China unveils new strategic transport aircraft

By Robert Foster

The first images of the X'ian Aircraft Corporation's (XAC's) long-expected Y-20 large transport aircraft appeared on 24 December, marking a critical milestone in the nearly 20-year programme to develop an indigenous strategic transport aircraft for the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

According to Chinese reports, these early images of an early taxi test were taken at the Yanliang test airfield near the XAC plant on 21 December.

These early images confirm longstanding expectations that the Y-20 would be a large wide-body, four-turbofan engine-powered, high-wing and high T-tail configured military transport, with design influences from the Ilyushin Il-76 'Candid' and Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

The Y-20 uses a wing-fuselage interface similar to that used by the Il-76, producing a pronounced hump atop the forward fuselage, while its wide body, empennage, and T-tail are similar to the C-17. As such, it appears that the Y-20 will be wide enough to accommodate most large PLA combat and support vehicles.

In early 2007, Ukrainian sources told IHS Jane's that Antonov had offered a turbofan-powered development of its An-70 turboprop transport to fulfil China's requirement, and that Antonov had been a consultant on some aspects of the new transport's design. The Y-20 reflects the longstanding Chinese practice of using widely sourced design insights in order to produce weapon systems to meet China's unique requirements.

In 2007, Chinese sources indicated that this new "large transport" would weigh 200 tonnes and be capable of lifting up to 60 tonnes. However, more recent Chinese information, though unconfirmed, indicates that early use of the 12-tonne thrust Russian Aviadvigatel D-30KP turbofan may limit the Y-20 cargo capacity to 55 tonnes, but could rise to 65 tonnes capacity as greater thrust indigenous turbofan engines become ready for use.

However, even with this potentially degraded early performance, it is possible that the early Y-20 could carry China's heaviest T-99 main battle tank. Chinese sources indicate that China may have up to three large high-bypass turbofan engine programmes under way to meet both military and civil aircraft requirements. The AVIC Commerical Aviation Engine Company's (ACAE) CJ-1000A large high-bypass turbofan, seen in full-scale mock-up form at the recent November 2012 Zhuhai Airshow, is reportedly being designed for thrust levels of 10-20 tonnes. Early versions of this engine, intended for the C-919 narrow-body civil transport programme, are expected to be ready by 2016 and enter production by 2020.

The Y-20's emergence marks a critical milestone for China's large aircraft manufacturing ambitions, which extends back to the Shanghai Aircraft Corporation's Y-10, an unsuccessful attempt to clone the Boeing 707 transport, and the aborted X'ian Y-9, which would have produced a military transport similar in size to the Lockheed-Martin C-141 Starlifter.

While it is not known how many Y-20s will eventually be acquired by the PLA, it can be expected that a large number will be produced to meet domestic requirements for heavy transport highlighted by the May 2007 earthquake; PLA requirements to more rapidly concentrate forces in chosen theatres of operation; and political and humanitarian requirements to project military power.

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