China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft
- Thread starter Totoro
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Based on a combination of confirmed serials and assuming there is a number which exist but have yet to be identified, I suspect there are probably some 20ish YY-20As in service as of now.
It's unclear if the three IL-78s are still serving in a tanker role or if they're used as transports now. The HY-6s are so irrelevant that they're not worth mentioning, if any of them are still even in service today at all.
would PLA peruse a new light tactical transport program ? cause the Y9 ,Y8 platform need replacement ?A converted Y-8C used as an avionics and engine testbed.
I mean thy Y9 kinda is in that space of good enough now and replacing it with a updated version doesn't add that much , similar how H6 is.
by78
General
They don't seem to be in a hurry. About 10 years ago, a model of a Y-30 transport was shown off, but that appears to be a private effort, not something actively pursued officially.
They don't seem to be in a hurry. About 10 years ago, a model of a Y-30 transport was shown off, but that appears to be a private effort, not something actively pursued officially.
Quoting this one from last year for additional context.
Firstly, the Y-8 and Y-9 aren't light by any measure. Tactical yes, but they are medium-sized airlifters.
Regarding the bolded phrase - Yes, I believe they should. While being introduced in 2012, the Y-9 actually stemmed from the roots of the mid-Cold War-era's An-12. Certainly there are some (if not a lot of) aspects and capabilities which can be improved upon, which would better be presented on a brand-new airframe design.
However, it should be noted that the PLAAF isn't exactly in a hurry to procure next-gen medium airlifters, as there are actually more higher priority projects (namely Sino-NGAD, H-20, CCA, newer Gaoxin aircrafts etc) for the PLAAF to dedicate precious resources towards. Moreover, the Y-9 is still very much a proven, versatile and reliable platform to work with, hence this actually leaves more time for the PLAAF to figure out and refine what they really wants from a Y-8/9 family-successor.
Besides, there's the C-130, which was first introduced all the way back in 1956 (i.e. 68 years ago). And it is still getting produced today, with the latest variant (C-130J) first entering service 25 years ago.
Speaking of which, there are three routes which China could go for the PLAAF's next-gen medium airlifters to succeed the Y-8/9 family:
#1 - 4x AEP-500/WJ-10 turboprop-powered (5000kW each) airlifter (equivalent to a more powerful variant of C-130J, estimated ~30-ton max payload); or
#2 - 2x WS-20 turbofan-powered (130-140kN each) airlifter (equivalent to C-390, ~26-ton max payload); or
#3 - 2x up-rated WS-20 turbofan-powered (240-250kN each) airlifter (equivalent to C-2, ~37-ton max payload)
Seems like the current trend of newer medium airlifter developments points towards #2 and #3. But then, there's the A400M which is powered by 4x 8200kW turboprop engines that has similar payload range as the C-2. The A400M entered service just 11 years ago, so it is still quite a new design per se.
So, there's actually more to consider WRT the choices of propulsion.
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Thanks for the clarification C130J is good example of my query , with the limited resources ,it seems to me that next gen medium transport is a nice to have but not a must . would PLAAF seek a replacement for Y8/Y9 family in next 10 years or so consider the lower priority ?