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Ryanair Said to Sign Accord With China to Work on Comac Aircraft
By Andrea Rothman and Steven Rothwell -
Ryanair Holdings Plc (RYA), the second- biggest buyer of Boeing Co. (BA) aircraft, plans to work with China on the C919 jet that the country is designing to challenge Airbus SAS and Boeing Co. in the single-aisle market, a person with direct knowledge of the talks said.
Ryanair Chief Executive Officer Michael OLeary will announce the plan at a press briefing organized by Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China next week at the Paris Air Show, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations remain confidential. The accord would make the Dublin-based budget carrier a partner in defining design elements such as the jets size and shape, the person said.
Comac, as the state-controlled company is known, plans test flights for the C919 in 2014, with entry into service by 2016. The jet, which seats about 150 people, aims to pry open the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing in the single-aisle market, the largest part of the civil aviation industry. Ryanair teaming up with Comac would potentially undermine Boeing, as the U.S. company weighs an upgrade of its 737 jet or an all-new plane.
Airbus, based in Toulouse in southern France, has been offering carriers a version of its A320 single-aisle plane with new engines, slated for service at the end of 2015. The company has picked up more than 400 firm orders or commitments for the aircraft since announcing the plan at the end of 2010.
Comac said in March that it expected 50 to 100 orders this year for the C919, the nations first passenger jet. The aircraft will be as much as 15 percent more fuel-efficient than existing narrow-body jets, Chen Jin, general manager for sales and marketing, said at the time.
As of March 31, when Ryanairs fiscal year ended, the Irish carrier had 272 Boeing 737-800s in its fleet, with firm orders for an additional 40. Stephen McNamara, a spokesman for the carrier, declined to comment on Comac.
*ttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-17/ryanair-said-to-sign-accord-with-china-to-work-on-comac-aircraft.html
==========
Aviation Special: Brand new industrial model
By Zhang Zhao (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-17 07:35
Large Medium Small
Aviation Special: Brand new industrial model
AVIC and GE sign contract to establish an avionics company in Shanghai. Photos Provided to China Daily
It has not been an easy ride these past six decades for China's aviation industry and it is still a relative latecomer, but that has kept it from setting its eye on the global aviation equipment market.
"Unlike other industries, such as automobiles and electronics, aviation industry came about as an international effort, with the world involved," explained Lin Zuoming, president of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
In late January, AVIC cooperated with GE in setting up an aviation-electronics company in Shanghai, at a cost of $13 billion.
"This is a brand new model for joining the global industrial chain," said Lin.
"It's different from just making components for other companies, because we now cooperate with other companies overall, from investment to technical research and development."
AVIC has also been involved in a number of overseas acquisitions in recent years.
For example, in late 2009, the AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry Co acquired Austria's FACC, a world leader in design and manufacturing of aircraft components and systems. This allowed AVIC to get better composite materials for its C919s.
"This doesn't mean we want to move the Austrian company to China," said Lin, "rather, it's a symbol of friendship between the two nations."
Then, on March 1, AVIC announced that it had signed a contract with the United States-based Cirrus Aircraft Corp, to acquire the world's second largest general aircraft maker.
"The move was good not only for the development of Chinese aviation, but also for economic growth in the US," Lin went on to explain.
Its most recent acquisition came in April, when it completed a $186-million deal for aircraft engine manufacturer Continental Motors.
AVIC also has a number of overseas acquisitions in non-aeronautic fields, including a German hydraulic equipment manufacturer.
It is planning to restructure its regional strategy in future and will set up R&D centers in advanced coastal parts of China, such as the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas. This is intended to attract investment and talented people, so it can compete better.
But the manufacturing bases will mostly be in inland areas.
Technology
China's aviation industry will be strong only when it becomes a pillar industry with leading technologies and when much of the advanced aviation technology is used in other industries, according to Lin.
"China's aviation technology has developed a great deal," Lin said.
In aerodynamics and new materials, China is now "not very far from the global standard. And, in electronic systems, China is taking the lead in a number of essential components, which are made in very few countries."
AVIC is also involved in the new energy developments and "solar power has great potential in aircraft applications," according to Lin.
"Just imagine an aircraft with large wings, covered with solar battery cells. Just imagine. "
*ttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-06/17/content_12718967.htm
By Andrea Rothman and Steven Rothwell -
Ryanair Holdings Plc (RYA), the second- biggest buyer of Boeing Co. (BA) aircraft, plans to work with China on the C919 jet that the country is designing to challenge Airbus SAS and Boeing Co. in the single-aisle market, a person with direct knowledge of the talks said.
Ryanair Chief Executive Officer Michael OLeary will announce the plan at a press briefing organized by Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China next week at the Paris Air Show, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations remain confidential. The accord would make the Dublin-based budget carrier a partner in defining design elements such as the jets size and shape, the person said.
Comac, as the state-controlled company is known, plans test flights for the C919 in 2014, with entry into service by 2016. The jet, which seats about 150 people, aims to pry open the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing in the single-aisle market, the largest part of the civil aviation industry. Ryanair teaming up with Comac would potentially undermine Boeing, as the U.S. company weighs an upgrade of its 737 jet or an all-new plane.
Airbus, based in Toulouse in southern France, has been offering carriers a version of its A320 single-aisle plane with new engines, slated for service at the end of 2015. The company has picked up more than 400 firm orders or commitments for the aircraft since announcing the plan at the end of 2010.
Comac said in March that it expected 50 to 100 orders this year for the C919, the nations first passenger jet. The aircraft will be as much as 15 percent more fuel-efficient than existing narrow-body jets, Chen Jin, general manager for sales and marketing, said at the time.
As of March 31, when Ryanairs fiscal year ended, the Irish carrier had 272 Boeing 737-800s in its fleet, with firm orders for an additional 40. Stephen McNamara, a spokesman for the carrier, declined to comment on Comac.
*ttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-17/ryanair-said-to-sign-accord-with-china-to-work-on-comac-aircraft.html
==========
Aviation Special: Brand new industrial model
By Zhang Zhao (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-17 07:35
Large Medium Small
Aviation Special: Brand new industrial model
AVIC and GE sign contract to establish an avionics company in Shanghai. Photos Provided to China Daily
It has not been an easy ride these past six decades for China's aviation industry and it is still a relative latecomer, but that has kept it from setting its eye on the global aviation equipment market.
"Unlike other industries, such as automobiles and electronics, aviation industry came about as an international effort, with the world involved," explained Lin Zuoming, president of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
In late January, AVIC cooperated with GE in setting up an aviation-electronics company in Shanghai, at a cost of $13 billion.
"This is a brand new model for joining the global industrial chain," said Lin.
"It's different from just making components for other companies, because we now cooperate with other companies overall, from investment to technical research and development."
AVIC has also been involved in a number of overseas acquisitions in recent years.
For example, in late 2009, the AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry Co acquired Austria's FACC, a world leader in design and manufacturing of aircraft components and systems. This allowed AVIC to get better composite materials for its C919s.
"This doesn't mean we want to move the Austrian company to China," said Lin, "rather, it's a symbol of friendship between the two nations."
Then, on March 1, AVIC announced that it had signed a contract with the United States-based Cirrus Aircraft Corp, to acquire the world's second largest general aircraft maker.
"The move was good not only for the development of Chinese aviation, but also for economic growth in the US," Lin went on to explain.
Its most recent acquisition came in April, when it completed a $186-million deal for aircraft engine manufacturer Continental Motors.
AVIC also has a number of overseas acquisitions in non-aeronautic fields, including a German hydraulic equipment manufacturer.
It is planning to restructure its regional strategy in future and will set up R&D centers in advanced coastal parts of China, such as the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas. This is intended to attract investment and talented people, so it can compete better.
But the manufacturing bases will mostly be in inland areas.
Technology
China's aviation industry will be strong only when it becomes a pillar industry with leading technologies and when much of the advanced aviation technology is used in other industries, according to Lin.
"China's aviation technology has developed a great deal," Lin said.
In aerodynamics and new materials, China is now "not very far from the global standard. And, in electronic systems, China is taking the lead in a number of essential components, which are made in very few countries."
AVIC is also involved in the new energy developments and "solar power has great potential in aircraft applications," according to Lin.
"Just imagine an aircraft with large wings, covered with solar battery cells. Just imagine. "
*ttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-06/17/content_12718967.htm
A domestic engine is scheduled to be delivered to power the Chinese C919 passenger aircraft in around 2020, Wang Zhilin, president of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, told media in April.
The engine is not based on the core engine of the Taihang turbofan engine, Lin told the Global Times Thursday.
"It is a completely new engine and can compete with the foreign engine (CFM LEAP-X) that was chosen by the C919," Lin said, adding that users of the C919 can choose between foreign and Chinese engines.
*ttp://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/661931/Nations-aviation-industry-has-plans-to-become-a-top-player-on-the-world-stage.aspx
The engine is not based on the core engine of the Taihang turbofan engine, Lin told the Global Times Thursday.
"It is a completely new engine and can compete with the foreign engine (CFM LEAP-X) that was chosen by the C919," Lin said, adding that users of the C919 can choose between foreign and Chinese engines.
*ttp://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/661931/Nations-aviation-industry-has-plans-to-become-a-top-player-on-the-world-stage.aspx
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Xi Jinping visit reveals H-6 bomber details - IHS Jane's 360
Xi Jinping visit reveals H-6 bomber details
Richard D Fisher Jr, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
19 February 2015
On 17 February a visit by Chinese Communist Party and People's Liberation Army (PLA) leader Xi Jinping to a bomber unit of the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) revealed new details of its latest Xian Aircraft Corporation (XAC) H-6K bomber.
As did his predecessors, Xi makes frequent visits to PLA units that are well covered by the Chinese media to stress the Party's control over the PLA. This visit occurred on the eve of the official Chinese New Year.
Xi visited a bomber unit outside the city of Xi'an operating three variants of the H-6 that have been in production since the late 1990s. They included the H-6H, which entered service in the late 1990s and is armed with two optically guided YJ-63/KD-63 land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs).
Also seen was the H-6M, which entered service in 2007 equipped with four wing pylons plus new electronic warfare and missile approach warning systems. The H-6M is armed with two KD-20/K-AKD-20 1,500-2,500 km range LACMs.
Most noteworthy, however, was Chinese media coverage of Xi's cockpit tour, which for the first time provided a wide view of the cockpit of the most recent H-6K variant. This confirmed that the H-6K uses a 'glass' cockpit with five or more multifunction displays (MFDs) and is the first H-6 to use ejection seats for its three or four crew members.
Making Xi's visit easier was the H-6K's first use of a stair-accessible side-entry door.
Emerging in prototype form in 2007, the H-6K is the most radically modified variant, replacing its glass nose with a large solid nose housing a large radar and new electro-optical targeting pod. Its use of two Russian-made 12-ton thrust D-30-KP2 turbofans and lighter-weight composites have reportedly extended its range by 30% to a combat radius of 3,500 km.
The H-6K carries six KD-20 LACMs on wing pylons plus one or more in its bomb bay. It can also carry a wide range of new precision-guided munitions available from four Chinese weapon manufacturers.
-----------------------------
Miscellaneous Notes:-
China's H-6K "God of War" bomber can carry six thermonuclear-capable CJ-10 cruise missiles.
"H-6K reportedly has a combat radius of 3,500 km. The nuclear-capable ChangJian (long sword)-10 cruise missiles it carries have a range of 1,500-2,000 km, effectively extending the bomber’s combat range to 4,000-5,000 km - long enough to reach Okinawa, Guam and even Hawaii from China’s mainland."
