China Civil Aviation Industry, Technology, Infrastructure: News & Discussions

[Han Patriot]

Yeah but nothing as incompetent like saying:



And getting this in reply:

and fleeing from the conversation.

A paradigm of competence indeed...for all to see.

Just like this assertion that the Boeing "factory" in China taking jobs away from Boeing USA

Yeah but nothing as incompetent like saying:



And getting this in reply:

and fleeing from the conversation.

A paradigm of competence indeed...for all to see.

Just like this assertion that the Boeing "factory" in China taking jobs away from Boeing USA

I think Andrew was correct in saying China had never consistently provided PPP data, 2011 as you pointed out was the first time they did. But this does not mean they agree that this method is correct. By that measure, China would have been the biggest economy.

You get it genius? Btw, you did not answer my post in the old GDP comparison section. Just like how you are arguing and zeroing on Andrew, I am zeroing on you. No more posting and answering me?

PPP is no use if your ppl literally shit and pee on the streets while holding onto a Indian sticker branded Chinese phone. Do you comprehend?

The factory in China IS TAKING the jobs away from US. BOEING never had any delivery centers outside the states until now. How blind can you be?

 

[onebyone]

HANGZHOU - Boeing and Chinese aviation manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd (COMAC) will start to build a Boeing 737 completion center in eastern China's Zhoushan city at the end of March, scheduled to make its first delivery in 2018.

This is Boeing's first overseas facility as part of its 737 production system, and designed to deliver 100 Boeing 737 planes a year.

In the joint-venture completion center, Boeing's 737 aircraft will be installed with flight entertainment systems and seats. The plant in Zhoushan, 287 km southeast of Shanghai, also provides services such as coating, repair and maintenance of Boeing aircraft.

Boeing and COMAC signed an agreement in October 2016 to set up the Zhoushan plant, which will consist of two parts: the 737 completion center, a joint venture of Boeing and COMAC, and the 737 delivery center owned by Boeing.

Construction of the delivery center will also start at the end of March.

To accommodate aircraft manufacturing in Zhoushan, Putuoshan Airport in the city is undergoing a 750 million yuan ($108 million) expansion to become an international airport.

In addition to supporting Boeing, the aviation base in Zhoushan will also develop an entire industrial chain for aircraft manufacturing, with the capacity of assembling, delivering and modifying 600 aircraft a year by 2025.

Zhoushan is an archipelago and island city in Zhejiang province, which has the largest fishery in China and boasts strong shipbuilding, tourism and service industries.

 

[武成王]

Boeing estimates that from 2015 to 2035, China will add 6810 aircrafts, with a total value of more than $1 trillion. This will make China the world's largest single national aircraft market, according to the regional passenger turnover is also the world's largest. Is it surprising to establish a factory in China? It's a preemptive hand to occupy its share in this promising market.

 

[Han Patriot]

Boeing estimates that from 2015 to 2035, China will add 6810 aircrafts, with a total value of more than $1 trillion. This will make China the world's largest single national aircraft market, according to the regional passenger turnover is also the world's largest. Is it surprising to establish a factory in China? It's a preemptive hand to occupy its share in this promising market.

Which is exactly why C919 needs to be up and running. There needs to be competition to lower the cost of aircraft, we need to kick the airbus-boeing duopoly and make them lower prices. This would be good for all consumers globally. That's ECONOMICS

 

[cirr]

Chinese group in talks to aid struggling jet maker Bombardier

State-owned Comac could invest in Canadian group’s commercial aerospace arm

First test flight of the Comac C919 passenger plane © EPA

YESTERDAY by: Don Weinland in Hong Kong and Peggy Hollinger in London

China’s Comac and Bombardier have held talks about a deal that could inject new life into the debt-laden Canadian company’s passenger jet business, several people familiar with the discussions said.

Comac is working with at least one bank on a tie-up that could involve China’s state-owned aircraft manufacturer making an investment in Bombardier’s commercial aerospace arm or taking a stake in the CSeries 100-150 seater passenger jet programme.

“Everything is on the table,” said a person with knowledge of the discussions.

The companies are understood to have been in discussions about a deal for some time, although no decision is imminent, the person said.

Comac did not respond to a request for comment. Bombardier also declined to comment.

