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Y-20 heavy transport aircraft News & Discussions

The fifth ... does this include the static airframes or does it assume that there are already 5 flying ??

So far I know:

Aircraft no. 1 = 20001 - CFTE serial 781 (dark grey - nearly black)
Aircraft no. 2 = most likely static test
Aircraft no. 3 = 20003 (?) - CFTE serial 783 (light grey - seen at Zhuhai)
Aircraft no. 4 = 20004 (?) - reportedly finished in February 2014 but not confirmed so far


Deino
 
The fifth ... does this include the static airframes or does it assume that there are already 5 flying ??

So far I know:

Aircraft no. 1 = 20001 - CFTE serial 781 (dark grey - nearly black)
Aircraft no. 2 = most likely static test
Aircraft no. 3 = 20003 (?) - CFTE serial 783 (light grey - seen at Zhuhai)
Aircraft no. 4 = 20004 (?) - reportedly finished in February 2014 but not confirmed so far


Deino

China transport testing is faster than we can grasp. We can bet they are already into very late stage of testing and ready to be inducted soon. Initial batch of Y-20 will be powered by WS-18.
 
Hmmm ... Yes it is amazing to see what progress has be achieved but to admit already 5 - without any proof that there is even a fourth Y-20 - sounds for me a bit too good to be true !

As such I'm a bit skeptical about this report...

Deino
 
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:coffee: WS-20

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Chinese Y-20 ferry range will increase to 8,800km with WS-20 high-bypass turbofan engines

WS20 is much diameter bigger than WS18, looks damn cool. What is the maximum ferry range of Y20 when WS20 installed?

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In the photograph, you see one large-diameter Chinese WS-20 high-bypass energy-efficient turbofan engine being tested. The other three are smaller-diameter, low-bypass, and less energy-efficient engines.

The current Chinese Y-20 ferry range is estimated at 8,000 kilometers.[1] With a 10% upgrade from the Chinese WS-20 engines, the ferry range should increase to around 8,800 km.

The regular payload of a Y-20 is about 60 tons, which is similar to the latest Russian IL-76.[2] The upgraded payload of a Y-20 with WS-20 engines is about 66 tons.[3] Hence, the inferred 10% WS-20 engine performance increase.

The WS-20 has a larger diameter due to its high-bypass and more energy-efficient turbofan engine design.[4]

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Citations:

[1] Y-20 Heavy Transport Aircraft | Military-Today.com
"Ferry range ~ 8 000 km"

[2] Y-20 / Y-XX / C919 Military Variant
"Russian sources suggested the Y-20 underwent a redesign in 2010 to enable it to lift the PLA’s heaviest armored vehicle, the 58 ton Type 99A2 main battle tank. This would place the Y-20’s payload capacity around that of the IL-76 MF (60 tons payload capacity) and perhaps between the IL-76 MF and C-17 Globemaster (77.5 tons maximum payload), depending on the power of the engines available."

[3] Not As Sexy As Stealth, But Maybe More Important: China Shows Off New Cargo Planes | Popular Science
"The Y-20 is the largest aircraft ever built in China. Notably. If Boeing stops making the C-17 Globemaster III (another Zhuhai guest) as planned in 2015, the Y-20 will become the largest military airlifter in production. Currently, Xian Aircraft Corporation has flown at least two flying prototypes, "781" and "783" have been built ("782" is a factory static testbed). The Y-20, despite being slightly shorter than the Russian Il-76, can carry a greater payload of 66 tons at a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 220 tons, once domestic WS-20 turbofan engines replace the current Russian D-30 turbofans. The Y-20 will give the Chinese military to quickly deploy infantry, tanks, anti-air and anti-ship missiles throughout Asia, as well as humanitarian aid. The Y-20 could also be modified into an airframe for other strategic missions such as an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C), an anti-satellite laser carrier, and aerial tanker."

[4] China's Y-20 'enters second phase of testing' - IHS Jane's 360
"Early service Y-20s would most likely be powered by the 12-ton thrust Russian Perm/Soloviev D-30KP-2 turbofans that are powering its prototypes. An indigenous high bypass turbofan has been flying on an Ilyushin Il-76 engine test bed aircraft for over a year. This engine is thought to be the 14-ton thrust WS-20, which would allow the Y-20 to achieve its maximum cargo capacity of 66 tons."

Calculation: [(14-ton thrust - 12-ton thrust) / 12-ton thrust] * 100 = 16.7% better Chinese WS-20 engine performance over Russian D-30KP-2

[Note: Thank you to J-20BlackDragon for the Y-20 photograph.]
 
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China's Most Powerful Aircraft Engine Ever Takes To The Sky | Popular Science

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WS-20 Test Flight | top81.cn

"The WS-20 engine is the one on the inner port (left side) of this Il-76 testbed. The China Flight Test Evaluation (CFTE) has an Il-76 for high altitude testing of Chinese engines, such as the WS-10 and WS-20. The WS-20 is wider and bulkier than the D-30 engines powering the IL-76, since it has a higher bypass ratio (meaning a wider fan) for fuel efficiency.

China's most powerful aircraft engine, the WS-20, is getting closer to finishing its tests. With a power output of 14 tons, the WS-20 will replace the less powerful and less efficient Russian D-30KP, which has only 10.5 tons of thrust. The WS-20 turbofan has been flying on this Il-76 test aircraft since 2014, and it's likely that aerial testing will wrap up in late 2015."

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WS-20 | bbs.huanqiu.com

"The WS-20 turbofan engine can deliver up to 14 tons of thrust, which makes it comparable to the CFM-56 engine that powers Airbus 320 and Boeing 737s.

China has made progress in replacing foreign engines for its fighter programs, but it still relies on the D-30KP turbofan to power subsonic aircraft such as the Y-20 heavy transport and H-6K bomber. The WS-20 is believed to derive its engine core from the WS-10A turbofan engine, which powers the Shenyang J-11B and J-16 strike fighters."
 
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Y-20 Comparision green-stone13.livejournal.com This speculative CGI compares the current Y-20 prototype with the smaller D-30 engines at the bottom, while the more powerful and efficient WS-20 engined Y-20 is at the top.

The WS-20 entering into Chinese service would provide performance boosts to the Y-20, increasing its payload to 66 tons from the prototype's 50 tons. That would give China the ability to fly heavy battle tanks and missile launchers across the Asian continent, as well as a larger Y-20-based aerial tanker. The WS-20 could also be a domestic powerplant for military derivatives of the C919 jetliner, which would be used for airborne warning and control, and anti-submarine missions.
 
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