Xi Jinping visit reveals H-6 bomber details
Richard D Fisher Jr, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
19 February 2015
Chinese leader Xi Jinping's pre-New Year visit to a PLAAF bomber regiment provided the first full view of the cockpit of an XAC H-6K. Source: Via CCTV
On 17 February a visit by Chinese Communist Party and People's Liberation Army (PLA) leader Xi Jinping to a bomber unit of the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) revealed new details of its latest Xian Aircraft Corporation (XAC) H-6K bomber.
As did his predecessors, Xi makes frequent visits to PLA units that are well covered by the Chinese media to stress the Party's control over the PLA. This visit occurred on the eve of the official Chinese New Year.
Xi visited a bomber unit outside the city of Xi'an operating three variants of the H-6 that have been in production since the late 1990s. They included the H-6H, which entered service in the late 1990s and is armed with two optically guided YJ-63/KD-63 land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs).
Also seen was the H-6M, which entered service in 2007 equipped with four wing pylons plus new electronic warfare and missile approach warning systems. The H-6M is armed with two KD-20/K-AKD-20 1,500-2,500 km range LACMs.
The H-6K now serves in at least two PLAAF bomber regiments. (Chinese internet)
Most noteworthy, however, was Chinese media coverage of Xi's cockpit tour, which for the first time provided a wide view of the cockpit of the most recent H-6K variant. This confirmed that the H-6K uses a 'glass' cockpit with five or more multifunction displays (MFDs) and is the first H-6 to use ejection seats for its three or four crew members.
Making Xi's visit easier was the H-6K's first use of a stair-accessible side-entry door.
Emerging in prototype form in 2007, the H-6K is the most radically modified variant, replacing its glass nose with a large solid nose housing a large radar and new electro-optical targeting pod. Its use of two Russian-made 12-ton thrust D-30-KP2 turbofans and lighter-weight composites have reportedly extended its range by 30% to a combat radius of 3,500 km.
The H-6K carries six KD-20 LACMs on wing pylons plus one or more in its bomb bay. It can also carry a wide range of new precision-guided munitions available from four Chinese weapon manufacturers.
The nearly decade-old H-6M has only recently been seen armed with the KD-20 1,500-2,500 km range LACM. (Chinese internet)
-----------------------------
Miscellaneous Notes:-
China's H-6K "God of War" bomber can carry six thermonuclear-capable CJ-10 cruise missiles.
"H-6K reportedly has a combat radius of 3,500 km. The nuclear-capable ChangJian (long sword)-10 cruise missiles it carries have a range of 1,500-2,000 km, effectively extending the bomber’s combat range to 4,000-5,000 km - long enough to reach Okinawa, Guam and even Hawaii from China’s mainland."
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China Aviation Billionaire Emerges on Budget Airlines IPO - Bloomberg Business
China Aviation Billionaire Emerges on Budget Airlines IPO
by Jill Mao
7:50 PM AEDT, February 2, 2015
(Bloomberg) -- Wang Zhenghua, chairman of Spring Airlines Co., became a billionaire as the stock surged after staging the first initial public offering of a Chinese airline since 2002.
Shares of the low-cost carrier jumped 44 percent on its trading debut on Jan. 21, and climbed by the 10 percent limit for eight straight days, tripling in value. The 10 percent increase today boosted Wang’s net worth to $1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
“The IPO came at a very good time,” said Han Yichao, a Shanghai-based aviation analyst at Chang Jiang Securities, over the phone. “Spring Air is lucky because the whole aviation sector soared last year and shares of most companies have doubled.”
Airline stocks are riding a bull market, with the Bloomberg World Airlines Index tracking 31 carriers rising 46 percent since Oct. 13, the lowest level last year. Budget carriers including Southwest Airlines Co. and EasyJet Plc led gains this year and are among the gauge’s 10 best performers.
A global surplus has driven oil prices almost 50 percent lower last year. That in turn cut expenses for jet fuel and boosted the valuation for the aviation industry and Spring Air’s offer price for its initial share sale, Han said.
China Eastern Airlines Corp., the nation’s second-largest airline by market capitalization, said Friday it expects profit in its fiscal year to rise as much as 60 percent, citing stronger operation capacity and lower jet fuel price.
New Planes
Spring Air plans to buy new aircraft as rising incomes drive up demand for air travel across Asia. In the first 11 months of 2014, mainland Chinese tourists made more than 100 million international trips, topping the travel total for the previous year, according to data from the China National Tourism Administration.
Wang, 70, started the airline in 2005, and derives the bulk of his wealth from the 26 percent stake in the company.
The billionaire also owns 35.7 percent of closely held Shanghai Spring International Travel Service Co., the parent of Spring Air that the former Shanghai government official founded in 1981 and one of the country’s largest travel agencies, according to China National Tourism Administration.
Wang is optimistic about the outlook for budget airlines in China because the market is still dominated by full-service carriers.
“Low-cost airlines has less than 5 percent of the market in China,” Zhang Wu’an, a spokesman for Spring Air, said in an e-mailed statement today. “It has a bright market prospect in the future.”
Instant Noodles
Wang, whose executives share hotel rooms and eat instant noodles on business trips to cut costs, has given the remaining shares of Spring International to his employees, Zhang said, as the billionaire wanted “the staff to feel they are the owners of the business and they are fighting for their own good.”
The surge in Spring Air shares since the IPO also made it Asia’s biggest budget carrier, and more valuable than Eva Airways Corp., Air France-KLM Group and Air Canada.
Wang’s not the only low-cost airline operator to see his fortune soar. Shares of Luton, England-based EasyJet, Europe’s second-biggest discount carrier, reached a record in January and revealed another billionaire in Clelia Haji-Ioannou, the sister of company founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, age 47, who has a $2.2 billion fortune.
She owns a stake valued at $1.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The stake is held by EasyGroup Holdings Ltd., which also holds the shares owned by her billionaire brother. A second brother, Polys, owns shares through Jersey, Channel Island-based Polys Holding, and has a $1.8 billion fortune.
EasyJet Shares
A 2013 stock exchange filing in the U.K. disclosed Clelia was the beneficiary of about 43 percent of the EasyJet shares held by EasyGroup Holdings. The three siblings together control 35 percent of the airline, a stake valued at more than $3.7 billion.
