MA700 turboprop resurfaces in China with chatter about a secret first flight
Yet, over the past week, chatter across a cadre of Chinese aviation watchers and social media postings suggested that the prototype MA700 had made its maiden flight around Sept. 23 or 24 from the the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s (Avic) manufacturing plant at Yanliang Air Base in...
theaircurrent.com
I believe the substitution turboprop engine is WJ-6C turboprop( 5100shp ). The fact of first flight is so low key is becos WJ-6C is a military engine. MA700 supposed to be a civilian project. But I believe WJ-6C is just a temporary solution until a domestic turboprop is ready.