XAC Y-20 - China's giant bird … Plus the smaller brother Y-15

[Deino]

Someone on Chinese social media claimed that an observation deck was being built at XAC's internal airport. He posted a photo. However, some people think it is an old photo. I am not sure of the authenticity of the message.

There is a situation that needs to be clarified here. The development and production base for Chinese AWACs is at the Shaanxi Aircraft Manufacturing Plant. It is now under XAC, but its development and production base is still located at the original address. It is not in Xi'an. Therefore, the test flight of this KJ-3000 should have taken place at the internal airport of the Shaanxi Aircraft Manufacturing Plant, not XAC's internal airport in Xi'an.

The first flight of the airplane took place at the manufacturing plant's internal airfield.
After they complete their maiden flight, they are flown to the Chinese Flight Test Establishment in Yanliang District, Xi'an, for a series of flight tests.
If this exposure of the KJ-3000 flight test is located in Xi'an, then it means that it has already made its maiden flight before. This flight test was a technical flight test at the Chinese Flight Test Establishment, not a maiden flight.

But since the Y-20 is built at XAC, it must have made its maiden flight at Xi‘an!?

 

[Michael]

But since the Y-20 is built at XAC, it must have made its maiden flight at Xi‘an!?

I'm not sure about this.
The XAC is the airframe that makes the Y-20. But XAC doesn't have any practical experience with AWACS conversion work, nor does it have the equipment or working environment for it. Unless XAC transferred all the relevant technicians, production equipment and test equipment to XAC's production base after the merger of Shaanxi Aircraft Manufacturing Factory.
But I think this probability is small. The AWACS belongs to highly sensitive military equipment, which has a very high level of secrecy and a confidential environment. Xi'an is a relatively open city, so when the AWACS is produced and test-flown here, it will easily be detected by spy equipment, which will lead to the leakage of technical parameters.
Shaanxi Aircraft Manufacturing Factory's production base is located in a small city in the middle of the mountains, which is relatively easier to keep secret. Currently, all of China's special aircraft related to electronic warfare are produced at the Shaanxi Aircraft Manufacturing Plant's production base.

 

[Ali_Baba]

Wow … now only the H-20 is missing!

… as expected a Y-20B-based design featuring a large rotodome but also a bulge on the tail.

View attachment 91048View attachment 91049

'Maybe' H-20 is for tomorrow ?! I was not expecting "new" news this morning and here we are, a new AWACs on the Y-20!

 

[Michael]

But since the Y-20 is built at XAC, it must have made its maiden flight at Xi‘an!?

I checked the information carefully.
This plane is indeed in Xi'an.
XAC shares an airport with the Chinese Flight Test Establishment. The green line area in the satellite image is XAC's tarmac and the red is Chinese Flight Test Establishment's tarmac. This satellite image shows the KJ-3000 on the apron of the Chinese Flight Test Establishment, next to a KJ-500A, as well as a large number of other tested aircraft.
This is an early satellite image. This is a satellite image of Google earth on 10/1/2024.
It shows that it had its full first flight very early on. It has now been handed over to the Chinese Flight Test Establishment for flight technology testing.
As for where it was produced. I think it should still be produced by the Shaanxi Aircraft Manufacturing Plant.

 

[Michael]

 

[Hendarto]

Yup it has flown the new KJ 3000

pictures have emerged of what looks to be the first known example of a new Chinese airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft based on the four-engine Y-20 cargo plane.

China already has a remarkably large fleet of AEW&C platforms, but most of them are smaller turboprop designs, as TWZ has previously explored in detail. A modern, large, jet-powered type that is based on a locally produced aircraft could succeed or at least augment the small number of existing jet-powered KJ-2000 Mainrings based on the Russian Il-76 Candid airframe.

The Y-20 AEW&C aircraft’s appearance comes among a number of major Chinese military reveals in the past two days, including the emergence of two previously unseen Chinese advanced combat jets, as well as the official launch of the PLAN’s first monster Type 076 amphibious assault ship.

China's New Domestically Developed Y-20 Airborne Early Warning Jet Spotted

A homegrown airborne early warning and control jet based on the Y-20 cargo aircraft is a big enhancement for China's current fleet dominated by turboprops.

www.twz.com

 

[Michael]

The Y-20 testing machine was disassembled and shipped to Northwestern Polytechnical University for teaching and research purposes.
It provides the average college student with a very valuable opportunity to experience a physical object first hand.

 

[Han Patriot]

View attachment 91301

Crazy, so many presents these past 3 days. KJ3000 is long overdue, it was only a matter of time.

 

[Michael]

Crazy, so many presents these past 3 days. KJ3000 is long overdue, it was only a matter of time.

Sincerely, I don't think this AWACS exposed is a next generation AWACS.
I think it is an upgraded version of KJ-2000 + KJ-500A. That is, based on the concept of KJ-2000 with a new platform; based on the electronic system of KJ-500A with upgraded radar and information system. It is definitely more powerful than KJ-2000 and KJ-500A. But it hasn't reached the next generation yet.

 

[Deino]

A PLAAF Y-20B in grey, unfortunately I cannot identify it either a prototype or a serial aircraft without serial number.

(Image via @齐天的孙猴子 from Weibo)

 

[UKBengali]

A PLAAF Y-20B in grey, unfortunately I cannot identify it either a prototype or a serial aircraft without serial number.

(Image via @齐天的孙猴子 from Weibo)

View attachment 95751

Lovely to see it flying with 4 WS-20 engines.

 

[Deino]

Lovely to see it flying with 2 WS-20 engines.

with 2??

 

[hyperman]

Lovely to see it flying with 2 WS-20 engines.

4 brother.

2 on each sides. The Engines got fatter with the Wider High Bypass fan, but the same amount of engines.

 

[hyperman]

with 2??

Who do you think is going to be the first export customer? These things are going to be selling like Hot Cakes since the Russian production is now suspect with the Ukrainian war, Antonov is fried b/c of the war as well. C-17 production is history. No one else has the production capacity for a turbofan based Heavy Strategic Lift in this class.

 

[UKBengali]

with 2??

My bad.

Edited as it is of course 4 WS-20 engines on the Y-20B.