Y-11 / Y-12
Design of the Type 11 Transport Aircraft, or Yunshuji 11 (Y-11) began during the mid 1970s as a replacement for the Antonov An-2 utility biplane in Chinese service (licence built in China as the Y-5). A prototype was built and flown at Shenyang in 1975, while pre series and production aircraft are built at what is now the Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Company. Production Y-11s were built from 1980. Features include two radial engines, capability for rough field operations and STOL performance. Y-11s have seen service as commuter airliners and have also been configured and used for ag spraying. The Y-11B is an improved development powered by Teledyne Continental engines to overcome single engine altitude performance shortfalls. The first Y-11B's maiden flight was on December 25 1990.
The Y-12 is a turboprop powered development and has been built in greater numbers than the Y-11. Work on a turboprop powered Y-11 began in the early 1980s, and a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A powered and enlarged cabin Y-12 prototype (previously the Y-11T) flew for the first time on August 16 1984. Current production is of the Y-12-II, while the further improved Y-12-IV was granted US certification in March 1995.
Canadian Aerospace Group (CAG) and its Panda Aircraft Company subsidiary offers a developed Y-12 as the Twin Panda, which it aims at the twin Otter replacement market.
