China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft - esp. Y-20/YY-20

SeriousPLANLover said:

Thanks so to sum up we can conclude it is MRTT from the fact that it has refueling formation lines while not having refueling pods currently installed.

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I wouldn't phrase it like that.

The problem is that you are entering this topic ("Y-20Bs are MRTTs?") part way through, so you are asking the question of "how can we conclude Y-20B is a MRTT based on that picture".


Instead, the best way to approach it is to accept that there's been a few years of past context, to the point that we no longer "need" evidence to support the idea that Y-20Bs are all MRTTs.
The null hypothesis is that Y-20Bs are all MRTTs as standard.


What one could say, is "that picture of the Y-20B you are talking about does not contradict or challenge the existing accepted consensus that all Y-20Bs are MRTTs".

Deino said:

Me again ... 4 of them are YY-20A tanker and all others are Y-20B (MRTT):

View attachment 147707

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I don't even understand the point of a YY-20A if all Y-20Bs are MRTT. Unless YY-20As are no longer being produced and it's all just Y-20Bs now.

Iron Man said:

I don't even understand the point of a YY-20A if all Y-20Bs are MRTT. Unless YY-20As are no longer being produced and it's all just Y-20Bs now.

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The YY-20As were simply produced BEFORE (or at least in parallel to) the first Y-20B rolled off the production line ... and they are just not delivered yet!

I think it's safe to assume, no Y/YY-20A is in production anymore!?

Iron Man said:

I don't even understand the point of a YY-20A if all Y-20Bs are MRTT. Unless YY-20As are no longer being produced and it's all just Y-20Bs now.

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I think YY-20As may offer a degree of extra tanking capability that Y-20B lacks, in two ways:

1. the central drogue station that YY-20As have (and which Y-20B lacks) should be able to refuel aircraft at a faster rate than the wingpod positions, by virtue of having a more potent pump AIUI. That is particularly important for refuelling larger aircraft like H-6N and KJ-500A; in fact I'm not sure if those aircraft can refuel from the wingpod positions in a feasible manner.

2. it's possible that YY-20A may have provisions to install more internal fuel tanks in the cargo hold than Y-20B does, as YY-20A is more dedicated as a tanker aircraft (albeit YY-20A is able to remove them as well and be a tanker). This is more personal speculation, and I do wonder even if YY-20A was able to have greater cargo hold fuel storage, whether it would translate to greater fuel offload than Y-20B given Y-20B has more efficient engines.

On balance, there is probably just one reasonable cause for them to continue producing YY-20As alongside Y-20B (reason 1.), if they were able to procure a YY-20B of some sort would make a lot of sense --- even if it's just the same YY-20A with WS-20 engines, or if they want to be more audacious then the concept of them giving it a boom refuelling capability can also be entertained

Deino said:

The YY-20As were simply produced BEFORE (or at least in parallel to) the first Y-20B rolled off the production line ... and they are just not delivered yet!

I think it's safe to assume, no Y/YY-20A is in production anymore!?

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I think we will need time to verify that. If we don't see any new YY-20As at XAC in a year, then it would be a good call to say they've been ceased.

With the KJ-3000, the EW and the stetched civilian variants, the Y-20 is really a larger Y-8/9 of the modern age in that it will be a platform for many roles going forward.

As such, it would seem a disappointment if they did pass up on a dedicated refueler like a YY-20B -- or test out one with a boom.

A flying boom would increase rate of refueling for larger aircraft like the H-20 or another Y-20.