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Aviation History
1986
1986 - 1537.PDF
looks outwards being the Harbin Y-12. Graham Warwick reports from north ern China, with photographs by Janice Lowe. stated that the aircraft had to be devel oped according to US airworthiness regulations—FAR 23 part 135, annexe A, to be precise. The intention is to export the Y-12, and so lay the foundations for future aircraft exports, and an inter national airworthiness certificate is essen tial to this goal. "Great attention has been paid to quality control, and to safety," says Li. "We have tried to manufacture the aircraft to Western standards." The initial Y-12-1 version was powered by two 500 s.h.p. Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-10 turboprops. Three -Is were built, one for static testing and two for flight trials, the first of which flew in July 1982. The two flight-test aircraft were subsequently delivered to a customer, and are now based at Harbin, equipped with magnetic anomaly detector booms for Above right Terminals at Harbin's IBM- equipped computer centre FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 5 July 1986 survey work. Harbin then developed the uprated Y-12-2, powered by 620 s.h.p. PT6A-27s. Three flight-test aircraft were built, the first flying in 1983. The demonstration aircraft (the sixth Y-12) was flown to Hong Kong late last year for the installa tion of Western avionics and interior under an agreement struck with the Hong Kong Aero Engineering Company (Haeco) which includes the Xian Y-7. China recently signed an agreement to build the Y-12's PT6 turboprop under licence in Harbin. By the end of this year Harbin will have built 24 Y-12s, ten of them in 1986, says Li. Construction of the 17th aircraft was under way at the time of Flight's visit, while the 12th aircraft was being prepared for delivery to a customer in June. China's national airline, CAAC, is negotiating to purchase a number of Y-12s for passenger and general-purpose use. Aircraft already earmarked for CAAC were parked on the Harbin flight line at the time of our visit. Through a consultancy agreement, Lockheed provided flight-test support for the Y-12 certification programme, and Harbin purchased a test-data processing system from the US company. Lockheed pilots have flown the aircraft and praised its handling, says Li, particularly its good stalling characteristics. As a result of flight tests, the latest Y-12s have a taller fin and rudder and a deeper ventral fin to reduce pedal forces on a single-engine take-off, Li reveals. The Y-12-2 achieved Chinese certification in December 1985 at a maximum take-off weight of 5,100kg. This is to be increased to 5,300kg as a result of flight-test experi ence, says Li. Although the Y-12 started out as a derivative of the Y-ll, initially bearing the designation Y-11T (for turboprop), it is an altogether different machine. The wing has a Nasa GAW supercritical section to improve climb performance at low speed, says Li. It has bonded rather than rivetted stringers, and is an integral fuel tank, eliminating the bag tanks which caused leak problems with the Y-ll. Inside, the 17-seat Y-12 is remarkably bright and airy, with large "picture" windows and good headroom. The aircraft inspected by Flight on the ramp at Harbin had a Chinese-made interior, the quality of which left something to be desired. This aircraft was also equipped with Chinese avionics, including some electro luminescent instruments. CAAC is proba bly right in insisting on Western avionics 43
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