Shaanxi Y-9


The Shaanxi Y-9 is a medium military transport aircraft produced by Shaanxi Aircraft Company in China. It is a stretched and upgraded development of the Shaanxi Y-8F.

Development

Development of the Y-9 may have begun as early as 2002 as the Y-8X program. The program was a collaborative effort with Antonov – the designers of the An-12 that it was ultimately derived from – and was aimed at competing with the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules. By September 2005, the Y-9 designation was being used. The Y-9 received design features originally intended for the Y-8F600, which was cancelled in 2008.
Shaanxi had hoped to conduct the first flight as early as 2006, but it was delayed. Design changes were made in 2006, with the design being frozen by January 2010. After the design freeze, it was suggested that the first flight would depend on securing a launch customer; construction had also not yet commenced. The aircraft finally flew in November 2010.
The Y-9 entered People's Liberation Army Air Force service in 2012, with full operating capability being announced in December 2017.

Design

The Y-9 is powered by four WoJiang WJ-6C turboprop engines. The propellers are six-bladed and made with Chinese JL-4 composites, and closely resemble the Dowty R406. The WJ-6C is replaced by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150B in the Y-9E export variant.
The cruise speed is with an endurance of around 10.5 hours.
The Y-9 may carry 25 tons of cargo or about 100 paratroopers.

Variants

;Y-9
;Y-9E
;Y-9G
;GX-8
;KJ-500
;Psychological warfare variant

Operators