Richard Shackleton, a spokesman for EasyGroup, declined to comment on the net worth of the Haji-Ioannous.
For Spring Air, the expansion has made the company the largest non-state Chinese carrier by passengers, who were carried on 41 Airbus A320 planes and 73 air routes.
Spring Air has drawn attention by having employees and cabin crew once dress as Spiderman and other characters, and by having flight attendants wear Google Glasses to see how the device can improve customer service.
.
China Aviation Billionaire Emerges on Budget Airlines IPO
by Jill Mao
7:50 PM AEDT, February 2, 2015
(Bloomberg) -- Wang Zhenghua, chairman of Spring Airlines Co., became a billionaire as the stock surged after staging the first initial public offering of a Chinese airline since 2002.
Shares of the low-cost carrier jumped 44 percent on its trading debut on Jan. 21, and climbed by the 10 percent limit for eight straight days, tripling in value. The 10 percent increase today boosted Wang’s net worth to $1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
“The IPO came at a very good time,” said Han Yichao, a Shanghai-based aviation analyst at Chang Jiang Securities, over the phone. “Spring Air is lucky because the whole aviation sector soared last year and shares of most companies have doubled.”
Airline stocks are riding a bull market, with the Bloomberg World Airlines Index tracking 31 carriers rising 46 percent since Oct. 13, the lowest level last year. Budget carriers including Southwest Airlines Co. and EasyJet Plc led gains this year and are among the gauge’s 10 best performers.
A global surplus has driven oil prices almost 50 percent lower last year. That in turn cut expenses for jet fuel and boosted the valuation for the aviation industry and Spring Air’s offer price for its initial share sale, Han said.
China Eastern Airlines Corp., the nation’s second-largest airline by market capitalization, said Friday it expects profit in its fiscal year to rise as much as 60 percent, citing stronger operation capacity and lower jet fuel price.
New Planes
Spring Air plans to buy new aircraft as rising incomes drive up demand for air travel across Asia. In the first 11 months of 2014, mainland Chinese tourists made more than 100 million international trips, topping the travel total for the previous year, according to data from the China National Tourism Administration.
Wang, 70, started the airline in 2005, and derives the bulk of his wealth from the 26 percent stake in the company.
The billionaire also owns 35.7 percent of closely held Shanghai Spring International Travel Service Co., the parent of Spring Air that the former Shanghai government official founded in 1981 and one of the country’s largest travel agencies, according to China National Tourism Administration.
Wang is optimistic about the outlook for budget airlines in China because the market is still dominated by full-service carriers.
“Low-cost airlines has less than 5 percent of the market in China,” Zhang Wu’an, a spokesman for Spring Air, said in an e-mailed statement today. “It has a bright market prospect in the future.”
Instant Noodles
Wang, whose executives share hotel rooms and eat instant noodles on business trips to cut costs, has given the remaining shares of Spring International to his employees, Zhang said, as the billionaire wanted “the staff to feel they are the owners of the business and they are fighting for their own good.”
The surge in Spring Air shares since the IPO also made it Asia’s biggest budget carrier, and more valuable than Eva Airways Corp., Air France-KLM Group and Air Canada.
Wang’s not the only low-cost airline operator to see his fortune soar. Shares of Luton, England-based EasyJet, Europe’s second-biggest discount carrier, reached a record in January and revealed another billionaire in Clelia Haji-Ioannou, the sister of company founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, age 47, who has a $2.2 billion fortune.
She owns a stake valued at $1.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The stake is held by EasyGroup Holdings Ltd., which also holds the shares owned by her billionaire brother. A second brother, Polys, owns shares through Jersey, Channel Island-based Polys Holding, and has a $1.8 billion fortune.
EasyJet Shares
A 2013 stock exchange filing in the U.K. disclosed Clelia was the beneficiary of about 43 percent of the EasyJet shares held by EasyGroup Holdings. The three siblings together control 35 percent of the airline, a stake valued at more than $3.7 billion.
Richard Shackleton, a spokesman for EasyGroup, declined to comment on the net worth of the Haji-Ioannous.
For Spring Air, the expansion has made the company the largest non-state Chinese carrier by passengers, who were carried on 41 Airbus A320 planes and 73 air routes.
Spring Air has drawn attention by having employees and cabin crew once dress as Spiderman and other characters, and by having flight attendants wear Google Glasses to see how the device can improve customer service.
.
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China to launch test flights for C919 plane this year-Xinhua| Reuters
China to launch test flights for C919 plane this year-Xinhua
SHANGHAI, China Mon Feb 23, 2015 2:05am EST
Feb 23 (Reuters) - State-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) has completed the basic assembly of its medium-range C919 large passenger aircraft and is expected to launch test flights this year, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.
It said COMAC, which is touting the aircraft as China's answer to passenger planes from Boeing Co and Airbus Group NV, had secured 450 orders from 18 customers. The agency did not give further details and COMAC executives were not immediately available for comment during the Lunar New Year holiday.
China is keen to develop a successful commercial aircraft to prove it can match the United States and Europe. But it has been held back by inexperience, a shortage of local aerospace design and engineering talent, as well as a lack of home-grown companies with the technology to help drive the project.
Airbus has forecast China's domestic aviation market to become the world's biggest in the next decade. (Reporting by Samuel Shen and Engen Tham; Editing by Miral Fahmy)
China to launch test flights for C919 plane this year-Xinhua
SHANGHAI, China Mon Feb 23, 2015 2:05am EST
Feb 23 (Reuters) - State-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) has completed the basic assembly of its medium-range C919 large passenger aircraft and is expected to launch test flights this year, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.
It said COMAC, which is touting the aircraft as China's answer to passenger planes from Boeing Co and Airbus Group NV, had secured 450 orders from 18 customers. The agency did not give further details and COMAC executives were not immediately available for comment during the Lunar New Year holiday.
