Y-9 Military Transport Aircraft

The Y-9 (Yun-9) is a medium-sized, medium-range turboprop multi-purpose transport aircraft designed and manufactured by Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation. Derived from the Y-8 (An-12 Cub) transport aircraft, the Y-9 features improved engines and modern avionics including a ‘glass’ cockpit, and is believed to be comparable to the U.S. Lockheed Martin C-130J in general performance.

Development History

Shaanxi began to develop a new military transport designated Y-8X in 2001 to meet the PLA’s requirement for an advanced medium transport aircraft to replace its ageing Y-8 fleet. The aircraft later received a new designation Y-9. The Ukraine-based Antonov Aeronautical Scientific-technical Complex (ASTC) aircraft company provided some assistance to the Y-9 development, including the design of the airframe and wind tunnel testing.

Key Data

• Number in service: Unknown
• Designer: Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation
• Manufacturer: Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation
• Maiden flight: 2006?
• Crew: Four
• Powerplant: Four WJ-6C turboprop engines
• Max payload: 20 tonnes
• Max take-off weight: 65 tonnes

Design

The Y-9 has a similar aerodynamic layout to the Y-8, with high-mounted wings and four turboprop engines mounted under the wing’s leading edge. The rear cargo door also serves as a ramp to allow quick load/unload of cargoes. The tail flats and fin are mounted high. Additional small vertical stabilisers are installed on the tailplanes.

The aircraft has a two-wheeled nose landing gear and two four-wheeled main landing gears. The aircraft has a four-man crew, including two pilots, a flight engineer and a loadmaster.

Cargo System

The Y-9’s cargo bay is 16.2 m in length, 3.2 m in width, and 2.3 m in height, with an internal volume of 155 cubic metres. The payload requirement includes a range of military vehicles, cargo containers, pallets, and paratroopers. With a maximum payload capacity of 20 tonnes, the aircraft is capable of carrying 98 paratroopers, or nine international standard pallets of 108” X 88”, or eight 125” X 96” pallets. The cargo bay is also equipped with cargo handling rollers and tie-down rings.

Avionics

In addition to radio communication and navigation systems, the Y-9 features a ‘glass’ cockpit and modern avionics including ground proximity warning and collision avoidance systems. An electro-optical turret containing forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and TV sensors is mounted under the fuselage for day/night, all-weather operation.

Engines

The Y-9 is powered by four WJ-6C (Wojian-6C) turboprop engines each rated 5.100hp. The engine features a six-bladed JL-4 propeller.

Specifications

CARGO BAY DIMENSIONS
Length	16.2m
Width	3.2m
Height	2.3m
WEIGHTS
Empty	39t
Normal take-off	N/A
Max take-off	65t
Fuel capacity	23t
Max payload	20t
PROPULSION
Powerplant	4X WJ-6C turboprop
Thrust (dry)	N/A
PERFORMANCE
Max level speed	570km/h
Cruising speed	550km/h
Cruising altitude	8,000m
Service ceiling	10,100m
Range	5,000km
Take-off/landing distance	1,350m