China Aircraft Maker to Promote New Generation Planes at Air Show

The Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC) will promote its new generation aircraft at China's upcoming aerospace trade show, the aircraft manufacturer said Thursday.

The company's heavy transport aircraft Y-20 and stealth fighter J-31, the major models in the new series, will be demonstrated at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which opens on Nov. 1 in the southern port city of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.

The new planes represent AVIC's advances toward the fourth generation of aircraft technology, the company said.

In June, the first two Y-20 planes were delivered to the People's Liberation Army Air Force after nearly a decade of design, manufacture and test flights. With a maximum takeoff weight of around 200 tonnes, the large freighter plane is ideal for transporting cargo and people over long distances in diverse weather conditions.

As a major aerospace and defence company in China, AVIC has developed a series of advanced fighters, helicopters and airborne early warning aircraft, and exported many models.

The six-day air show has been held in Zhuhai every two years since 1996.
Global Times

New photos reveal scope of China's WS-20 turbofan engine

The Y-20 cargo plane during a test flight.

 Photos released by the China Flight Test Establishment have confirmed reports that China's domestically produced WS-20 turbofan engine, designed by Shenyang Liming Aircraft Engine Company, can be used to power Y-20 cargo planes, according to the Beijing-based Sina Military Network.

The WS-20 can not only be used for upcoming military transport aircraft like the Y-20, but it can also be used to power large or medium-sized passenger planes as well, the report said.
An aviation expert said the WS-20 is very similar to the US-built CFM56-7 or GE90 turbofan engine in structure, adding that in next five or seven years, both civilian and military aircraft could be equipped with the engine.
China is now on its way to become the fifth nation in the world with the capability to design advanced turbofan engines after the United States, United Kingdom, France and Russia. It will lead to major changes within the nation's aviation industry as China will no longer need to rely on the supply of Russian-built engines for the development of large military aircraft. This will eventually help the country to have an independent aviation industry, the report said.

The Y-20's range and loading capacity will also be extended after the WS-20 begins its service with the Chinese military, which will help the People's Liberation Army Air Force to improve its force projection capabilities. In addition, China will be able to expand its overseas market after it is able to design and produce more advanced turbofan engines based on the WS-20.

According to the Sina Military Network, the WS-20 will be key for China to establish a real strategic air force.
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