Shaanxi Y-8
Encyclopedia
The Shaanxi Y-8 or Yunshuji-8 aircraft is a medium size medium range transport aircraft produced by Shaanxi Aircraft Company in China
, based on the Soviet Antonov An-12
. It has become one of China's most popular military and civilian transport/cargo aircraft, with many variants produced and exported. Although the An-12 is no longer made in Ukraine, the Chinese Y-8 continues to be upgraded and produced. An estimated 75 Y-8 aircraft had been built by 2001.
, the Soviet Union withdrew its technical assistance. The Xi'an Aircraft Company
and Xi'an Aircraft Design Institute worked to reverse engineer the An-12 for local production.
Design of the aircraft was completed by February 1972. Major features of the Y-8 included a similar fuselage to the H-6 bomber, the same bomber's nose and tail turret, a roller-type dropping device instead of conveyor belt, and a gaseous oxygen system as opposed to a liquid system. The original Y-8 inherited the An-12’s twin 23mm cannon tail turret, but this was removed on subsequent variants.
The Y-8 equipped with four turboprop
engines mounted under the leading edges of non-swept wings. The wings are attached high on the fuselage, and the tricycle landing gear is equipped with low pressure tires. The earliest versions used for the transportation of freight or troops had two side-hinged doors, while later variants used a rearward-facing ramp to facilitate loading and unloading of the payload. Some specialized versions omit the cargo ramp entirely.
The Y-8 is capable of carrying troops, dropping supplies, parachute drops, and functioning as an air ambulance. It also can be used for commercial uses as a freighter. It is capable of hauling 20 tons of cargo, approximately 96 soldiers, or about 82 paratroopers in the cargo compartment which is 13.5 metres long, 3 metres wide and 2.4 metres high. It can also carry 60 severely wounded soldiers with their stretchers, 20 slightly injured soldiers and 3 medical attendants. Many variants for specialized roles have been built, but information on them can be vague or difficult to obtain due to the secretive nature of the Chinese military.
The Y-8 transport aircraft was put into trial production in the Xi'an Aircraft Factory in June 1972. By December 1974, the first Chinese-assembled Y-8 conducted its maiden flight. Following trial production of the first Y-8s, operations were transferred to the Shaanxi Aircraft Factory. The Shaanxi-produced Y-8s conducted their test flights in December 1975. After a regime of 66 test flights the Y-8 was officially certified for use by the Chinese government. By 1981, the Y-8 entered serial production.
In the late 1980s, Lockheed Martin
, the American manufacturer of the C-130 Hercules
, helped China to develop a pressurized cabin for the passenger version of Y-8, resulting in two versions: the first had half of the cabin pressurized and later, the second version in which the complete cabin was pressurized.
In 2001 and 2002, new consulting arrangements between Antonov
and Shaanxi resulted in modernized redesigns to the Y-8's wing and fuselage. As a consequence the redesign allows the Y-8's fuel capacity to be increased by 50 percent.
KJ-200
'Balance Beam' Airborne early warning and control aircraft
crashed in Guangde County
in the Anhui
province, China
. All 40 people on board were killed. The Chinese official explanation was that the accident was due to heavy ice formation
on the wing
s after the aircraft made repeated passes in and out of cloud
s in bad weather
. However, the official Chinese report does not mention the exact type of the airborne early warning aircraft, only claiming that it was a 4-engine large military aircraft
. Official Chinese media acknowledged that the platform is Shaanxi Y-8 and some who have claimed that the aircraft that crashed was a KJ-2000 instead of a KJ-200
.
In Chinese National Day military parade 2009, the Air Force KJ-200
took the role as a lead plane.
Myanmar
Pakistan
Sudan
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, based on the Soviet Antonov An-12
Antonov An-12
The Antonov An-12 is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10.-Design and development:...
. It has become one of China's most popular military and civilian transport/cargo aircraft, with many variants produced and exported. Although the An-12 is no longer made in Ukraine, the Chinese Y-8 continues to be upgraded and produced. An estimated 75 Y-8 aircraft had been built by 2001.
Design and development
In the 1960s, China purchased several An-12 aircraft from the Soviet Union, along with license to assemble the aircraft locally. However, due to the Sino-Soviet splitSino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
, the Soviet Union withdrew its technical assistance. The Xi'an Aircraft Company
Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation
Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation , also known as Xi'an Aircraft Company Limited is a Chinese aircraft manufacturer and developer of large and medium-sized airplanes. It is based in Yanliang District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. It is joint partners with 603rd Aircraft Design Institute of...
and Xi'an Aircraft Design Institute worked to reverse engineer the An-12 for local production.
