China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft

Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
Via JSch

China's Y-20 large transport plane to spawn several variants: chief designer
By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2019/3/12 16:56:27

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Paratroopers assigned to the airborne troops under the PLA Air Force parachute from a Y-20 transport aircraft during a parachute training exercise in central China's Henan Province on May 8, 2018. Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn

The chief designer of China's domestically developed large transport plane, the Y-20, confirmed the aircraft could be spawned into several types of variants, with military experts expecting to see the original's doppelganger in 2019.

"The Y-20 can serve as a general platform from which a variety of variants can be derived," Tang Changhong, a Chinese political advisor and chief designer of the Y-20, said at a Thursday press conference featuring Chinese legislators and political advisors in the aviation field, China Aviation News reported Friday.

It is now "playing its role as a [variant-spawning] platform as planned," Tang said, without elaborating on the form or function a Y-20 variant might take.

Tang's remarks came amid reports and predictions made by military experts since 2018 saying that China is developing Y-20 variants, including an aerial tanker and a early warning aircraft.

Feng Wei, a Chinese legislator and Y-20 pilot, said "it will be refreshing to see the Y-20 this year and people won't be disappointed," news portal vos.com.cn reported on March 5.

An anonymous military expert told the Global Times on Tuesday this could mean that one or more Y-20 variants could make their debut this year.

With a takeoff weight of 200 tons, the Y-20 can carry more fuel or equipment than any other domestically made aircraft, and can stay aloft for extended periods, making it a great basic platform for tanker and early warning aircraft, the expert said, noting that other possible variants may include a mobile hospital and an electronic warfare aircraft.

The Y-20 might also replace its current Russian engines with domestically made WS-20 engines in 2019, the expert predicted.

The military aircraft began service in the People's Liberation Army Air Force in 2016, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"The Y-20 has now entered the formal mass production stage, and intensive regular training with the military is going according to plan," Tang said.


And here is the video via Adam Wang
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央视网“威虎堂”3月16日消息, 近日,全国政协委员,运-20总设计师唐长红在接受央视《东方时空》栏目采访时表示,运-20已正式批量生产,此前,在中国航空工业集团发布的《长风破浪》宣传片中,运-20生产线首次曝光。

ENGLISH
2019-03-16 20:35:29
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CCTV network "Weihutang" March 16 news, recently at the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the general designer Tang Changhong in the CCTV "Oriental Time and Space" column interview, said that the Yun-20 has been officially mass-produced. Previously, in China In propaganda film "Long Wind and Waves"( released by the Aviation Industry Group), the Yun-20 production line was first exposed.
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gelgoog

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
It is a lot more likely they will use it for the same purposes as Russians use the Il-76. i.e. as an AWACS platform and as a tanker aircraft.

When the CRAIC 929 gets put into service it could also be used for those purposes. I mean the A330 MRTT is about the same size.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Any value in a Y-20 gunship?
Not really, its a turbojet powered aircraft, so its hard to maintain efficiency while loitering at low speeds for long durations of time..
The Y-9, being a turboProp, just like the C-130 is a much better contender as a platform for gunship.
(Correction)
Besides the cost of such would be ridiculous.
Y9 would be more logical however the An it's based on has had issues in the past regarding speed. Right now the popular trend for such is smaller aircraft like MC27J, AC235, AC295. The rise of 30mm chain guns and externally mountable ATGM, Stand off missiles, guided bombs and guided rockets has reduced the need for heavily upgunned transports.
 

Stratton

New Member
Registered Member
It is a lot more likely they will use it for the same purposes as Russians use the Il-76. i.e. as an AWACS platform and as a tanker aircraft.

When the CRAIC 929 gets put into service it could also be used for those purposes. I mean the A330 MRTT is about the same size.
Military variant of 929 would be of great interest. Chinese MRTT.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
MRTT, command plane and VIP bird.
Even 919 has some potential for a lighter tanker, AEW, Maritime patrol, ground survailance, Elint, Signt with longer range than the Y9 based models.
In theory of course.
 

Stratton

New Member
Registered Member
MRTT, command plane and VIP bird.
Even 919 has some potential for a lighter tanker, AEW, Maritime patrol, ground survailance, Elint, Signt with longer range than the Y9 based models.
In theory of course.
If ARJ21 programme is anything to go by it might be a while before we see exotic variants of the C919. But, yes, if Beijing decides it needs to get into the P-8A/P-1 business, then the C919 is a logical choice - powered by local turbofans, of course.
 
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