AIR TRANSPORT
China's Comac C919 Edges Toward First Flight
by
Jennifer Meszaros
- January 17, 2017, 9:00 AM
Comac has begun taxi and brake testing of the first C919, scheduled for first flight in the first half of the year. (Photo: Comac)
China’s efforts to develop a second airliner to boost the nation’s economic competitiveness and prestige is slowly coming to fruition in the form of the C919, the inaugural flight of which officials expect as soon as late March.
Developed by state-run Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), the narrowbody has reached the early stages of pre-flight trials, including taxi and brake tests, according to a Comac official who spoke with AIN on the condition of anonymity.
“Every day, the experimental test pilots get progressively more involved in testing different things,” he told AIN. “It looks like it will fly late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter. After that you probably won’t see it fly for quite a while.”
According to the same official, the C919’s major avionics systems such as the navigation, flight management system and autopilot remain incomplete, however. Final design reviews also remain pending.
Launched in 2008, the C919 program has experienced a series of setbacks that pushed back its maiden flight and delivery date, originally scheduled for 2014 and 2016, respectively. Despite the delays, the narrowbody serves as a testament to China’s ambitions to advance its standing in the aerospace manufacturing value chain.
The smaller ARJ-21-700 regional jet, also developed by Comac, entered service in June 2016 after a lengthy development program that finally culminated in
Chinese certification in late 2014. In July 2016, leasing groups Friedmann Pacific Asset Management and China Aircraft Leasing Limited signed a deal to buy up to
60 of the aircraft.
The ARJ-21 has collected a total of 413 orders and commitments from 19 customers since program launch in 2002. Comac delivered the second ARJ-21 to Chengdu Airlines on September 29, and on December 2 the aircraft obtained the first foreign airworthiness certificate, issued by the Republic of Congo.
“We learned from the ARJ,” said the Comac official. “There are certain things that we want to do this time around that we didn’t do last time.”
With the ARJ-21-700, avionics integration proved one of the biggest development impediments. On the C919, the cockpit “won’t be as integrated as the [ACJ] Neo” but will “be closer to a [Boeing] Max,” he said.
“It still will not be the same level of integration but again what the balance of that is obviously the cost,” he added. “A better established process” and English-language manuals have also helped in C919’s development.
As the C919 edges toward its first flight, Comac continues to work toward gaining a production certificate for the ARJ. While the official said that won’t happen until it builds between 10 and 15 airplanes, once obtained the certificate will allow the aircraft to undergo a series of upgrades, including a new avionics suite and better integration of its major systems. For aircraft already in service, Comac will offer a retrofit.
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-n...7/chinas-comac-c919-edges-toward-first-flight
Video - Comac C919 edges toward first test flight
Published on 26/01/2017 01:00 - By aeronewstv.com
Over a year after it was officially presented, the
COMAC C919 has embarked on the final stretch before its first take off. The Chinese aircraft manufacturer switched on the CFM Leap 1C engines on its test aircraft for the first time on 9th November. The twin engine jet then joined the ranks of the COMAC flight test department on December 25th.
Since then, a series of ground tests has begun, including low-speed runs, as shown in this
AirForceWorld short video, shot on December 28th. We see the C919 rolling a few seconds on one of the runways at Shanghai-Pudong International Airport before stopping. These are rare images because the
Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC is very cautious about giving out any information on its programme. The C919’s maiden flight is scheduled for the first half of 2017. According to our sources, COMAC has even set a date: June 15th. If so, it’s a symbolic one, on Chinese President Xi-Jinping’s birthday.
A total of six aircraft will be used for flight testing. The Chinese medium-haul plane, seating 156 to 168 passengers, is expected to enter service next year. China Eastern Airlines will be the first company to take delivery of the new aircraft.
http://www.aeronewstv.com/en/indust...omac-c919-edges-toward-first-test-flight.html