China is keen to develop a successful commercial aircraft to prove it can match the United States and Europe. But it has been held back by inexperience, a shortage of local aerospace design and engineering talent, as well as a lack of home-grown companies with the technology to help drive the project.
Airbus has forecast China's domestic aviation market to become the world's biggest in the next decade. (Reporting by Samuel Shen and Engen Tham; Editing by Miral Fahmy)
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Moog's key role in Chinese passenger jet project « Express & Star
Moog's key role in Chinese passenger jet project
A team from Wolverhampton’s Moog aerospace factory are playing a key role in helping China develop its first long-range passenger jet.
Programme director Andy Hughes with the Moog design and development team behind the newly developed flight controls for a new generation of Chinese aircraft
The C919 is being created by Comac – the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China – and hopes are high that the first aircraft will fly next year.
Before then technicians have to carry out crucial integration testing, to ensure the huge and complex array of thousands of components all work together properly. For the team from Moog, which has designed and developed the flight deck computer and wing surface flight controls, it is the culmination of six year’s hard work.
The Wolverhampton factory is a centre for designing, developing and manufacturing flight control actuation – the components that physically control the flaps and slats on an aeroplane’s wing. Teams at the site, on the i54, have worked on aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, providing their high-lift flight control systems.
Andy Hughes, Moog’s director of programmes for China, said the C919 project involved teams from a series of Moog factories, including the Philippines and the Torrance facility in California which has developed the flight computer.
Mr Hughes said: “We are just about the release the first hardware to start integration testing. It’s a landmark for the programme and, if all goes well, we are hoping for flight testing next year.”
He said the integration testing would involve an ‘iron bird’ of the C919, a fuselage simulator test platform that sits in a hanger at the Comac plant on the outskirts of Shanghai.
The C919 is the first commercial airline programme in China, which is hoping the jet liner will be able to compete with the likes of Boeing and Airbus, securing sales with airlines outside of its home country.
It is a groundbreaking project, said Mr Hughes: “We are very proud of our relationship with our Chinese manufacturing partners. We have worked very closely together.”
It also puts Moog in pole position to win work on other new projects as China’s fledgling aerospace industry takes off. “The potential for the Chinese aviation industry is huge,” said Mr Hughes. “Over the next 10 years over a billion people will get on an aircraft for the first time in China, so growth is going to be significant in that region.”
The testing will involve around 30-40 people on the team at Wolverhampton as well as colleagues working on the ‘iron bird’ in China and others at the other Moog facilities. “This project has really leveraged Moog’s global capacity,” said Mr Hughes. “It has drawn on our skills and technical abilities around the world.”
If the C919 is as big a success as the Chinese hope, it could be worth up to $250 million to the Moog site just in Wolverhampton over the aircraft's 20-30 year lifespan of the aircraft.
Meanwhile the workforce at the Moog factory has risen to around 420 as it works on actuation systems for Boeing – its biggest single customer – and Airbus.
The factory is also playing a significant role in the development of the new F-35 joint strike fighter – the biggest defence contract in the world. The F-35B variant of the jet has a short take-off, vertical landing (STOVL) capability, and the JSF team at Moog has developed the actuation that controls the jet engine’s Rolls-Royce liftfan, allowing it to change direction and providing that vertical landing ability.
The plane is already lined up for use on the Royal Navy’s two new aircraft carriers.
Moog has just built a 200 sq m facility at the Wolverhampton site to carry out further test and development work on the ‘fuel-draulic’ system that uses fuel rather than traditional hydraulic fluid to enable actuator movements controlling the F-35B’s exhaust system.
.
Moog's key role in Chinese passenger jet project
A team from Wolverhampton’s Moog aerospace factory are playing a key role in helping China develop its first long-range passenger jet.
Programme director Andy Hughes with the Moog design and development team behind the newly developed flight controls for a new generation of Chinese aircraft
The C919 is being created by Comac – the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China – and hopes are high that the first aircraft will fly next year.
Before then technicians have to carry out crucial integration testing, to ensure the huge and complex array of thousands of components all work together properly. For the team from Moog, which has designed and developed the flight deck computer and wing surface flight controls, it is the culmination of six year’s hard work.
The Wolverhampton factory is a centre for designing, developing and manufacturing flight control actuation – the components that physically control the flaps and slats on an aeroplane’s wing. Teams at the site, on the i54, have worked on aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, providing their high-lift flight control systems.
Andy Hughes, Moog’s director of programmes for China, said the C919 project involved teams from a series of Moog factories, including the Philippines and the Torrance facility in California which has developed the flight computer.
Mr Hughes said: “We are just about the release the first hardware to start integration testing. It’s a landmark for the programme and, if all goes well, we are hoping for flight testing next year.”
He said the integration testing would involve an ‘iron bird’ of the C919, a fuselage simulator test platform that sits in a hanger at the Comac plant on the outskirts of Shanghai.
The C919 is the first commercial airline programme in China, which is hoping the jet liner will be able to compete with the likes of Boeing and Airbus, securing sales with airlines outside of its home country.
It is a groundbreaking project, said Mr Hughes: “We are very proud of our relationship with our Chinese manufacturing partners. We have worked very closely together.”
It also puts Moog in pole position to win work on other new projects as China’s fledgling aerospace industry takes off. “The potential for the Chinese aviation industry is huge,” said Mr Hughes. “Over the next 10 years over a billion people will get on an aircraft for the first time in China, so growth is going to be significant in that region.”
The testing will involve around 30-40 people on the team at Wolverhampton as well as colleagues working on the ‘iron bird’ in China and others at the other Moog facilities. “This project has really leveraged Moog’s global capacity,” said Mr Hughes. “It has drawn on our skills and technical abilities around the world.”
If the C919 is as big a success as the Chinese hope, it could be worth up to $250 million to the Moog site just in Wolverhampton over the aircraft's 20-30 year lifespan of the aircraft.
Meanwhile the workforce at the Moog factory has risen to around 420 as it works on actuation systems for Boeing – its biggest single customer – and Airbus.
