China’s new turboprop-powered medium airlifter constructed by Xi’an Plane Company, dubbed Y-30, has flown for the primary time.
An extended-rumored medium-class airlifter was seen flying for the primary time on the XAC airfield (Xi’an Plane Company) within the metropolis of Xi’an in Central China. Low-quality pictures which have began to flow into on-line present an plane that’s largely much like fashions of a “New Medium Transport” plane proven by AVIC (AViation Trade company of China) prior to now, suggesting that the kind has entered the flight testing section.
The kind is sometimes called the Y-30 by Chinese language aviation lovers, though there was no official affirmation on the designation.
Because it appears, we’ve got our first Chinese language Christmas shock 🥳… based on a number of information studies and even quick video footage, the Y-30 carried out its maiden flight right now. pic.twitter.com/GBYvd50FvL
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) December 16, 2025
The brand new plane is powered by 4 turboprop engines and seems to be significantly smaller than the A400M, regardless of the 2 sharing a broadly related exterior configuration. It’s unclear what actual engine the brand new plane is fitted with, however it’s prone to be a variant of the WJ-6 (which additionally powers different platforms such because the KJ-600, Y-8, and Y-9 alongside Particular Mission variants of the plane), contemplating that the engines function 4 six-bladed propellers.
The plane contains a wing planform much like that of the C-130 with minimal sweep, and incorporates winglets akin to these seen on the bigger C-17. As is the pattern with many recently-developed cargo plane, the brand new kind additionally contains a T-tail.
pic.twitter.com/j7nOXGyOOP
— ᵀ¹ᵐᵉ (@WZZJWZ) December 16, 2025
The plane has a tricycle touchdown gear association, with tandem wheels on every primary undercarriage leg. This configuration factors towards a payload class round 25-30 tonnes, barely exceeding that of the Y-8 and Y-9 collection at the moment in PLA (Folks’s Liberation Military) service – each of which provide cargo capacities within the 15-20-tonne vary.
Actually, the brand new kind is allegedly set to turn into the substitute for the 2 sorts, that are additionally constructed by XAC. It additionally options what’s prone to be an air information probe, as is customary for the primary prototype or flying examples of recent plane.
The ‘reveal’ of the brand new airlifter follows a string of recent PLA belongings revealed prior to now 12 months, together with the J-36 very-heavy fighter, the lighter (but nonetheless very massive) J-XDS, the KJ-3000 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Management) plane, and an array of UCAVs (Unmanned Fight Air Automobiles). The reveal in direction of the tip of December suits in with a broader pattern lately of displaying such new methods on or close to Dec. 26, on the late Chairman Mao’s birthday.
Y-30
The primary studies in regards to the growth of the Y-30 cargo plane emerged over ten years in the past, as reported in 2014 by Aviation Week. Chinese language officers on the time stated this system was nonetheless within the conceptual design section and was anticipated to enter full-scale growth two years later, with fielding anticipated within the 2020s.
In keeping with the studies, the Y-30 was supposed to be in the identical dimension class of the C-130 Hercules, with an 80 tons (176,000 lb) MTOW (Most Take-Off Weight) and a 30 tons (66,000 lb) payload. The plane was reported to have an supposed vary with full payload between 6,000 km and seven,000 km (3,240 and three,780 nautical miles).
A primary scale mannequin was already proven in 2014 on the Zhuhai Air Present. The plane was geared up with 4 turboprop engines, however a twin turbofan powerplant was additionally being thought of.
These first studies additionally talked about to expectation for the Y-30 to turn into China’s primary airlifter. Actually, the PLA was aiming to switch its Y-8 and Y-9 plane with the brand new platform, which might complement the bigger Y-20 that, on the time, was nonetheless in flight testing.
