At the September 2005 International Aviation Expo held in Beijing, Shaanxi Aircraft Industry (Group) Co. Ltd unveiled its Y-9 multi-purpose transport aircraft design. A substantial redesign of the Shaanxi Y-8 (Chinese copy of the An-12 Cub), the aircraft was initially revealed to the public at the 2002 Zhuhai Air Show under the name of Y-8X concept transport. It is said to be comparable to the U.S. Lockheed Martin C-130J transport in general performance.
The development of the Y-8X began in 2001 to meet the requirements of the PLA Air Force for a capable and advanced medium-size tactical transport aircraft to replace the ageing Y-8. The project aims to develop a multi-purpose turboprop transport aircraft that approaches or in some aspects exceeds the performance of the U.S. C-130J. The development is believed to have been assisted by The Ukraine-based Antonov Aeronautical Scientific-technical Complex (ASTC) aircraft company.
During the 2005 Beijing International Aviation Expo, Shaanxi revealed more details about the Y-8X, now re-designated Y-9. Compared to the Y-8, the new aircraft features a more spacious cargo cabin, fast loading/uploading system, improved WJ-6C turboprop engines, six-blade propellers, and a “glass cockpit”. The aircraft can be used for both military and civil flights.
The Y-9 ’s wings are high-mounted with four turboprop engines mounted under the wings’ leading edges. The aircraft utilises six-blade JL-4 propellers made of composite materials. The rear cargo door, which also serves as a ramp, allows cargo to be quickly loaded/unloaded. The tail flats and fin are mounted high. The aircraft has a two-wheel nose landing gear and two four-wheel main landing gears.
The payload requirement of the Y-9 includes a range of military vehicles, helicopters, cargo containers, pallets, and paratroopers. The Y-9 can air-drop paratroops and equipment either by parachute or gravity extraction. It can perform wither single or multiple airdrops of paratroopers and cargo. The aircraft can carry nine international standard pallets of 108'' X 88'' or eight 125'' X 96'', or 132 armed paratroopers.
Models of the Y-9 turboprop transport aircraft (Source: Chinese Internet)
Specifications
Flight crew: 4 Cargo cabin size: (length/width/height) 16.2m/3.2m/2.35m Empty weight: 39,000kg Maximum take-off weight: 77,000kg Overloading take-off weight: 81,000kg Payload: Normal 25,000kg; Maximum 30,000kg; or 132 armed paratroopers; or vehicles and weapons Cruising speed: 600~650km/h Cruising altitude: 9,000m Range: Ferry range with max payload 7,800km Flight endurance: 12 hours