The factory is also playing a significant role in the development of the new F-35 joint strike fighter – the biggest defence contract in the world. The F-35B variant of the jet has a short take-off, vertical landing (STOVL) capability, and the JSF team at Moog has developed the actuation that controls the jet engine’s Rolls-Royce liftfan, allowing it to change direction and providing that vertical landing ability.
The plane is already lined up for use on the Royal Navy’s two new aircraft carriers.
Moog has just built a 200 sq m facility at the Wolverhampton site to carry out further test and development work on the ‘fuel-draulic’ system that uses fuel rather than traditional hydraulic fluid to enable actuator movements controlling the F-35B’s exhaust system.
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PICTURES: C919 takes shape in Shanghai - 3/3/2015 - Flight Global
PICTURES: C919 takes shape in Shanghai
By: Mavis Toh, Singapore
03:00 3 Mar 2015
Final assembly work on the Comac C919 has kicked into high gear, with assembly of the first prototype airframe almost complete.
Pictures released to Flightglobal show an almost complete airframe joined from nose through to the tail. Wing-to-body join has also been done, with the vertical and horizontal stabilisers already attached to the aircraft's tail.
The aircraft is still resting on struts, although the main landing gear and forward landing gear appear to have been installed. The aircraft's wingtip devices have also yet to be installed. No other aircraft are pictured in the final assembly centre area.
A Comac spokesman tells Flightglobal that no systems have been installed on the aircraft.
Over the last six months the Chinese aircraft manufacturer has been taking delivery of the jet's major structures, with final assembly work officially started last September.
Comac has publicly stated end-2015 as the aircraft's first flight target, and the spokesman says the goal remains to strive towards that timeline.
He adds however that major works such as the installation of the avionics, flight control and hydraulics systems still remain to be done. The various systems also have to be integrated and tested.
Tests are however ongoing at full-swing on the C919 iron bird test rig, with more than 50 test engineers and technicians involved.
An official on the indigenous Chinese programme told Flightglobal last September that the iron bird is scheduled to undergo two cycles of tests before the C919's first flight.
Delays on the aircraft's first flight are however expected since system integration will be complex for Comac, another official says.
Comac has so far secured 450 commitments for the in-development narrow body from 18 companies, most of which are local airlines and leasing firms.
.
PICTURES: C919 takes shape in Shanghai
By: Mavis Toh, Singapore
03:00 3 Mar 2015
Final assembly work on the Comac C919 has kicked into high gear, with assembly of the first prototype airframe almost complete.
Pictures released to Flightglobal show an almost complete airframe joined from nose through to the tail. Wing-to-body join has also been done, with the vertical and horizontal stabilisers already attached to the aircraft's tail.
The aircraft is still resting on struts, although the main landing gear and forward landing gear appear to have been installed. The aircraft's wingtip devices have also yet to be installed. No other aircraft are pictured in the final assembly centre area.
A Comac spokesman tells Flightglobal that no systems have been installed on the aircraft.
Over the last six months the Chinese aircraft manufacturer has been taking delivery of the jet's major structures, with final assembly work officially started last September.
Comac has publicly stated end-2015 as the aircraft's first flight target, and the spokesman says the goal remains to strive towards that timeline.
He adds however that major works such as the installation of the avionics, flight control and hydraulics systems still remain to be done. The various systems also have to be integrated and tested.
Tests are however ongoing at full-swing on the C919 iron bird test rig, with more than 50 test engineers and technicians involved.
An official on the indigenous Chinese programme told Flightglobal last September that the iron bird is scheduled to undergo two cycles of tests before the C919's first flight.
Delays on the aircraft's first flight are however expected since system integration will be complex for Comac, another official says.
Comac has so far secured 450 commitments for the in-development narrow body from 18 companies, most of which are local airlines and leasing firms.
.
ahojunk
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Comac Designer Reports on C919 Progress | Aerospace: Aviation International News
Comac Designer Reports on C919 Progress
by Chris Pocock - February 10, 2015, 9:00 AM
The C919 structure consists almost entirely of Chinese-made components.
China’s C919 airliner will roll out and perform taxi tests before the end of this year, but the first flight will likely not take place until 2016, according to Dennis Scott, assistant chief designer at the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). Speaking at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London last week, Scott, who is a British aeronautical engineer, issued new details on the program, as well as on China’s plan to produce commercial aircraft engines. A veteran of many Western aerospace programs, Scott joined Comac in 2011 to advise senior leadership on Western development methodologies and organization.
The wing-to-fuselage join for the prototype C919 took place in December, and the static and fatigue test articles now follow the prototype down the production line, Scott reported. Comac completed structural tests to validate the design a year ago; like Comac’s ARJ21 regional airliner, nearly all of the structure consists of domestically produced parts. Avionics and system integration for the C919 has started, and Honeywell has begun translating the approved control laws into fly-by-wire software. The cockpit layout and sidestick controllers “follow the Airbus philosophy,” Scott noted. A second assembly line for the C919 is being built on reclaimed land at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, where plans call for construction of a fifth runway dedicated to flight test for Comac.
Construction has started on another huge facility south of Shanghai for Avic’s Commercial Engine Company. Scott briefly mentioned the three indigenous commercial engines that the Chinese conglomerate plans to develop. It plans to launch the CJ-500 as an alternative to the GE Aviation CF34 powerplants on the ARJ21; it intends the CJ-1000 to power narrow-body airliners, and it could serve as an alternative to the CFM Leap-1C powerplants on the C919. Schedules call for a demonstration engine to run in 2018 ahead of certification sometime between 2022 and 2025. Finally, the largest of the three engines—the CJ-2000—would power wide-body airliners. Avic plans to run a demonstration engine in 2022, ahead of certification sometime between 2025 and 30. The new head of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation, Yuri Slyusar, recently described in Moscow plans for a joint venture with China to produce a widebody airliner.
Meanwhile, Chinese authorities certified the country’s first indigenous airliner—the 78-seat ARJ21—on December 28 last year, after a flight-test campaign that amassed 5,258 hours. Scott explained that the exceptionally high total, compared with Western equivalent programs, resulted from “a very conservative approach” that placed much less reliance on simulation.
