Shaanxi Y-8

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The Shaanxi Y-8 aircraft is a medium size medium range transport aircraft produced by Shanxi Aircraft Company in China, based on the Russian Antonov An-12. It is a fully pressurized aircraft equipped with four turboprops and tricycle landing gears with low pressure tires and disc brake system. Its spacious cargo compartment can accommodate out-sized cargo.

Powered by 4 WJ6 turboprop engines, the Y-8 is capable of carrying troops, dropping supplies, parachute drops, and functioning as an air ambulance. It also can be used for commercial uses as a freighter. The Y-8 is The fore fuselage is a pressurized compartment for the air crew as is the rear section for the gunner. The central section is unpressurized and is designed to carry cargo. The Y-8's maximum speed is 662 km / h, has a service ceiling of 10.4 km, and a maximum range of 5,615 km. It is capable of hauling 20 tons of cargo, 96 soldiers, or 82 paratroopers. It can also carry 60 severely wounded soldiers with their stretchers, 20 slightly injured soldiers and 3 medical attendants.

Responding to the increasing demands of the military and the commercial sector, the Xi'an Aircraft Factory made a petition to the Chinese government to begin trial production of a medium-sized, medium-range aircraft in 1967. Trial production instead was assigned to Van Aircraft Factory in December 1968 and was designated the Y-8.

Design of the aircraft was completed by February 1972. Major features of the Y-8 included a similar fuselage to the H-6 bomber, the same bomber's nose radome and tail turret, a roller-type dropping device instead of conveyer belt, and a gaseous oxygen system as opposed to a liquid system. The Y-8 transport aircraft was put into trial production in the Xi'an Aircraft Factory in June 1972. By December 1974, the Y-8 conducted its first flight . Following trial production of the first Y-8s, operations were transferred to the Shaanxi Aircraft Factory. The Shaanxi- produced Y-8s conducted their test flights in December 1975. After 66 flights amounting to 100 flying hours, the Y-8 was officially certified for use by the Chinese government.

Like the U.S. C-130 Hercules, the Shaanxi Y-8 four-engine turboprop transport aircraft has been developed into many special purposes variants. The PLA Air Force was known to be have been using the Y-8 for special electronic warfare (EW) missions including electronic intelligence (ELINT) and offensive electronic countermeasures (ECM) in the past, but little was known about these programme until an electronic warfare variant Y-8 was first spotted in operation in Summer 2004.

While detailed information regarding the onboard mission equipment is not available, it is believed that the new EW/ELINT variant Y-8 is equipped with an extensive array of sophisticated intelligence gathering equipment to monitor enemy electronic activities. The aircraft may also be capable of launching offensive jamming against enemy communications and radar systems.

There has been rumour suggesting that some of the mission equipment may come from the U.S. Navy EP-3 ELINT aircraft, which made an emergence landing in Hainan Island in April 2001 after colliding with a Chinese fighter, but this cannot be confirmed. The PLA may well be capable of developing its own indigenous EW/ELINT system as a result of the country’s booming electronic and telecommunications industry.

• Country of Origin. China (Licence from USSR).
• Similar Aircraft. C-130 Hercules, C-160 Transall, G.222.
• Crew. Six.
• Role. Medium-cargo/transport (100 equipped troops, vehicles, and weapons), ECM, ELINT.
• Armament. Twin 23-mm cannons in tail.
• Dimensions. Length: 121 ft, 4 in (37 m). Span: 124 ft, 8 in (38 m).

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