China promoting sale of Y-20 'chubby girl' transport plane to foreign buyers

China is actively promoting the sale of its Y-20 Kunpeng airlifter to foreign markets, as the manufacturer expands production capacity in anticipation of heightened demand, according to a South China Morning Post report, citing various media outlets. In November, the Y-20BE model was unveiled to the global market, showcasing its capabilities to visiting Nigerian Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar in Beijing, added the report, citing the military magazine Ordnance Industry Science Technology report published last week. Termed the “chubby girl” due to its voluminous fuselage, the Y-20 is a strategic military transport aircraft comparable to the Soviet Ilyushin Il-76 and the American Boeing C-17. The report suggests that possessing the Y-20 could provide China with opportunities to forge more profound strategic relationships and collaborations with other nations. Its manufacturer, state-owned Xian Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAIC), has been operating assembly lines for mass production to increase efficiency and enlarge capacity, state broadcaster CCTV reported in November. Utilising assembly lines similar to those employed in the production of cutting-edge aircraft like the Lockheed Martin F-35 and Boeing 787, XAIC employs a “pulse line” system, where aircraft parts move sequentially through work stages, akin to the assembly process of automobiles. A significant technological aspect highlighted in the report is the digitalised system responsible for producing over 90 per cent of the Y-20’s components. The CCTV report showcased the XAIC plant’s advanced features, including robotic arms, remote-controlled maneuvers, and laser-assisted high-precision assembly work. Citing the magazine report,  South China Morning Post said the plant’s production capacity could meet demand from both the Chinese air force and international clients. “The Y-20 production speed is the fastest in the world for its kind,” South China Morning Post quoted from the magazine report. The plane – which is 47 metres long and 50 metres wide – has become the workhorse heavy lifter for the People’s Liberation Army since it entered service in 2016. It can carry up to 66 tonnes. XAIC has delivered nearly 100 planes to the PLA Air Force so far – about half of them in the past two years. It also made the switch from Russian-made Soloviev D-30KP-2 engines to the more powerful Chinese-made Shenyang WS-20 turbofan engines. Variants have also been developed – the Y-20U aerial tanker, and the Y-20AEW airborne early warning and control aircraft. With inputs from agencies