The Canadian company, which has received nearly $3bn in publicly funded cash injections over the past two years, is exploring a similar industrial tie-up with Siemens for its rail business. An attempt in 2015 to rescue the costly CSeries programme by injecting it into a joint venture with Airbus collapsed in acrimony.

The Chinese approach to one of Canada’s most-prized industrial assets comes after at least one other government-controlled Chinese company launched talks with the group, which have since ended.

Bombardier has sought partners in its aerospace and transport divisions to mitigate the unexpectedly high costs of bringing its CSeries passenger jet into service, with the programme running billions over budget.

The jet is widely acknowledged to be highly efficient but it has struggled in recent months to win big new orders with both Boeing and Airbus cutting prices on their smallest aircraft.

The US Commerce Department on Thursday gave its go-ahead to an anti-dumping investigation against Bombardier requested by Boeing over the pricing of the Canadian company’s small single-aisle jet. The investigation could result in hefty tariffs and damage its appeal to the US market.

In recent weeks Comac has launched a test flight of its first short-haul commercial passenger aircraft aimed at competing with Airbus and Boeing. But the C919 is still mainly an assembly of parts from other foreign manufacturers.

Based on older-generation technology, and not yet certified by western aviation safety authorities, it is not expected to win many orders with airlines outside China in the near term.

Access to the CSeries programme and its new-generation aircraft technology would boost the development of Comac’s decades-long haul toward becoming an aviation giant.

Comac and Bombardier have been close for years. In 2012, the companies signed an agreement to find commonalities between the C919 and Bombardier’s CSeries to reduce training and maintenance costs.

The companies have floated the idea of co-operating to compete against Boeing and Airbus. Bombardier has also advised Comac on its smaller regional jet, the ARJ-21, which went into commercial operation last year following years of delay.

Comac is not the first Chinese group to pursue Bombardier. Avic, the state aerospace and defence group from which Comac was formed a decade ago, has held direct discussions with Bombardier in recent years, said one person involved in the talks.

Avic explored taking a stake in and a deal for control of the Canadian group but the discussions did not reach an advanced stage, partially due to leadership changes at Avic, the person said.

Regulatory problems also surfaced at the time “and there were concerns over how that would be navigated”, the person said. The apprehension probably stemmed from Avic’s deep ties to the Chinese military.

Comac was spun out of Avic in 2008 and Avic remains a significant shareholder in the company. Comac’s operations focus on civil aviation and it was unclear whether a potential deal between the two companies would be beset with similar problems.

Comac’s trajectory to the global market has been turbulent. The C919, the test flight of which came years behind schedule, is also 10-15 years behind the rest of the industry. Despite those problems, China is expected to become the world’s biggest aviation market by 2024. C919 already has 500 orders from Chinese airlines.

https://www.ft.com/content/0003ce56-3ba4-11e7-821a-6027b8a20f23

 

[Kompromat]

Good investment

 

[JSCh]

China, Russia develop superjet C929, to compete with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner
By Li Yan (People's Daily Online) 14:03, May 22, 2017

A model of C929 superjet ​

A joint project between China and Russia to build a C929 superjet is currently progressing smoothly through research and development, according to Jin Zhuanglong, chairman of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).

The fuel-efficient plane will reportedly compete with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Though not the biggest passenger jet in terms of size, both the C929 and the Dreamliner are capable of a wide range of use, and both are relatively economical, according to data.

China’s civilian aircraft industry is pressing ahead as planned, allowing a next-generation jet to benefit from earlier research and manufacturing know-how. The new aircraft will also obtain an airworthiness certificate from its predecessor, industry insiders pointed out.

In June 2016, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and COMAC signed a memorandum of understanding on the manufacturing of a wide-body long-range aircraft. According to the agreement, UAC will supply its most advanced avionics technology and a cutting-edge composite wing. China will handle the C929 fuselage construction, with Shanghai-based COMAC set to assemble the jets.

UPDATE:

On May 22, the China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Corporation Ltd. (CRCAIC) was established in Shanghai, a joint venture between Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). The joint venture will be principally engaged in the development of the next generation of long-distance wide-body aircraft.

