China’s Shaanxi Aircraft has designed a new stretched version of its Y-8 freighter, but has postponed development by one year of the Westernised Y-8F600.
Shaanxi marketing department chief project manager Han Hui says flight testing of the 45t Y-8X is still several years away and will follow the 20t Y-8F600. Shaanxi had been planning to begin test flying the Y-8F600 this year and deliver the first aircraft in 2006 (Flight International, 9-15 November).
But Han says first flight and entry into service has been delayed until 2006 and 2007 because Shaanxi is busy with other projects.
The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150B-powered Y-8F600 is a new derivative of the Y-8F400, powered by the indigenous WJ6 engine. The Y-8F600 features a modern two-pilot cockpit while the Y-8F400 has a three-man cockpit and the earlier Y-8F100 and Y-8F200 were built with five-man cockpits. The original Y-8 was derived from the Antonov An-12.
Antonov deputy general designer for marketing and sales Oleksandr Kiva confirms the Y-8F600 programme has been delayed and says the engine upgrade should be complete at the end of this year. Antonov is assisting Shaanxi with the Y-8F600 and may later be asked to help with the Y-8X. “For now we’re not involved in this programme,” Kiva says. “Depending on the results of the -600 version there will be a decision for further developments.”
Antonov signed a memorandum of understanding two years ago with Shaanxi parent China Aviation Industries II to discuss the potential of producing the An-70 and An-124-300 in China, but Kiva says while discussions continue no agreement has yet resulted.
Antonov is also in preliminary talks with China Aviation Industries I (AVIC I) over co-developing a new four-engine dual-use civilian/military aircraft.
AVIC I has been studying the feasibility of developing an aircraft in the Lockheed Martin C-130/Boeing C-17 size category since early this year and is believed to be also talking to Airbus, which could offer technology from its A400M military transport programme. Potential foreign partners are now waiting for the government to approve the proposed project and say the aircraft would be developed to meet a military requirement, but also be marketed as a civil freighter.
AVIC I confirms it has engaged in “very preliminary high-level discussions” with potential suppliers, but says government funding has not yet been secured and it has not yet decided which of its subsidiaries will lead the project.
Source: Flight International
