Shaanxi Aircraft, part of China Aviation Industry II (AVIC II), has flown an upgraded version of its four-engined Y-8 transport fitted with a three-crew cockpit equipped with Honeywell avionics. Y-8 variants require five crew.
The prototype Y-8F400 will be re-engined with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A turboprops similar to those fitted to Bombardier's Dash 8 Q400. The manufacturer is believed to have delivered the first engines to China.
AVIC II officials say the changes are expected to boost significantly the Y-8's payload/range performance, reduce operating costs and improve reliability. The programme is being funded by the Chinese Government and the China postal service is expected to be the first customer for the re-engined aircraft.
Source: Flight International