 

[samsara]

China, Russia to jointly build wide-body passenger jets

Source: Xinhua | 2017-05-22 19:01:58 | Editor: Mengjie

Guests show the business license of the Shanghai-based China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co., Ltd (CRAIC) during an inauguration ceremony in Shanghai, east China, May 22, 2017. China and Russia Monday set up a joint venture to build wide-body passenger jets in the latest attempt to break into the lucrative market longtime dominated by Boeing and Airbus. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)​

SHANGHAI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia Monday set up a joint venture to build wide-body passenger jets in the latest attempt to break into the lucrative market longtime dominated by Boeing and Airbus.

The Shanghai-based China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co., Ltd (CRAIC) has completed its business registration and obtained a license to operate, its Chinese parent, state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), said.

COMAC Chairman Jin Zhuanglong said the joint venture marks key progress in a Sino-Russian program to develop wide-body aircraft and aims to produce "competitive" long-haul planes for the world's aviation market.

CRAIC will be responsible for research, manufacturing, marketing, sales and services of its aircraft. According to an agreement by COMAC and its Russian partner United Aircraft Corp (UAC), 280-seat jets with a range of 12,000 kilometers will be prioritized.

The aircraft design process will soon begin, according to the plan. The general assembly line will be based in Shanghai.

An eight-member strong board of directors, half from China and half from Russia, will be headed by UAC Vice President Vladislav Masalov.

Earlier this month, COMAC's narrow-body passenger aircraft C919 completed its maiden flight. The C919 is China's first domestically-produced large aircraft, designed to rival Airbus' updated A320 and Boeing's new generation B737.

COMAC already has two aircraft from its regional model ARJ21 on the market.

A model of a wide-body passenger jet is seen at the inauguration ceremony of the Shanghai-based China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co., Ltd (CRAIC) in Shanghai, east China, May 22, 2017. China and Russia Monday set up a joint venture to build wide-body passenger jets in the latest attempt to break into the lucrative market longtime dominated by Boeing and Airbus. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)​

A model of a wide-body passenger jet is seen at the inauguration ceremony of the Shanghai-based China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co., Ltd (CRAIC) in Shanghai, east China, May 22, 2017. China and Russia Monday set up a joint venture to build wide-body passenger jets in the latest attempt to break into the lucrative market longtime dominated by Boeing and Airbus. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)​

Guests unveil the nameplate of the Shanghai-based China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co., Ltd (CRAIC) during an inauguration ceremony in Shanghai, east China, May 22, 2017. China and Russia Monday set up a joint venture to build wide-body passenger jets in the latest attempt to break into the lucrative market longtime dominated by Boeing and Airbus. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)​

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-05/22/c_136305167_4.htm

 

[TaiShang]

Chief executive: AirAsia interested in China's C919
Xinhua, May 26, 2017

Southeast Asia's leading budget carrier AirAsia would look into C919, China's first homegrown large passenger jet which recently completed its maiden test flight, AirAsia's chief executive said Thursday.

"It is an interesting aircraft, as soon as the test light is up, we will look at it," AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes told reporters after the group's annual general meeting here.

As at December, 2016, AirAsia operates with a fleet of 174, with average age of 6.5 years.

Fernandes also said that AirAsia has a great relationship with China, and it has tied up with several Chinese companies, such as Huawei, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Tencent.

As the first potential foreign low cost carrier to enter China, Fernandes hopes to see some progress of the group's Chinese venture next year.

"We have got proposals, help in terms of financing, so we hope something can happen next year," Fernandes said.

AirAsia said earlier this month that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with China Everbright Group and Henan Government Working Group to establish a low-cost carrier in China.

According to Fernandes, the Chinese venture with an estimated investment of $100 million, represented the final piece of the AirAsia puzzle after building a successful presence in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Japan.

AirAsia entered Chinese market in 2005. The low-cost airline and its long haul affiliate AirAsia X currently fly to 15 destinations in Chinese mainland, which makes it the largest foreign budget carrier operating in China.

http://www.china.org.cn/business/2017-05/26/content_40901525.htm

 

[Keel]

China, Russia to jointly build wide-body passenger jets

Source: Xinhua | 2017-05-22 19:01:58 | Editor: Mengjie

Guests show the business license of the Shanghai-based China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co., Ltd (CRAIC) during an inauguration ceremony in Shanghai, east China, May 22, 2017. China and Russia Monday set up a joint venture to build wide-body passenger jets in the latest attempt to break into the lucrative market longtime dominated by Boeing and Airbus. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)​

SHANGHAI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia Monday set up a joint venture to build wide-body passenger jets in the latest attempt to break into the lucrative market longtime dominated by Boeing and Airbus.

