fourth, convenient access. The floating cable of the system is not only the connecting rope between the lifeboats, but also can be used as the water lifeline because of its buoyancy. The survivor can approach and board the nearest lifeboat by following the pontoon, which is vital for survival, especially in stormy conditions. The various uses of floating cables have brought great convenience to surface rescue。

Fifth, according to the scenario configuration. Due to the complete structure of each material package, it can be configured according to the specific situation of the rescue site to meet the requirements of different scenarios. In addition, the lifeboat spacing options include 280 ft(85m), 560 ft(170m), and a maximum width of 1100 ft(335m). Sixth, training is available. ARK also has a training system whose size, weight and structure are 1:1 replicas of the real system. The only difference is the color (to avoid misuse) and the lack of lifeboats. The training system can be used to improve the accuracy of airdrop training for new trainees. Because the training system does not require the use of a real lifeboat, maintenance costs are saved。

4.3 HARK Helicopter drop survival kit

HARKHelicopter airdrop lifesaving supplies package, is more advanced for search and rescue airdrop lifesaving boat system on the market. It is a hand-delivered air-to-sea rescue system from the rotorcraft, each time up to 2 packages of supplies, its airdrop altitude of 300~500ft(90~152m), airdrop speed of 90 Kt(166.68) Km /h), falling at a speed of 70ft/s(21m/s). Each package contains a 10-person lifeboat with a maximum separation of 250ft(76m). The lifeboat is automatically inflated by a water-activated device and is equipped with sufficient survival supplies to sustain 6-10 people for 24 hours.HARK is equipped with a stabilisation parachute which opens when the package is opened so that the whole system goes into water HARK system accessories are also compatible with ARK system。

5Epilogue

Whether in combat operations, or disaster or danger, airdrop is an important way of logistics support, although airdrop lifesaving kit is only one of the many rescue equipment, but in the complex and changeable environment, it can save people in danger Along with our country to improve the importance of emergency rescue, is bound to comply with the requirements of modern equipment, break through the traditional pattern of security and ways of thinking, to explore a new mode of rescue, rescue products develop in the direction of depth Although the traditional drop type life-saving supplies package applications in the field of aviation rescue fruitful, but involves the demand is small There are certain limitations in the case of geographical limitations and emergency logistics or rescue missions, because the use of manned airdrop will not only cause the waste of cabin space and increase the cost, but also vulnerable to attack in the war zone, with greater risk 2). The use of UNMANNED aerial vehicle (UAV) air drop can solve the above problems, which obviously exceeds the traditional way of air supply in terms of economic timeliness and safety. Therefore, the air drop lifesaving supplies package will certainly experience the evolution from human-machine air drop to uav air drop If we want to promote the application of unmanned aerial vehicle lifesaving supplies, we need to rely on the existing products, continue to improve the design performance and process, so that it can better meet the needs of users under continuous iteration.

In the future, with the prosperity of uav market, uav airdrop will gradually replace human-machine airdrop and be widely used in all kinds of rescue operations to improve the comprehensive benefits of aviation rescue。

Cited References

［1]Named “. Dunson package airdrop system J. International Aviation，1991,(6):56-57. ［2]Zhai Chao, ZHOU Ying, DING Yongliang, Research on the Application of UNMANNED Aerial vehicle Supply [J]. Journal of Sichuan Ordnance Engineering，2012,33(6):120-124.