CHENGDU, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Painted grey and carrying national flags and yellow serial numbers on their tails, two Y-20 planes, China's homegrown large transport aircraft, officially joined the People's Liberation Army Air Force on Wednesday.
With a maximum takeoff weight of around 200 tonnes, the Y-20 is ideal for transporting cargo and people over long distances in diverse weather conditions.
Designed and manufactured by state-owned aviation giant the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the Y-20 took its maiden flight in January 2013, and made its debut at the 10th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in November 2014.
Last month, the first two Y-20 planes were delivered to the Air Force, after five years of design and manufacture as well as another four years of test flights.
According to the AVIC, the time between the start of the design and the Y-20's flight was around half that of similar aircraft in other countries.
"China has joined the few nations capable of indigenously developing 200-tonne-level large transport aircraft," said Geng Ruguang, vice general manager of the AVIC and the general director of the Y-20 project.
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