Third Y-20 Flown

摘要

The third Xian Y-20 Kunpeng four-jet military transport aircraft completed its maiden flight on July 31 at the Yanliang flight test centre in China. Identified as 783, it is finished in a lighter grey scheme than applied to the first prototype (20001/781). The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) will need at least 400 Y-20s, according to a report by the National Defence University of China quoted by government-run newspaper the People's Daily on July 25. The report suggests a major air transport capability is needed to ferry forces to China's periphery as well as to support any potential invasion of Taiwan. The aircraft would be organised into ten PLAAF divisions, each with two regiments of 20 Y-20s.