Design of the aircraft was completed by February 1972. Major features of the Y-8 included a similar fuselage to the H-6 bomber, the same bomber's nose and tail turret, a roller-type dropping device instead of conveyor belt, and a gaseous oxygen system as opposed to a liquid system. The original Y-8 inherited the An-12’s twin 23mm cannon tail turret, but this was removed on subsequent variants.
The Y-8 equipped with four turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
engines mounted under the leading edges of non-swept wings. The wings are attached high on the fuselage, and the tricycle landing gear is equipped with low pressure tires. The earliest versions used for the transportation of freight or troops had two side-hinged doors, while later variants used a rearward-facing ramp to facilitate loading and unloading of the payload. Some specialized versions omit the cargo ramp entirely.
The Y-8 is capable of carrying troops, dropping supplies, parachute drops, and functioning as an air ambulance. It also can be used for commercial uses as a freighter. It is capable of hauling 20 tons of cargo, approximately 96 soldiers, or about 82 paratroopers in the cargo compartment which is 13.5 metres long, 3 metres wide and 2.4 metres high. It can also carry 60 severely wounded soldiers with their stretchers, 20 slightly injured soldiers and 3 medical attendants. Many variants for specialized roles have been built, but information on them can be vague or difficult to obtain due to the secretive nature of the Chinese military.
The Y-8 transport aircraft was put into trial production in the Xi'an Aircraft Factory in June 1972. By December 1974, the first Chinese-assembled Y-8 conducted its maiden flight. Following trial production of the first Y-8s, operations were transferred to the Shaanxi Aircraft Factory. The Shaanxi-produced Y-8s conducted their test flights in December 1975. After a regime of 66 test flights the Y-8 was officially certified for use by the Chinese government. By 1981, the Y-8 entered serial production.
In the late 1980s, Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
, the American manufacturer of the C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
, helped China to develop a pressurized cabin for the passenger version of Y-8, resulting in two versions: the first had half of the cabin pressurized and later, the second version in which the complete cabin was pressurized.
In 2001 and 2002, new consulting arrangements between Antonov
Antonov
Antonov, or Antonov Aeronautical Scientist/Technical Complex , formerly the Antonov Design Bureau, is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company with particular expertise in the field of very large aircraft construction. Antonov ASTC is a state-owned commercial company...
and Shaanxi resulted in modernized redesigns to the Y-8's wing and fuselage. As a consequence the redesign allows the Y-8's fuel capacity to be increased by 50 percent.
Operational history
Y-8's have been used by the PLAAF and PLANAF in a wide variety of roles and some have been supplied to civilian operators. Export aircraft have been supplied to the Myanmar Republic air force, Sudanese Air Force and the Sri Lankan Air Force. Some Y-8 aircraft were used by the Sri Lanka Air Force as makeshift bombers, dropping bombs from the rear doors, during the country's civil war, losing two units to Tamil Tiger Anti-Aircraft defences.KJ-200 Accident
On June 3, 2006, a ChineseChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
KJ-200
KJ-200
KJ-200, or 'Y-8 Balance Beam' system, is an AEW&C program developed by Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation. The key component of this aircraft is a brand new airborne radar system, visually similar to the Ericsson Erieye AESA system, as well as ventral radar domes. The platform of this aircraft is based...
'Balance Beam' Airborne early warning and control aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
crashed in Guangde County
Guangde County
Guangde County is a county in Anhui Province, People's Republic of China under the jurisdiction of Xuancheng City. The county has a population of 510,000 and an area of...
in the Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. All 40 people on board were killed. The Chinese official explanation was that the accident was due to heavy ice formation
Atmospheric icing
Atmospheric icing occurs when water droplets in the atmosphere freeze on objects they contact. This can be extremely dangerous to aircraft, as the built-up ice changes the aerodynamics of the flight surfaces, which can increase the risk of a subsequent stalling of the airfoil...
on the wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
s after the aircraft made repeated passes in and out of cloud
Cloud
A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
s in bad weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
. However, the official Chinese report does not mention the exact type of the airborne early warning aircraft, only claiming that it was a 4-engine large military aircraft
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
. Official Chinese media acknowledged that the platform is Shaanxi Y-8 and some who have claimed that the aircraft that crashed was a KJ-2000 instead of a KJ-200
KJ-200
KJ-200, or 'Y-8 Balance Beam' system, is an AEW&C program developed by Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation. The key component of this aircraft is a brand new airborne radar system, visually similar to the Ericsson Erieye AESA system, as well as ventral radar domes. The platform of this aircraft is based...
.