The Shanghai-based China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co., Ltd (CRAIC) has completed its business registration and obtained a license to operate, its Chinese parent, state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), said.

COMAC Chairman Jin Zhuanglong said the joint venture marks key progress in a Sino-Russian program to develop wide-body aircraft and aims to produce "competitive" long-haul planes for the world's aviation market.

CRAIC will be responsible for research, manufacturing, marketing, sales and services of its aircraft. According to an agreement by COMAC and its Russian partner United Aircraft Corp (UAC), 280-seat jets with a range of 12,000 kilometers will be prioritized.

The aircraft design process will soon begin, according to the plan. The general assembly line will be based in Shanghai.

An eight-member strong board of directors, half from China and half from Russia, will be headed by UAC Vice President Vladislav Masalov.

Earlier this month, COMAC's narrow-body passenger aircraft C919 completed its maiden flight. The C919 is China's first domestically-produced large aircraft, designed to rival Airbus' updated A320 and Boeing's new generation B737.

COMAC already has two aircraft from its regional model ARJ21 on the market.

A model of a wide-body passenger jet is seen at the inauguration ceremony of the Shanghai-based China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co., Ltd (CRAIC) in Shanghai, east China, May 22, 2017. China and Russia Monday set up a joint venture to build wide-body passenger jets in the latest attempt to break into the lucrative market longtime dominated by Boeing and Airbus. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)​

A model of a wide-body passenger jet is seen at the inauguration ceremony of the Shanghai-based China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co., Ltd (CRAIC) in Shanghai, east China, May 22, 2017. China and Russia Monday set up a joint venture to build wide-body passenger jets in the latest attempt to break into the lucrative market longtime dominated by Boeing and Airbus. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)​

Guests unveil the nameplate of the Shanghai-based China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co., Ltd (CRAIC) during an inauguration ceremony in Shanghai, east China, May 22, 2017. China and Russia Monday set up a joint venture to build wide-body passenger jets in the latest attempt to break into the lucrative market longtime dominated by Boeing and Airbus. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)​

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-05/22/c_136305167_4.htm

The Russians have their MC (MS) 21 finished maiden flight just yesterday:

Russia's MC-21 a challenge to Boeing, Airbus?
A new Russian medium-haul passenger jet has successfully completed a first test flight. But whether the MC-21 will really be able to compete with similar planes from Boeing and Airbus is not yet clear.


Russian pilots completed a successful test flight of the country's new MC-21 medium-haul passenger jet on the weekend amid hopes the nation could revive its troubled civil aviation industry and challenge giants Boeing and Airbus.

Co-pilot Oleg Kononenko, one of Russia's most decorated test pilots, said the 30-minute flight in Siberia went well.

"There were no negative points identified that would prevent the continuation of tests," Kononenko was quoted as saying by the Irkut Corporation plane manufacturer.

More comfort

The MC-21, also known as MS-21 in the West, can carry a maximum of 211 passengers and is designed for the mass-market travel industry to compete with Boeing's 737 and Airbus' A320 as Russia intends to reduce its dependence on Western technology amid ongoing sanctions over its perceived role in the Ukraine conflict.

largest fuselage in the plane's class and extra-large windows.

Irkut said it had already signed contracts with a number of carriers including Russian flagship airline Aeroflot and the Kyrgyzstan Air Company.

The test flight came six years after Russia's short-haul Sukhoi Superjet aircraft went into service. It has since suffered serious technical issues that have forced the plane's grounding.

hg/jd (Reuters, AFP)

http://www.dw.com/en/russias-mc-21-a-challenge-to-boeing-airbus/a-39020433

Former Director General of DGCA experiences ARJ21 aircraft
Last Updated (Beijing Time):2017-05-07 Source:News Center of COMAC
Color vision protection:

A photo taken with ARJ21 aircraft on May 4th, 2017.



