But losing 40 or 50 team member will be enough to cripple the effort Anyway see how young and attractive are the young team member of Y 20 design team. china is close to halfway the number of intended earlier purchase IL 76 MD from Russia, that was scuttled due to break up of Soviet union
The Chinese military transport aircraft
Y-20 has just completed its first passenger transport test, according to
.
The design office specializing in the design of transport planes and bombers for the AVIC aircraft manufacturer gave almost no details on this test flight, but indicated that the test was the high priority of the Y-20 program. 2017, to verify the transport capacity, the design safety level and the stability of the systems.
It is also the test that has embarked the largest number of people on board since the first inaugural flight of Y-20 which dates back to 26 January 2013.
TANG Chang Hong (唐 长 红), chief program engineer, as well as passengers coming mainly from the different offices of the institute participating in the program, seem to be satisfied with the flight.
Here are some testimonies gathered in the article:
- QIANG Sui Hong, Office No. 1 (Structure)
I am proud to be able to board a plane that I took part in its development. The number of colleagues who enrolled in this test flight also demonstrates our confidence in the Y-20. Through our own feelings and exchanges with the crew, we will have elements that will allow us to continue to improve the aircraft.
- FU Qiang, Office No. 3
The take-off distance is quite short and the landing is flexible, our system (on the sail) which allows to increase the lift has worked well.
- MOU Wei Xing, Office No. 4
This is the first time I fly on a plane we designed, I am very excited. These two hours of travel are extraordinary, the plane takes off and lands softly, we did not feel any trembling in the air. The interior (of the plane) is comfortable, one feels almost like in an airliner.
- LUO Jing Feng, Office No. 7 (Fuel System)
Proud to be on an airplane that we designed together, even though the road is still long in front of us.
So how many people actually boarded this Y-20 flight?
Although Xi'an has not revealed any details so far, we can still deduce a part ourselves. Given that the American C-17, which is larger and longer than the Y-20, is capable of transporting up to 102 fully equipped paratroopers, it is reasonable to assume that the nominal capacity of the Chinese exceed this limit.
We also know the IL-76MD, of which about 20 are in active service in China, can carry about forty people in the bunker in standard configuration, and that this Russian aircraft is of comparable size to its Chinese counterpart, if not that it is much less wide (31.5 meters for IL-76® versus 4 meters for Y-20).
The passenger capacity of Y-20 would therefore be between 40 and 100, in a mixed Cargo-Passenger configuration.
And if we rely on two of the very rare photos taken inside the cargo bay of a Y-20 that has been equipped with the Chinese Air Force since July 2016, it will be noticed that the Chinese transport plane would have between 40 and 50 seats on both sides of the aircraft.
Seats aboard Y-20 appear to be all numbered (Image: 四川 卫视; Comment: East Pendulum)
The interior layout of a Y-20 in service in the Chinese Air Force (Picture: 四川 卫视; Comment: East Pendulum)
Passenger capacity therefore depends on whether there are 20 or 25 seats per row, and whether the Y-20 who conducted the passenger test was in the same configuration of the interior arrangement with the one used as a reference.
This suggests that less than 50 people from the 603 Xi'an Institute boarded the Y-20 for the first passenger test, which lasted around two hours.
As for the number of Y-20 products so far, we had predicted last year "
", according to which two to three aircraft could be delivered by quarter to the Chinese military, starting in the second quarter of 2017, a pace 1 to see slightly lower.
And the latest photos released show that at least five Y-20s have been admitted to active service by the Chinese Air Force, including two first copies introduced in July 2017.
It is still too early to say whether our forecast model is to be revised or not, but at this rate the Chinese air force could receive up to ten Y-20 by the end of 2017, half of the IL- 76MD China whose supply channels are more or less discontinue.
To be continued.
Henri K.
4 later converted to KJ-2000
