It will be in service
probably within five years, depending on tests, Tang told China Daily.
The 15-meter-high
aircraft underwent a successful test flight on Jan 26.
The Ministry of Defense confirmed shortly after the successful test
flight that the Yun-20, mainly developed by the Xi'an Aircraft Industry
(Group) Co Ltd, has a load-carrying capacity of 66 metric tons.
It is 47 meters long, has a wingspan of 45 meters and a maximum take-off
weight of 200 tons, Xinhua News Agency reported on March 3.
"We are still conducting test flights. They are going well, but
more tests have to be carried out before it is put into use," Tang
said.
Tang made the remarks on the sidelines of the annual session of the
National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference,
the country's top political advisory body. The meeting concluded last
Tuesday.
Even when it is in service, designers will be carrying out upgrades
to improve its performance, he said.
Tang revealed that domestically designed and manufactured engines will
be tested during test flights and once they have passed various tests
they will power the jumbo airfreighter.
The Chinese engines perform better in terms of fuel efficiency and thrust-weight
ratio, he said.
Tang also said that, as is international practice, an aircraft could
use several types of engines.
China's largest transporter had been the Yun-8, which has a maximum
take-off weight of 61 tons. The Yun-8 debuted in 1975.
The Yun-20 can operate
in adverse weather and a range of topographical conditions, Tang said.
"It can serve peace-keeping missions and bring in large quantities
of aid for humanitarian missions."
Tang, a graduate of the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics,
works at the No 1 Aircraft Design Institute under the Aviation Industry
Corp of China.
In addition to the
institute, at least 1,000 companies or research institutes have been
involved in design and production of the jumbo, according to Tang.
The transport plane puts China in an exclusive club of countries and
signals an ability to produce homegrown technology to boost its defense
capacity, Xinhua reported in January.
"The successful test flight of the Yun-20 marks a milestone in
China's aviation industry and we're moving a step closer toward building
a strategic air power for the country," the news agency quoted
Tang as saying earlier this month.