Chinese Aviation Industry
- Thread starter FriedRiceNSpice
- Start date
Which one? the WJ-10/AEP500 series?
Well, that would make sense. The airframe is available, and it being a 4 engine amphib is a pretty nice way to test their corrosion resistance. I do wonder though, would Shaanxi bother to update Y-9 with the new engine for export, or is it Y-30 or bust?
we were just talking about MA-700 and its propulsion. glad AVIC finally revealed it.
AEP-500/WJ-10 are the same series.
if you read my old massages, PLAAF is not happy with WJ-6C engine performance but have to stick with it coz no other Engine was available in this category class. Y-8/Y-9 actually need new engine replacement but it now depend on Shaanxi.
there are so many applications of this new turboprop Engine.
I suppose AG600 series would probably get the AEP400 or some other AEP variant like the AEP380. I do hope that atleast the special mission Y-9s will be retrofitted with AEP380/400 as they are pretty new and rather expensive with no clear successor to replace them hence will remain in front line service for a while unlike normal Y-9s which from most sources were not really mass produced in large numbers and could be replaced by Y-30 soon and Y-8s are basically at the end of their life anyways.
Problem being they're all equipped with presumably new-build WJ-6s so by replacing them early you'd be throwing away that capital investment. By the time the engines are worn out it is likely that the aircraft will also be, or at least obsolete.
Re-engining already built aircraft is an uncommon practice. Mostly Arabs do it. I think the new engine will be integrated to the Y-9 but I don't expect retrofits to the already built air frames.
Depending on the scale of improvement, it is not exactly uncommon imo.
The most famous being KC-135R, where the fleet size seeing an engine upgrade was in the hundreds.
I think the upcoming re-engining of B-52s with Rolls-Royce powerplants is going to be particularly interesting.
Is replacing a turboprop as easy as turbofans & shouldn't be problematic on the Y-9 platforms?