It was May 4th, 2017 when ARJ21 aircraft which has just ushered in the first 10,000th passenger began its daily operation. There was a special passenger among those boarding at Shanghai, that was Mr. Herry Bakti, former Director General of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), who made a special trip to experience the China-made ARJ21 aircraft together with Mr. Leo Budiman, vice president of an Indonesian airline.

"This is my first ride on the ARJ21, and I very much look forward to riding this aircraft." Mr. Herry Bakti told the reporter, "I'm attracted by the beautiful appearance and bright colors of this aircraft at the first glance. After entering the cabin, I find that the interior space of the aircraft is quite large. The cabin is bright and clean, the seats are spacious, and it is very smooth when taking off and landing. The flight attendants are so warm and thoughtful, and we have taken a group photo. The overall experience is very good." Mr. Herry Bakti expressed that China and Indonesia are friendly countries and the relations between the two countries have a long history. Indonesia was committed to further increasing the level of infrastructure construction and expanding airport facilities, which would promote and drive airlines' demand for aircraft. "We also know that China will fly another aircraft C919 for the first flight, and we look forward to a successful flight of C919. We hope that COMAC could develop exchanges and cooperation with more Indonesian aviation enterprises to jointly promote the development of global civil aircraft industry." Mr. Herry Bakti said.

Mr. Leo Budiman expressed optimism about the market prospect of ARJ21 aircraft in Southeast Asia. He told the reporter: "At present, the mainstream models in Southeast Asia are Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A320. Although ARJ21 has been in route operation not long, this aircraft is very suitable for flying such routes as in Indonesia where there is a lot of islands, and its competitiveness will not lose to other models." Mr. Leo Budiman expressed that Indonesia has great potential in aviation market and has unique advantages in developing regional aviation, and airlines in Indonesia will further expand the scope of cooperation with COMAC in order to achieve mutual benefits and a win-win situation.

 

[posters12345]

May I ask about Chongqing Commercial Aircraft Corporation (CCAC) StarLiner 100?

 

[yusheng]

jet made by China & Russian together is aiming b777 or a330 , while c929 aiming b787,a350,
they are two different plan.

 

[JSCh]

China urges Germany to help jumbo jet C919 get EU airworthiness certificate
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-01 05:45:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) attends a welcome ceremony held by German chancellor Angela Merkel before an annual meeting between Chinese and German heads of government in Berlin, Germany, May 31, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)

BERLIN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday called on Germany to help China-developed large passenger plane C919 get an airworthiness certificate from the European Union.

Li made the call during his talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. He is on an official visit to Germany for an annual meeting between the two heads of government, a mechanism that has been in place since 2004.

The twin-engine C919 made a maiden flight on May 5 in Shanghai with five crew members on board but no passengers. The success makes China the fourth jumbo jet producer after the United States, Western Europe and Russia.

With a standard range of 4,075 km, the narrow-body jet is comparable with updated Airbus 320 and Boeing's new generation 737 planes, signaling the country's entry into the global aviation market.

China has taken pride in developing the homegrown jumbo jet, regarding it as a symbol of national strength.

In 2007, the State Council approved plans to develop a large passenger jet. In November 2015, the first C919 jet rolled off the assembly line. More than 200,000 technicians worked on the project.

A total of 23 foreign and domestic customers, including China's national carrier Air China, had placed orders for 570 aircraft as of May 5, according to COMAC, the manufacturer.

COMAC has to seek airworthiness certificates from domestic and foreign aviation safety regulators before making its first deliveries slated for around 2019.

Airworthiness is the measure of an aircraft's suitability for safe flight.

 

[Piotr]

China completes epic task of servicing its first A380 jumbo jet
By Zhao Hong (CNTV) 15:37, June 05, 2017

After three months and 100,000 hours of work by hundreds of personnel, China has completed a service of its first Airbus A380 jumbo jet, the world’s largest passenger airliner. State-owned China Southern Airlines put the monster double-decker back into use to fly the CZ3099 route from Guangzhou to Beijing on Friday.

China Southern began to receive and operate A380 aircraft in 2011. As required by Airbus, each of its models has to go through a comprehensive body check within six years of service. With China Southern’s five A380s entering their sixth year of use in 2017, they must each be checked this year.

And it is quite a job.

