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

[Aziqbal]

I wonder how many they need. China has no major foreign bases and does not go to war on a regular basis like US.

yes but China is huge and they do need to haul men and equipment vast distances

also China does have huge oversea investment and contracts and people working

sending evacuation has proven to be a critical

therefore I would say based on the An-124 and C-17 numbers and even IL-76 numbers

the Y-20 will see many hundreds and hundreds of units and production will continue for over next 10 years

 

[Michael]

Two Y-20Bs bearing tactical numbers.
@Deino Your favorite.

 

[Deino]

Yes, no. 20349 was new to me!

 

[Deino]

Y-15 was seen again

 

[Ali_Baba]

Y-15 was seen again

View attachment 197258View attachment 197259

Those engines look a tad smoky!

 

[Shags101]

Those engines look a tad smoky!

Not trying to be that guy but I do remember china having bad smog issues could simply be water vapor interacting with pollution but I was just bored wanted to put my 2 cents I do like the plane though but I honestly could be right night

 

[Deino]

Seems an additional photo of the Y-15 was leaked…



Plus an AI-enhanced Version of the one posted yesterday

 

[MH.Yang]

Not trying to be that guy but I do remember china having bad smog issues could simply be water vapor interacting with pollution but I was just bored wanted to put my 2 cents I do like the plane though but I honestly could be right night

Smog was a problem 13 years ago, and now China has successfully dealt with the smog issue.

 

[Deino]

Apparently two new images

 

[Deino]

Two more

 

[Yasser76]

Hercules is so good even Chinese are making their own version!

 

[Ali_Baba]

Hercules is so good even Chinese are making their own version!

Agree - there is a specifical tactical need for a platform of those capabilities.

The Achilles heel for the Y-15 ( until proven otherwise ) will be maintenance costs( and Herc is damn difficult to beat on that), alongside operating costs(fuel efficient engines), reliability(modern engines with long lifespans, low maintenance issues on the airframe) and total cost of ownership which is governed by how many airframe hours does this platform have compared to the Herc.

I can't see this platform getting anywhere near the Herc if i am honest. If at some point they reveal the above stats, then maybe we will know but there is so little transparency on the Y20, that it makes me think the Y20 will be a fuel and maintenance hog as will this platform be.

I am not expecting to see this in PAF service anytime soon given how accessible the Herc platform is to the PAF right now.

 

[Yasser76]

Agree - there is a specifical tactical need for a platform of those capabilities.

The Achilles heel ( until proven otherwise ) will be maintenance costs( and Herc is damn difficult to beat on that), alongside operating costs(fuel efficient engines), reliability(modern engines with long lifespans, low maintenance issues on the airframe) and total cost of ownership which is governed by how many airframe hours does this platform have compared to the Herc.

I can't see this platform getting anywhere near the Herc if i am honest. If at some point they reveal the above stats, then maybe we will know but there is so little transparency on the Y20, that it makes me think the Y20 will be a fuel and maintenance hog as will this platform be.

I am not expecting to see this in PAF service anytime soon given how accessible the Herc platform is to the PAF right now.

Agreed, also massive C-130E/H surplus as nations trade up to C-130J or the C-390. Think PAF has all the aircraft it needs for day to day but what is the harm in creating a third C-130 unit from say the Saudi C-130Hs once they retire them, they have 33 of them!

 

[Aziqbal]

I used AI to enhance Y-15

clearly a very beautiful medium size cargo aircraft that sits between Y-9 and Y20 and compares to C130 and A400

max. take off weight maybe close 90 tons
payload could be 30-40 tons
has refuelling probe
strong landing gear
WJ-10 6-blade engine powerful but not as strong as A400
High Wing to avoid debris from rough airfields
T-Tail for low speed control
Winglets to reduce drag
Wide/Large fuselage

all this points to not just another cargo plane but a possible platform for airborne radar, electronic intelligence or even Martine patrol

 

[Fatman17]

New images bring more clarity about China’s Y-15

China’s new tactical transport likely seen as a replacement for the workhorse Y-9 family. Improved images of China’s new Shaanxi Y-15/Y-30 tactical transport have emerged, offering details about the new type that resembles the Airbus Defence & Space A400M. The four-engined aircraft is...

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