I don’t know if this has been posted here … :confused: … but are there any more information abaout Chinese interests in the An-70 or its development ???
JANE’S DEFENCE WEEKLY – MARCH 22, 2006
China, Ukraine team on air projects
TED PARSONS JDW Correspondent Virginia, US /
Additional reporting Damain Kemp Jane’s Aviation Desk Editor
London
Collaborative activity by Antonov Aircraft of the Ukraine has yielded progress on several existing aerospace programmes in China, according to Ukrainian sources, as well as advancing plans to build a new transport capable of carrying a load of 50-60 tons.
China has copied several Antonov designs since the 1960s, but formal co-operation did not commence until 30 years later.
The most advanced of these centres on Antonov’s extensive design consultancy through China’s First Aircraft Design Institute for the Shaanxi Y-8F600: a substantially upgraded version of the Antonov An-12 four-engine turboprop transport.
China is also looking to develop a large aircraft with a carrying capacity of more than 100 tons, passenger aircraft with 150-plus seats and special purpose aircraft.
The ambitious plans, which would see first flight in the next 10 years, were announced by National People’s Congress member and senior China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I) official Liu Daxang in an official government statement.
The Chinese Government also announced that AVIC-II and Eurocopter were to invest EUR200 million each in a programme to develop the six-ton EC 175 helicopter to meet search and rescue, policing and transport requirements.
The Y-8F600 is expected to fly for the first time in 2006.
Ukrainian sources indicate that Shaanxi had earlier used new design inputs from Antonov to produce other variants of the Y-8. These sources confirm previous reports suggesting Shaanxi’s recently revealed Y-9 proposal is based on the Y-8F600, using its fuselage, cockpit design, wing and other improvements. Information from Shaanxi and other Chinese sources indicate it can carry up to 20 tons of cargo together with 98 paratroops and can airdrop up to 13.2 tons: the likely weight of the new Chinese ZLC-2000 airborne infantry fighting vehicle.
Shaanxi has also flown three radical modifications of the Y-8, each having benefitted from Antonov’s input.
Designated the Three High series by Chinese sources, these utilise a new rampless empennage that makes substantial use of composite materials. This empennage is similar to that of the Antonov An-10, which first flew in 1956.
One version uses a new front fuselage similar to that envisioned for the Y-8F600 and new six-bladed props. It is equipped with a new active phased-array airborne warning and control system radar similar to the Ericsson Erieye, which had previously been tested on a Y-8F200.
A second version has the Y-8’s usual glass-fared nose and is apparently outfitted for command-and-control missions. It has what seems to be a satellite communication antenna atop the fuselage, the tail gunner area is fared over into an electronic array and there are enough high-frequency communication antennae to support at least 10 airborne controllers.
A third version was revealed in April. It, too, uses the new empennage and the Y-8F600 nose structure but this aircraft is outfitted with two large electronic arrays on either side of the forward fuselage. These arrays would be consistent with either jamming, electronic/signals intelligence or even radar missions. Chinese sources suggest this radar may be for ground-mapping missions.
Ukrainian sources said this activity may lead to a USD1 billion programme involving the co-design and production of a new large transport aircraft based on the Antonov An-70. This programme has been reported previously, but these sources revealed new details that indicate it remains an active proposal.
Differing from the An-70, the design proposed for China would utilise four turbofan engines in place of the 14-blade contra-rotating propfans of the An-70. The cargo bay would retain the same width and height but would extend about 5 m longer. Maximum cargo capacity would range between 50 and 60 tons.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) strongly supports this programme, the sources noted, adding that it is “owned” by the AVIC II consortium.
However, AVIC II is competing for funding with a small new transport design: a twin turbojet transport revealed at the 2004 Zhuhai Airshow.
It is unclear whether the proposed large transport will be funded during the 2006-10 planning period just launched.
All Chinese special mission platform makes appearance (jdw.janes.com, 14/12/05)
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