In Chinese National Day military parade 2009, the Air Force KJ-200
KJ-200
KJ-200, or 'Y-8 Balance Beam' system, is an AEW&C program developed by Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation. The key component of this aircraft is a brand new airborne radar system, visually similar to the Ericsson Erieye AESA system, as well as ventral radar domes. The platform of this aircraft is based...
took the role as a lead plane.
Variants
- Y-8: The baseline unpressurized transport aircraft produced primarily for transport duties with the PLAAF.
- Y-8A: Helicopter transport aircraft with rear loading ramp, travelling gantry removed and a hydraulically operated steady under the rear door.
- Y-8AF: ASW platform under tests, with extended magnetic anomaly detector at the tail, the latest military version, looks similar to Y-8 Mineral research plane.
- Y-8B: Unpressurised freight/passenger transport aircraft for CAACCAACCAAC is an acronym which may refer to the following:* Civil Aviation Administration of China, an administrative body of the People's Republic of China* Capital Area Activities Conference, a high school sports league centered around Lansing, Michigan...
.
- Y-8C: Fully pressurised transport version with the rear cargo ramp of the Y-8B.
- Y-8CA: (a.k.a. 'High New 1') Electronic Countermeasures aircraft with extensive arrays of aerials and a ventral canoe.
- Y-8CB: ECM variant, characterized by a sharp pointed nose cone.
- Y-8D: Export military transport fitted with western avionics. The initial Y-8D was superseded by the Y-8DII.
- Y-8DZ: (Dianzi Zhencha - ELINT)(a.k.a.'High New 2') Electronic signals intelligence version characterized by the cylindrical array just in front of the vertical stabilizerVertical stabilizerThe vertical stabilizers, vertical stabilisers, or fins, of aircraft, missiles or bombs are typically found on the aft end of the fuselage or body, and are intended to reduce aerodynamic side slip. It is analogical to a skeg on boats and ships.On aircraft, vertical stabilizers generally point upwards...
.
- Y-8E: Drone carrier aircraft for launching WZ-5 Chang Hong-1(Chang Hong - long rainbow) reconnaissance drones, reverse-engineered Ryan FirebeeRyan FirebeeThe Ryan Firebee was a series of target drones or unmanned aerial vehicles developed by the Ryan Aeronautical Company beginning in 1951. It was one of the first jet-propelled drones, and one of the most widely-used target drones ever built....
s, to replace Tu-4 Drone launchers..
- Y-8F: Live-stock transport aircraft with three tiers of cages either side of a central aisle, able to accommodate 350 sheep or goats. The livestock transport was developed to allow access to remote seasonal pastures.
- Y-8F-100: Fitted with more powerful engines, EFIS, colour weather radar, TCAS and GPS.
- Y-8F-200: This model has a 2.2m (7 ft 10in) stretched fuselage.
- Y-8F-300: Civil transport with western avionics.
- Y-8F-400: As for Y-8F-300 but with pressurised cargo hold.
- Y-8F-600: Newest civilian transport variant with a redesigned fuselage, Pratt and Whitney turboprop engines, an Electronic Flight Instrument SystemElectronic Flight Instrument SystemAn electronic flight instrument system is a flight deck instrument display system in which the display technology used is electronic rather than electromechanical. EFIS normally consists of a primary flight display , multi-function display and engine indicating and crew alerting system display...
"glass cockpit", and a two-person crew.
- Y-8G: ELINT platform (project).
- Y-8G: IFR tanker. (project).
- Y-8G: Airborne Command Post and ECM version a.k.a. 'High New 3' based on the Y-8F-200.
- Y-8H: Aerial survey aircraft.
- Y-8J: AWACS aircraft with BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
GEC-MarconiMarconi Electronic SystemsMarconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...
Argus-2000 (RACAL Skymaster) L-band pulse-doppler search radar in a large nose radome, with work stations for the operators in the cargo hold. Reputedly fully pressurised but lacking the cargo ramp associated with pressurised cargo holds.
- Y-8J: AEW aircraft with Sky Master radar.
- Y-8JB: ELINT variant.
- Y-8K: 121-seat airliner.
- Y-8T: C3I command post and battlefield surveillance aircraft based on the Y-8F-400. Some sources claim it is an ECM aircraft.
- Y-8U: Experimental aircraft equipped with British Mk 32 aerial refueling pods for the development of Chinese aerial refueling technology.
- Y-8X: (Xun - surveillance) Maritime Patrol Aircraft with western avionics, radar, mission systems and defensive aids. Some aircraft have been known to carry ELINT packages. Equipped with Litton CanadaLitton IndustriesNamed after inventor Charles Litton, Sr., Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States, bought by the Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2001.-History:...
