I doubt any engine swap for Y-9 airframes. I read somewhere that An-12/Y-8/9's wing design has inherit problem when the aircraft is modified as AWAC due to the distrubance of the rodom. It isn't a problem for a transport as it was intened by USSR. Increasing too much thrust without changing the wings are creating more troubles than gains. A swap would only be meaningful if the extra power is for electricity generation. But WJ-6 is around 3350KW while WJ-10 is around 5000KW. Swapping four such engines seem to be excessive even for eletricity.
PLA AEW&C, SIGINT, EW and MPA thread
- Thread starter Sczepan
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I doubt any engine swap for Y-9 airframes. I read somewhere that An-12/Y-8/9's wing design has inherit problem when the aircraft is modified as AWAC due to the distrubance of the rodom. It isn't a problem for a transport as it was intened by USSR. Increasing too much thrust without changing the wings are creating more troubles than gains. A swap would only be meaningful if the extra power is for electricity generation. But WJ-6 is around 3350KW while WJ-10 is around 5000KW. Swapping four such engines seem to be excessive even for eletricity.
As far as we can tell right now from rumors WJ-10 is actually only 3800kW rated not 5000kW as previously thought. It could be easily derated to 3400kW of the current WJ-6Cs with minimal modifications or even just simply modifying the ECU to cap the power without physical mods.
Swap would probably meaningfully increase endurance and patrol range by 20 percent or more while being much safer, as WJ-6s are quite accident prone. In fact, it is rumored WJ-6s are almost if not as problematic as that terrible wing design.
KJ-3000, spotted flying in Shaanxi a day ago, the tail looks like it have double radome
The AI "enhancement" really did a number on this photo, makes it look like it has one less set of wheels in the main landing gear?
The PLAAF probably intends to get the KJ-20/3000 to enter service quickly.
For reference, the KJ-500 entered active service with the PLAAF in less than 3 years since its maiden flight. Perhaps the KJ-20/3000 could enter PLAAF service by early-2028, if not by late-2027.