China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft
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SAF expert: Y-20 outperforms Il-76
(Source: China Youth Daily) 2013-01-18
A news spokesman of the Ministry of National Defence (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) confirmed at the regular press conference of the MND held on December 27, 2012 that “China is independently developing its large transport aircraft to strengthen the building of air transport capability”.
Currently, the representative types of large transport aircraft are the U.S. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and Russian Ilyushin Il-76, and only the U.S. and Russia in the world are able to develop large transport aircraft.
Named as the Y-20, China’s first large military transport aircraft carries the dream and expectation of millions of Chinese people. Compared with the Il-76MD, the Y-20 has larger volume, more reasonable fuselage space and layout, and higher engine power.
The Y-20 not only outperforms Il-76 but also has Chinese characteristics in supercritical airfoils, integrated avionics, cabin equipment, composite materials and their processing.
The performance parameters of the Y-20 are quite close to those of Russian Il-476. Operated by three aircrew members, the Y-20 has the highest load-carrying capacity of 66 tons, a fuselage length of 47 meters, a wingspan of 45 meters and a height of 15 meters, and bears the maximum take-off weight of a little more than 200 tons. It has a traditional layout and strong adaptability to take-off and landing fields, as evidenced by being able to take off and land at airstrips and carry the vast majority of combat and support vehicles of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
As to the engine, China is actively developing high-thrust turbofan engines. Currently, the Y-20 can not be equipped with such advanced engines but be fit out with the imported D-30KP2 engine temporarily. The performance of the engine is not as good as that of the PS-90A76 turbofan engine of the Il-476, therefore, the thrust of China’s Y-20 is much inferior to that of the Il-476.
However, the Y-20 will have significantly-improved flight performance after being equipped with China’s independently-developed high-thrust turbofan engines, thus ranking among the world’s advanced large transport aircraft.
Now, the Y-20 is in the phase of test and finalization. If everything goes well, the Y-20 will have to undergo a minimum-three-year-long flight test and a minimum-five-year-long comprehensive test. Therefore, 2017 is the earliest date by which the PLA Air Force will have home-made large transport aircraft.
By Zhang He and Li Wei respectively from the Command College of the Second Artillery Force (SAF) and the National Defense University (NDU) of the PLA
(Source: China Youth Daily) 2013-01-18
A news spokesman of the Ministry of National Defence (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) confirmed at the regular press conference of the MND held on December 27, 2012 that “China is independently developing its large transport aircraft to strengthen the building of air transport capability”.
Currently, the representative types of large transport aircraft are the U.S. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and Russian Ilyushin Il-76, and only the U.S. and Russia in the world are able to develop large transport aircraft.
Named as the Y-20, China’s first large military transport aircraft carries the dream and expectation of millions of Chinese people. Compared with the Il-76MD, the Y-20 has larger volume, more reasonable fuselage space and layout, and higher engine power.
The Y-20 not only outperforms Il-76 but also has Chinese characteristics in supercritical airfoils, integrated avionics, cabin equipment, composite materials and their processing.
The performance parameters of the Y-20 are quite close to those of Russian Il-476. Operated by three aircrew members, the Y-20 has the highest load-carrying capacity of 66 tons, a fuselage length of 47 meters, a wingspan of 45 meters and a height of 15 meters, and bears the maximum take-off weight of a little more than 200 tons. It has a traditional layout and strong adaptability to take-off and landing fields, as evidenced by being able to take off and land at airstrips and carry the vast majority of combat and support vehicles of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
As to the engine, China is actively developing high-thrust turbofan engines. Currently, the Y-20 can not be equipped with such advanced engines but be fit out with the imported D-30KP2 engine temporarily. The performance of the engine is not as good as that of the PS-90A76 turbofan engine of the Il-476, therefore, the thrust of China’s Y-20 is much inferior to that of the Il-476.
However, the Y-20 will have significantly-improved flight performance after being equipped with China’s independently-developed high-thrust turbofan engines, thus ranking among the world’s advanced large transport aircraft.
Now, the Y-20 is in the phase of test and finalization. If everything goes well, the Y-20 will have to undergo a minimum-three-year-long flight test and a minimum-five-year-long comprehensive test. Therefore, 2017 is the earliest date by which the PLA Air Force will have home-made large transport aircraft.
By Zhang He and Li Wei respectively from the Command College of the Second Artillery Force (SAF) and the National Defense University (NDU) of the PLA
Strange to see the mention that flight testing will take at least three years and comprehensive testing ( that means flight testing plus operational testing I suppose ) at least five years. It is much more common see announcements of definite lengths of testing which will then be ( sometimes far ) exceeded.
Is this the first time an announcement is made about the development of a military system by China's MND?
Is this the first time an announcement is made about the development of a military system by China's MND?
franco-russe
Senior Member
At least the first time I have seen an announcement like that.
We will likely see an increased degree of "transparency" on PLA.
We will likely see an increased degree of "transparency" on PLA.
MiG-29
Banned Idiot
SAF expert: Y-20 outperforms Il-76
(Source: China Youth Daily) 2013-01-18
Currently, the representative types of large transport aircraft are the U.S. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and Russian Ilyushin Il-76, and only the U.S. and Russia in the world are able to develop large transport aircraft.
By Zhang He and Li Wei respectively from the Command College of the Second Artillery Force (SAF) and the National Defense University (NDU) of the PLA
What i do not like about this article is this statement, Ukraine builds the D-18 engine and its designing the D-18M for the new An-124, plus Antonov is ukranian, and Japan builds a slighly smaller C-X.
, plus Europe builds a turboprop of similar size.
The reality is there are more countries building large aircraft, but building aircrat is based upon economics and not nationalism.
Is more practical to build A-400M with various nations or the new Indian-Russian MTA or Brazilian lead KC-390 as long as it is a economically viable does not matter it is a joint venture.
Congratulations to China in their new cargo jet, but this type of comments are designed to boost nationalism rather than explain the economics of aircraft design.
(Source: China Youth Daily) 2013-01-18
Currently, the representative types of large transport aircraft are the U.S. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and Russian Ilyushin Il-76, and only the U.S. and Russia in the world are able to develop large transport aircraft.
By Zhang He and Li Wei respectively from the Command College of the Second Artillery Force (SAF) and the National Defense University (NDU) of the PLA
What i do not like about this article is this statement, Ukraine builds the D-18 engine and its designing the D-18M for the new An-124, plus Antonov is ukranian, and Japan builds a slighly smaller C-X.
, plus Europe builds a turboprop of similar size.
The reality is there are more countries building large aircraft, but building aircrat is based upon economics and not nationalism.
Is more practical to build A-400M with various nations or the new Indian-Russian MTA or Brazilian lead KC-390 as long as it is a economically viable does not matter it is a joint venture.
Congratulations to China in their new cargo jet, but this type of comments are designed to boost nationalism rather than explain the economics of aircraft design.
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Skywatcher
Captain
Those aren't large aircraft, at least not in the strategic sense for the 21st century.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
An 124 and C5 are true stategic lifters out sizing C17 and il76 but the CX,KC390 and A400m lack the lift capasity of modern disaster releaf or troop rapid deployment. In example look at France who are barrowing rides to Mali on RAF, NATO & USAF C17's