AN/APS-504(V) search radarRadarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
for maritime surveillance missions. This version is characterized by a larger cylindrical radar radomeRadomeA radome is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a microwave or radar antenna. The radome is constructed of material that minimally attenuates the electromagnetic signal transmitted or received by the antenna. In other words, the radome is transparent to radar or radio waves...
under the nose similar to that on H-6Xian H-6The Xian H-6 is a license-built version of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 twin-engine jet bomber, built for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force....
bomber.
- Y-8XZ: (a.k.a. 'High New 7') a Psychological warfare aircraft for broadcasting TV and radio propaganda.
- Y-8W: An AWACS version of the KJ-200KJ-200KJ-200, or 'Y-8 Balance Beam' system, is an AEW&C program developed by Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation. The key component of this aircraft is a brand new airborne radar system, visually similar to the Ericsson Erieye AESA system, as well as ventral radar domes. The platform of this aircraft is based...
with 'Balance Beam phased array radar mounted above the fuselage.
- Y-8 AWACS: Characterized by the large Rotodome strut supported over the rear fuselage and the triple tail configuration with large trapezoidal auxiliary fins at the tips of the tailplane, similar to the Beriev A-50Beriev A-50|-See also:Related development:Ilyushin Il-76, KJ-2000Comparable aircraft:E-3 Sentry-External links:* * * * * *...
.
- Y-8 AWACS: Another AWACS version was studied at Shaanxi with large radomes at nose and tail in similar fashion to the abortive AEW Nimrod.
- Y-8 Geophysical Survey Aircraft: Characterized by the extended magnetic anomaly detectorMagnetic anomaly detectorA magnetic anomaly detector is an instrument used to detect minute variations in the Earth's magnetic field. The term refers specifically to magnetometers used by military forces to detect submarines ; the military MAD gear is a descendent of geomagnetic survey instruments used to search for...
at the tail, for finding potential mine sites, similar in appearance to an anti-submarine warfareAnti-submarine warfareAnti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
platform and is often mistaken for the latter.
- Y-8EW: New EW aircraft.
- Y-8Q: ASW variant, surface search radar, FLIR, internal bomb bay, SATCOM, and tail MAD.
- Y-8 Gunship: A projected gunship version based on the Y-8C with two heavy cannon and ports for three heavy machine-guns on the port side of the aircraft. Weapons aiming and target acquisition achieved by gyro-stabilised optoelectronic sighting system in a ball turret under the nose. A steerable searchlight would be installed uin a pod under the port outer wing, as well as ESM and/or ECM pods as required.
- ZDK-03: A variant designed specifically for export to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF)Pakistan Air ForceThe Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
. Consists of a Chinese AESA radar mounted on the Y-8F600 platform. The radar is reported to have a greater range than that of the PAF's Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C radarErieye radarThe Erieye radar system, is an Airborne Early Warning and Control System developed by Saab Microwave Systems of Sweden. It is based on the Active Electronically Scanned Array . The Erieye is used on a variety of aircraft platforms, such as the Brazilian Embraer E-99 or EMB-145...
and the aircraft incorporates open architecture electronics to make future upgrades easier to implement. Delivery of the first aircraft to the Pakistan Air Force was expected by the end of 2010. The first aircraft was reported to have been delivered in November 2011 by Pakistani media.
Operators
- People's Liberation Army Air ForcePeople's Liberation Army Air ForceThe People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...
- People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force
Myanmar
Pakistan
- Pakistan Air ForcePakistan Air ForceThe Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
Sudan
- Sudanese Air ForceSudanese Air ForceThe Sudanese Air Force is the air force operated by the Republic of the Sudan. As such it is part of the Sudanese Armed Forces.-History:The Sudanese Air Force was founded immediately after Sudan gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1956. The British assisted in the Air Force's...
- Tanzanian Air Force
- Venezuelan Air Force
Specifications (Y-8 Transport)
See also
External links
- Y-8 development history and photos, Chinese
- Antonov An-12 and Shaanxi Y-8 at airliners.net - specifications, and photo galleries of exterior and interior
- Y-8F600 - describes 'next generation' Y-8
- New PLA Transport Aircraft: Building for Power Projection - article at strategycenter.net
- Y-8 Tactical Transport - informative summary of Y-8 transport variants at sinodefence.com
- Chinese Special Mission Aircraft - includes links to various Y-8 special mission variants
- KongJing-200 Airborne Early Warning & Control Aircraft
- Shaanxi AEW Aircraft Crashed During Test
- People's Daily news article on the June 3 2006 plane crash in Anhui Province.
- Shaanxi Y-8 photo gallery at airliners.net