China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft
- Thread starter Totoro
- Start date
such beauties. Can't wait to see engines replaced by indigenous ones.New update from Huitong, seven Y-20s.
New update from Huitong, seven Y-20s.
Interesting, since four of them are lighter coloured than the other three ... at first I thought these might be the flightline at Xi'an (XAC) including some prototypes but it is indeed at Chengdu-Qionglai.
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TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Any updates on the eventual Y30 program?
Can anyone comment on the latest WS18 engine situation?
Back in 2016 there was a lot of debate on CDF about the adoption of WS18 as an interim for Y-20 until WS20 was ready, and replacing D-30 on H-6 (given it is localized, more powerful and fuel efficient than D-30). We heard rumors that an IL-76 was already flying with 4 WS18's (versus flying with only one test WS20), that an H6 had also flown with two WS18's, and that with WS20 behind schedule we might see Y-20 flying with WS18 for a few years (although it would be hard to tell visually since the nacelle would be the same as for D-30).
Here we are almost three years later, and there isn't much chatter about WS18 being in production, or more D-30's being ordered, or WS20 going into production in the near term. That might explain why XAC looks like an airplane parking lot. But the PLA ain't dumb, so what gives?
WS18 would be a good interim solution for Y-20, and works for H6. 3 years ago the engine looked close to being mass produced. What is happening now? Is it in production? Is that the engine that XAC is waiting to install in the current production Y-20's and H6's?
Back in 2016 there was a lot of debate on CDF about the adoption of WS18 as an interim for Y-20 until WS20 was ready, and replacing D-30 on H-6 (given it is localized, more powerful and fuel efficient than D-30). We heard rumors that an IL-76 was already flying with 4 WS18's (versus flying with only one test WS20), that an H6 had also flown with two WS18's, and that with WS20 behind schedule we might see Y-20 flying with WS18 for a few years (although it would be hard to tell visually since the nacelle would be the same as for D-30).
Here we are almost three years later, and there isn't much chatter about WS18 being in production, or more D-30's being ordered, or WS20 going into production in the near term. That might explain why XAC looks like an airplane parking lot. But the PLA ain't dumb, so what gives?
WS18 would be a good interim solution for Y-20, and works for H6. 3 years ago the engine looked close to being mass produced. What is happening now? Is it in production? Is that the engine that XAC is waiting to install in the current production Y-20's and H6's?