asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
good point !
China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft
- Thread starter Totoro
- Start date
good point !
I am as under the impression that China has merely acquired the licensing for the An-225.
Having got the license to build and actually building one is different?
Maybe they'll be using the licenses to improve the size of Y-20 ( "A plus size girl ")?
Anyway, replicating the An-225 may not be best for China in the long term. Maybe a Y-20 is all that is required to meet China's needs.
Do remember the origin of An-225. Wasn't it built to carry the Buran?
Do read up on the Case of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy with its decades long structural issues and demand for maintenance.
I think we'll see elements of An-225 incorporated into a lengthened version / bigger version of Y-20.
Note : I don't know the nature of licenses bought. So there's that too.
I dont see any requirement An-225 would be filling for China. It's not just an enlarged An-124, but really a different design not suitable for any kind of strategic military airlift (lacks a ramp, for starters). So unless China has a similar space program requirement for a transport that the USSR developed An-225 for, I think that's a dead end. Using An-124 design as jumping off point for a domestic airlift platform would be a different story.
I think it's safe to assume whatever plan China has for An-225 it would have to do with the space program rather than strategic airlifting. There has been talks about an air-launched spaceplane design and a modified An-225 seems to be a good candidate for the airplane component.
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asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
I would agree with this
A license fee paid could mean alot more to China without build
and its not uncommon for China to pay licence fees and not build anything, in the Oil and Gas sector they did this lot around 20 years ago
unless the contract says they must build but then they simply dont sign, so either make money from the licence fee or nothing
so I would like to think they are getting some benefit from that programme which will be in-corporated into another programme
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
interesting I just did a google translate on this and its very recently news like 2 days ago
so China was interested in the second unfinished An-225 which is 70% complete sitting in the Kiev hanger
however the cost to get it flying again is like $300-400 million
off course this airframe will need a complete refurb and overhaul and upgrade too much work
so looks like China has pulled out and now Ukraine is approaching the Turks to get it done
I think Ukraine basically wants a buyer for this unfinished airframe and is trying to make a quick buck here
if Chinese didnt see a economical scope to this I very much doubt any country in the world will
looks like the 2nd will never see completion and eventually Ukraine might get fed up and dismantle it
try convincing investors that it will be used for air freight cargo but we need 1/3 of a billion dollars
the return will be like 100+ years and will put any investor off
bad investment, nothing short of another Soviet style space programme can save this An-225
Also especially when there are civilian cargo aircrafts that are very economical
Boeing 747cargo versions etc.
This has got to have a military angle. Turkey might be looking for an aircraft that can help it in developin a heavy lift line.
Also,where did turkey get the money from ? Japan ?
This is incredible. Why can't the PLA just come out and say that the Y-20 is now flying with WS-20 engines. Or that the WS-20 is still in the testing phase. What is the big deal about this ?
Why can't people know about this ? There is no reason for this secrecy.
Switching out existing imported D-30KP low bypass engines for high bypass locally produced and unproven WS-20 would theoretically bring out all sorts of changes and implications. That's why initial operational test and evaluation is a lengthy process, you don't just slap on new engines and say "voilà, job done". There's plenty of testing ahead (aircraft and engine performance as well limitations, fuel burn, thrust output, maintenance planning and implication of supply chain management for parts and spares, effects/changes on existing operational procedures, implications on long term strategy.... etc.) before the PLAAF introduces the WS-20 variant across its mobility air force.