The preliminary work for this first service began in April 2016, including training staff and preparing thousands of specialist materials and tools. Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co., which took charge of the inspection and maintenance work, developed a customized scaffold to allow staff to maneuver around a plane around 25 meters high and more than 70 meters long.

During the three months, an average of 90 personnel worked daily and the number reached 140 at peak times. They renewed the cabin, conducted test flights and repainted an area of 4,000 square meters, equivalent to 10 basketball courts.

China’s aviation industry has boomed in recent years, and it has been both buying planes and developing its own to keep pace with demand. The C919, the first Chinese-built passenger jetliner, completed its first public flight test last month, embodying the country’s hopes of taking on industry giants Airbus and Boeing.

Source: http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0605/c90000-9224326.html

 

[cirr]

China and Russia are teaming up to create the next generation of jumbo jet


The C929 will compete with the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A330neo.

By Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer Yesterday at 9:00pm
C929

This is the first official concept art of the new Sino-Russian jumbo jet, which can seat up to 280 passengers. The stretched versions can carry 350 passengers.

United Aircraft Corporation

China and Russia want to build a jumbo jet similar to those offered by Airbus and Boeing. Last month they officially launched the China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Corporation (CRAIC), a group that will spend between $13 billion and $20 billion building a 280-passenger, twin-aisle, wide-body jet.

This partnership between China's COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd.) and Russia's UAC (United Aircraft Corporation) is aiming for a first flight in 2022 or 2023, and service entry in 2025-2027, according to Aviation Week. While the Boeing/Airbus duopoly is projected to take 90 percent of the projected 9,100 jumbo jet market up to 2025; Reuters says that CRAIC aims to develop take the remaining 10 percent of market share. As a 250-300-passenger jet, the C929 will compete with the similarly sized Boeing 787 and the Airbus A330neo, both of which use advanced engines and composite fuselages for high fuel efficiency. All three jumbo jets will rely on a global supply chain to provide engines, fuel systems, avionics, electrical power systems and life support systems.

The CRAIC headquarters and factory will be located in Shanghai, while the majority of initial research and development—as well as subcomponent assemblies—will happen in Moscow and other Russian cities.

Both COMAC and UAC each own 50 percent of CRAIC, and each company can appoint four persons to the board of directors.

C929 MODEL

CRAIC, a 50/50 joint venture of COMAC and UAC, was formally launched on May 22, 2017 in Shanghai. Its inaugural product will be the C929 jumbo jet, seen here at the launch ceremony.

CRAIC

The Global Times stated that the "C929" (its final name is still up for grabs) is a 7,500-mile-range jumbo jet that can seat 280-290 passengers in a three-class configuration; a stretch version could seat 350 passengers, while the smaller variant has room for 230 passengers.

It will have a maximum takeoff weight of 220 tons for the standard variant, be powered by twin 35-ton thrust engines, and have a 361-foot wingspan. UAC will be responsible for assembling the wings, engine pylons, and housing, while COMAC will build the fuselage and tail sections.

WING AND WINGLETS

The C929 has upward-pointing winglets on its wings, to reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency. The wing itself will be made of composite material and manufactured in Russia.

WeChat

As with all other modern passenger jets, the C929 will be highly integrated into the global supply chain. Its initial turbofan engines are almost certainly going to be provided by Western engine makers like Rolls Royce, Pratt & Whitney, or General Electric.

What's more, COMAC has solicited information from Honeywell and United Technologies for cockpit avionics and other flight systems. While much of the C929's supply chain is international, CRAIC intends to bring in revenue by selling services (like maintenance and logistics) as well as upgrade packages.

COMAC SMART COCKPIT

COMAC first displayed this futuristic conceptual cockpit at a June 2016 aviation fair in Beijing. It uses voice- and touch-activated commands, and wide display screens.

COMAC

CRAIC hopes that the low operating costs of the C929, as well as financing and leasing options, will make it attractive to international buyers.

In addition to the expected rush of Chinese air lines, current buyers of Russian airliners in the former Soviet Union and the Middle East may prove to be ready C929 export customers.

The domestic implications are pretty huge, too: a C929 outfitted with completely domestic content could be developed into mission variants for airborne early warning and control, electronic warfare, nuclear command and control systems, presidential transport, and aerial refueling.

http://www.popsci.com/china-russia-develop-jumbo-jet#page-4