Comac holds orders for 274 ARJ21s, but entry into commercial service will be slow, Scott implied. Plans call for initial production examples to amass operating experience with Comac-owned Chengdu Airlines. The FAA has monitored the ARJ21 program, but “there are still some issues” to resolve before the regional jet could win certification by the West, Scott noted.
.
Comac Designer Reports on C919 Progress
by Chris Pocock - February 10, 2015, 9:00 AM
The C919 structure consists almost entirely of Chinese-made components.
China’s C919 airliner will roll out and perform taxi tests before the end of this year, but the first flight will likely not take place until 2016, according to Dennis Scott, assistant chief designer at the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). Speaking at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London last week, Scott, who is a British aeronautical engineer, issued new details on the program, as well as on China’s plan to produce commercial aircraft engines. A veteran of many Western aerospace programs, Scott joined Comac in 2011 to advise senior leadership on Western development methodologies and organization.
The wing-to-fuselage join for the prototype C919 took place in December, and the static and fatigue test articles now follow the prototype down the production line, Scott reported. Comac completed structural tests to validate the design a year ago; like Comac’s ARJ21 regional airliner, nearly all of the structure consists of domestically produced parts. Avionics and system integration for the C919 has started, and Honeywell has begun translating the approved control laws into fly-by-wire software. The cockpit layout and sidestick controllers “follow the Airbus philosophy,” Scott noted. A second assembly line for the C919 is being built on reclaimed land at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, where plans call for construction of a fifth runway dedicated to flight test for Comac.
Construction has started on another huge facility south of Shanghai for Avic’s Commercial Engine Company. Scott briefly mentioned the three indigenous commercial engines that the Chinese conglomerate plans to develop. It plans to launch the CJ-500 as an alternative to the GE Aviation CF34 powerplants on the ARJ21; it intends the CJ-1000 to power narrow-body airliners, and it could serve as an alternative to the CFM Leap-1C powerplants on the C919. Schedules call for a demonstration engine to run in 2018 ahead of certification sometime between 2022 and 2025. Finally, the largest of the three engines—the CJ-2000—would power wide-body airliners. Avic plans to run a demonstration engine in 2022, ahead of certification sometime between 2025 and 30. The new head of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation, Yuri Slyusar, recently described in Moscow plans for a joint venture with China to produce a widebody airliner.
Meanwhile, Chinese authorities certified the country’s first indigenous airliner—the 78-seat ARJ21—on December 28 last year, after a flight-test campaign that amassed 5,258 hours. Scott explained that the exceptionally high total, compared with Western equivalent programs, resulted from “a very conservative approach” that placed much less reliance on simulation.
Comac holds orders for 274 ARJ21s, but entry into commercial service will be slow, Scott implied. Plans call for initial production examples to amass operating experience with Comac-owned Chengdu Airlines. The FAA has monitored the ARJ21 program, but “there are still some issues” to resolve before the regional jet could win certification by the West, Scott noted.
.
ahojunk
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China helicopter industry insider urges government support | Shanghai Daily
China helicopter industry insider urges government support
Mar 04,2015
BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China's civil helicopter makers face a situation where they must "beat foreign competitors or perish", according to an industry insider, who called for more government support for the sector.
Yu Feng, general manager of the helicopter division of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), said on Wednesday that the Chinese firms lag behind foreign rivals in the reliability of their technology and the user experience, despite China's progress in the field in recent years.
As a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), Yu will promote the cause of the domestic helicopter industry when the national legislative body opens its annual session on Thursday. He believes China should nurture the industry like it does for high-speed trains.
"I hope the government will provide more financial support for helicopter research and production, and purchase more from home-grown makers," Yu said.
Civil helicopters are mostly used for public security, forest fire prevention and medical aid in China, which has a tiny fleet of around 400 of the aircraft. Fewer than 20 of them were made in China.
The AVIC is a leading Chinese aircraft company for both civil and military uses. It put technological breakthroughs in helicopter production high on its 2015 agenda.
.
China helicopter industry insider urges government support
Mar 04,2015
BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China's civil helicopter makers face a situation where they must "beat foreign competitors or perish", according to an industry insider, who called for more government support for the sector.
Yu Feng, general manager of the helicopter division of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), said on Wednesday that the Chinese firms lag behind foreign rivals in the reliability of their technology and the user experience, despite China's progress in the field in recent years.
As a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), Yu will promote the cause of the domestic helicopter industry when the national legislative body opens its annual session on Thursday. He believes China should nurture the industry like it does for high-speed trains.
"I hope the government will provide more financial support for helicopter research and production, and purchase more from home-grown makers," Yu said.
Civil helicopters are mostly used for public security, forest fire prevention and medical aid in China, which has a tiny fleet of around 400 of the aircraft. Fewer than 20 of them were made in China.
The AVIC is a leading Chinese aircraft company for both civil and military uses. It put technological breakthroughs in helicopter production high on its 2015 agenda.
.
ahojunk
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Three major Chinese airlines to provide in-flight WiFi services
2015-06-07 09:23 | CRIENGLISH.com | Editor: Wang Fan
Passengers use WiFi services to surf Internet on mobile gadgets on a flight of China Eastern Airlines. (Liu Xin/For China Daily)
Three major Chinese airlines, including China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Air China, have been approved to provide in-flight Wi-Fi services.
Passengers on these airlines won't have long to wait before they can log on and stay plugged-in during their flights.
China Eastern Airlines has become the first Chinese carrier to provide Wi-Fi services on both domestic and international flights.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the carrier is allowed to use the AsiaSat-6 satellite for Wi-Fi services on its 21 aircraft from June 5.
The services are expected to be offered in a month as the airline clears up several formalities ahead of the launch.
Zhang Chi, deputy director of the company's transition department, explains what this means for the airline.
