China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft

The Y-20's static test airframe

Richard Santos said:

It is not unheard of for a new aircraft undergoing high speed taxi tests prior to the first scheduled test flight to accidentally become airborne, thus prempting the scheduled first flight.

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While the scenario you described is likely, I truly doubt the engineering team will accept it, as the test items and procedures are very different between taxi and first flight - provided a cautious planned taxi test procesure does need to be contingent. So, only in "performance" you do see the plane takes off and files, but it won't really conduct the maiden flight test procedure and goals, and thus cannot be called that way on record.

How many units operational or built ?

By next year they should be up to 6-8 units per year and by 2019 at least 1 unit per month

They need to move away from this pilot plant rate to full scale manufacturing

Question is do they have the model right to scale up production ?

WS10 engine did not

Quickie said:

I would think that the engine will immediately be powered down and the aircraft will come back down on the runway. Unless it runs out of runway, but I doubt so.

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This is a amphibian, it probably has miles of sea in front of it. If the water is choppy a taxiing amphibian could easily become airborne without the pilot having exceeded any taxi parameter, and then glide at very low altitudes just over the wave crests relying on ground effects. If I were the pilot, I would enjoy that.

FactsPlease said:

While the scenario you described is likely, I truly doubt the engineering team will accept it, as the test items and procedures are very different between taxi and first flight - provided a cautious planned taxi test procesure does need to be contingent. So, only in "performance" you do see the plane takes off and files, but it won't really conduct the maiden flight test procedure and goals, and thus cannot be called that way on record.

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That is true, however, in most histories of aircraft books, the name of the pilots in control on maiden flight is usually honorably recorded, and if an "accidental" takeoff occurs prior to the planned maiden takeoffs occur, the name of the pilots in control during the accident is noted with a little asterisk above the name of the official maiden flight pilot, and some thunder is stolen from the official maiden flight pilot in the eyes of posterity.

Richard Santos said:

This is a amphibian, it probably has miles of sea in front of it. If the water is choppy a taxiing amphibian could easily become airborne without the pilot having exceeded any taxi parameter, and then glide at very low altitudes just over the wave crests relying on ground effects. If I were the pilot, I would enjoy that.

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The news is that the first flight will be conducted over land some time in May.

Another new Y-20A ... any idea which number this is ?

What's Y-20 and Y-20A?

asif iqbal said:

What's Y-20 and Y-20A?

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Y-20 = prototypes,

Y-20A = operational ones

By the way, I'm away for one week from tomorrow morning; a school-trip with my class into the deepest forest without any internet-access ... I'm sure during these days, FC-31V2 will fly again, the J-15A or B will be unveiled and a lot more ... as usual when I'm off-line.

All the best.

Deino