China’s desire to catch up with Russia and the west in aircraft design and manufacturing has resulted in some interesting mutants. China’s latest military transport aircraft, the Y-20, is no exception.

While most pundits can recognize the C-17 style tail and the Il-76 style engine cowling, and wing-body fairing, I can’t help but notice the An-70 nose and landing gear (especially the nose gear)!

The only aircraft missing here is the AN70 to show where the Y-20's bits and pieces came from!
The only aircraft missing here is the AN70 to show where the Y-20’s bits and pieces came from!

While it all looks advanced and sleek to the common crowd, the Y-20 also reveal that China seems to still lag behind Russia in engine technology, as it is still powered by the WS-10 low-bypass turbofan engines of the J-11 fighter (China’s local Flanker with local engines), while the real engines for the Y-20, the WS-20, is still in development.

However I cannot help but think, if WS-10 on the Flankers are known notoriously for the short life as the WS-10 was mocked as “Will See 10 hours (before destruction)”), would WS-20 mean that it would last for 20 hours?

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