"According to our market research, over 86 percent passengers will take flights with internet services as a priority. So providing wifi service is an important strategy for the company to attract passengers, and that's why we've decided to make this a standard service in our entire fleet. To make it happen, over 70 aircraft will be modified to install the necessary equipment before 2017."
After the installation is completed, through the AsiaSat-6 satellite, airplanes in the sky can get connected with network devices in base stations on the ground.
China Southern Airlines' senior engineer Mi Jisheng says the state-to-the-art technology enables air passengers to experience faster wifi service on plane than even at home.
"First, with the new technology, the bandwidth will be about 50-fold faster than that of the previous traditional technology. Second, the communication network will be much larger than before, and this time with global coverage. About 99 percent of intercontinental routes will be covered with satellite signals."
Currently, American Airlines, Qatar Airlines and many other foreign airlines offer wi-fi services on flights, with charges ranging from several US dollars to over twenty dollars.
However, Zhang Chi with China Eastern Airlines says their service charges are expected to be free.
"Through wifi access, we will offer a variety of internet services which are free for passengers. The service charges will be shared and paid by the airline and its business partners. We have collaborated with China Union Pay for passengers on the plane to make real-time payment through a cloud platform, which is a breakthrough for online shopping during flights."
With the commercialization of the service, passengers on plane can also enjoy a wide range of duty-free goods.
Experts predict the Wi-Fi service could bring about new business opportunities, especially in social media and data services.
Last year, around 390 million domestic Chinese passengers took flights and spent 1 billion hours in the air.
2015-06-07 09:23 | CRIENGLISH.com | Editor: Wang Fan
Passengers use WiFi services to surf Internet on mobile gadgets on a flight of China Eastern Airlines. (Liu Xin/For China Daily)
Three major Chinese airlines, including China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Air China, have been approved to provide in-flight Wi-Fi services.
Passengers on these airlines won't have long to wait before they can log on and stay plugged-in during their flights.
China Eastern Airlines has become the first Chinese carrier to provide Wi-Fi services on both domestic and international flights.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the carrier is allowed to use the AsiaSat-6 satellite for Wi-Fi services on its 21 aircraft from June 5.
The services are expected to be offered in a month as the airline clears up several formalities ahead of the launch.
Zhang Chi, deputy director of the company's transition department, explains what this means for the airline.
"According to our market research, over 86 percent passengers will take flights with internet services as a priority. So providing wifi service is an important strategy for the company to attract passengers, and that's why we've decided to make this a standard service in our entire fleet. To make it happen, over 70 aircraft will be modified to install the necessary equipment before 2017."
After the installation is completed, through the AsiaSat-6 satellite, airplanes in the sky can get connected with network devices in base stations on the ground.
China Southern Airlines' senior engineer Mi Jisheng says the state-to-the-art technology enables air passengers to experience faster wifi service on plane than even at home.
"First, with the new technology, the bandwidth will be about 50-fold faster than that of the previous traditional technology. Second, the communication network will be much larger than before, and this time with global coverage. About 99 percent of intercontinental routes will be covered with satellite signals."
Currently, American Airlines, Qatar Airlines and many other foreign airlines offer wi-fi services on flights, with charges ranging from several US dollars to over twenty dollars.
However, Zhang Chi with China Eastern Airlines says their service charges are expected to be free.
"Through wifi access, we will offer a variety of internet services which are free for passengers. The service charges will be shared and paid by the airline and its business partners. We have collaborated with China Union Pay for passengers on the plane to make real-time payment through a cloud platform, which is a breakthrough for online shopping during flights."
With the commercialization of the service, passengers on plane can also enjoy a wide range of duty-free goods.
Experts predict the Wi-Fi service could bring about new business opportunities, especially in social media and data services.
Last year, around 390 million domestic Chinese passengers took flights and spent 1 billion hours in the air.
ahojunk
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Air transport ties to deepen along Belt and Road
2015-07-19 07:59 | Xinhua | Editor: Yao Lan
Civil aviation between China and two Asian countries along the Belt and Road, a China-proposed trade and infrastructure network, will enhance cooperation as China works to promote regional connectivity.
Air travel from China to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan is set to improve following the meeting and signing of a memorandum between the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the two countries' civil aviation authorities on expanding cooperation.
"Thanks to the newly signed agreements, relevant airlines will see substantial increases," said CAAC's deputy director Wang Zhiqing.
Kazakhstan authorities last week announced several new air routes between Kazakhstan and China will be launched from this year through 2019.
By autumn 2015, four airline companies will operate 13 passenger flights and 21 cargo flights between China and Kazakhstan each week. Three companies will run three passenger flights and 15 cargo flights between China and Azerbaijan every week.
The number of air passengers from China to Kazakhstan has increased 81 percent to 70,000 in the past three years, according to data from Air Astana, Kazakhstan's biggest airline.
The Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and was proposed in 2013 with the goal of reviving ancient trade routes between Asia and Europe. The network passes through more than 60 countries and regions, with a total population of 4.4 billion.
2015-07-19 07:59 | Xinhua | Editor: Yao Lan
Civil aviation between China and two Asian countries along the Belt and Road, a China-proposed trade and infrastructure network, will enhance cooperation as China works to promote regional connectivity.
Air travel from China to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan is set to improve following the meeting and signing of a memorandum between the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the two countries' civil aviation authorities on expanding cooperation.
"Thanks to the newly signed agreements, relevant airlines will see substantial increases," said CAAC's deputy director Wang Zhiqing.
Kazakhstan authorities last week announced several new air routes between Kazakhstan and China will be launched from this year through 2019.
By autumn 2015, four airline companies will operate 13 passenger flights and 21 cargo flights between China and Kazakhstan each week. Three companies will run three passenger flights and 15 cargo flights between China and Azerbaijan every week.
The number of air passengers from China to Kazakhstan has increased 81 percent to 70,000 in the past three years, according to data from Air Astana, Kazakhstan's biggest airline.
The Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and was proposed in 2013 with the goal of reviving ancient trade routes between Asia and Europe. The network passes through more than 60 countries and regions, with a total population of 4.4 billion.
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