Chinese scientists and technicians will soon complete an indigenous, large aircraft engine that can equip the Y-20, the country's first domestically developed strategic airlifter, Chinese media quoted a military expert as saying on Sunday.

Qiao Liang, a professor at the Air Force Command Institute of the People's Liberation Army, told Science Times that the prototype of the Y-20, which conducted its first test flight on Jan 26, is currently equipped with four Russian D-30 turbofan engines, and the development of an indigenous engine is "approaching success".

After being installed with the domestically developed engine, the payload of the Y-20 will increase by around 10 metric tons, he said.

The Y-20's prototype has a maximum payload of 66 tons and a maximum take-off weight of more than 200 tons, according to reports.