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

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JUNE 2, 2018 / 8:49 PM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO
China's HNA, COMAC sign deal for 200 C919, 100 ARJ21 jets
Reuters Staff

SHANGHAI, June 2 (Reuters) - Chinese conglomerate HNA Group has agreed to purchase 200 C919 and 100 ARJ-21 planes from the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd (COMAC), the companies said on Saturday.

HNA and COMAC said in a statement that they had signed a strategic cooperation under which HNA had agreed to introduce and operate the jets in China and in overseas markets such as Africa over an unspecified period of time.

It did not disclose financial terms or say whether these were firm orders or options.

The Chinese conglomerate, which has been selling assets to raise cash, holds stakes in over ten airlines, including Hainan Airlines, Capital Airlines and Africa World Airlines in Ghana. It signed a deal for 15 C919 planes in 2010.

HNA said it had signed the deal to support the development of China’s aviation industry as well as Beijing-led “Made in China 2025” and Belt and Road initiatives, it said.

The C919 aircraft is a symbol of China’s ambition to muscle into a global jet market estimated to be worth $2 trillion over the next two decades, as well as of Beijing’s broader “Made in China 2025” plan to spur home-made products, from medicines to robots.

The state planemaker sent the C919 narrowbody plane on its maiden flight last year and obtained approval to begin mass production of the ARJ-21 regional jet last July.

In February, COMAC said its total order book for the C919 jet was 815 aircraft, while orders for the ARJ21 stood at 453. (Reporting by Brenda Goh Editing by Andrew Bolton)


China's HNA, COMAC sign deal for 200 C919, 100 ARJ21 jets | Reuters

 

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河婆大脚ason007
今天 22:07 来自 微博 weibo.com
俄罗斯联合飞机制造公司(UAC)宣布，6月6日与中国商飞公司（COMAC）确定了CR929远程宽体飞机的总体布局方案，俄方总设计师Maxim Litvinov与中方总设计师陈迎春出席了CR929总体布局签字仪式。

河婆大脚ason007
Today 22:07 from weibo.com
UAC announced on June 6th, COMAC confirmed the overall layout of the CR929 long-range widebody aircraft. Russian chief designer Maxim Litvinov and Chinese chief designer Chen Yingchun attended the CR929 general layout signing ceremony event.

 

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中国航空工业集团有限公司
今天 09:51 来自 前后2000万 OPPO R11
【这款先进材料终于在国产直升机上应用了！】近年来，航空工业积极推动T800复合材料基础研究，为减掉每一克的重量而努力。探索工艺成型方法，努力促成工程应用。功夫不负有心人，T800级碳纤维复合材料实现了首次工程应用，填补国内航空领域一项空白。O这款先进材料终于在国产直升机上应用了！

China Aviation Industry Corporation
Today 09:51 from before and after 20 million OPPO R11
[This advanced material has finally been applied on domestic helicopters!] In recent years, AVIC has actively promoted the basic research of the T800 composite materials and worked hard to reduce the weight per gram. Explore process molding methods and work hard to promote engineering applications. Hard work pays off, and T800 grade carbon fiber composite material has achieved its first engineering application, filling a gap in the domestic aviation field.

 

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In-flight Wi-Fi services to be available by year's end, at a cost
Zhu Shenshen 16:19 UTC+8, 2018-06-28

Top Chinese airlines, including China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Airlines, will charge passengers for in-flight Wi-Fi services from the end of this year, China Telecom told Shanghai Daily today.

After equipment upgrades and system tests, Wi-Fi services will begin for all passengers in wide-body aircraft operating domestic lines, and all international lines by the end of this year.

China Eastern and Hainan Airlines are the first carriers to offer the paid service, an official at China Telecom’s satellite communications subsidiary said during the Mobile World Congress Shanghai (MWCS).

China Telecom won’t charge passengers directly. Instead, they offer in-flight bandwidth resources to airline firms, Shanghai Daily learned through an exclusive interview.

Up until now, China Telecom has offered in-flight Wi-Fi services to 1.71 million passengers on 120 aircraft from carriers like China Eastern, Hainan Airlines and Air China.

Airlines declined to comment on the issue today.

At present airlines offer free in-flight Wi-Fi services to limited passengers. For example, China Eastern offers free service to the first 100 passengers during Shanghai-Beijing flights.

In-flight Wi-Fi is a relatively new service in China since the ban on smartphone use has only recently been lifted.

In January, the Civil Administration of China (CAAC) announced they would relax regulations and allowed passengers to use smartphones in-flight.

Previously, mobile phones were required to be completely switched off during flights on all Chinese airlines.

The Wi-Fi bandwidth is up to 10 megabytes per second for each aircraft, which is still limited compared with standard family broadband networks. But that's not a problem for Internet browsing, email and social services including WeChat.

Besides offering Wi-Fi, airlines can also seek e-commerce and online traveling business opportunities through the new service, said Fairlink, which offers in-flight Wi-Fi system upgrades and operation.

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1012442923630129153

COMAC America Corp.‏ @COMACAmerica
Today, the #ARJ21 sat its 100,000th passenger! The accomplishment took place exactly two years (to the day) after Chengdu Airlines began passenger operations with the aircraft. Celebrations commenced upon reaching cruising altitude.

5:09 AM - 29 Jun 2018


ARJ21 marks 2nd anniversary as passenger number hits milestone
Yang Jian 22:09 UTC+8, 2018-06-28

A flight attendant with Chengdu Airlines decorates the cabin of an ARJ21 aircraft with a red lantern paper-cut work on Thursday to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the jet's commercial operation.

China's first domestically developed regional jet, the ARJ21, welcomed its 100,000th passenger on the second anniversary of its commercial operation on Thursday.

The Chengdu Airlines flight EU6665 took off from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at 6:50am and landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport around noon with a stopover in Changsha in central Hunan Province. The airline incidentally is the first and only commercial operator of the 90-seater jet so far.

The flight marked two years of safe and smooth operation for the ARJ21, since it began commercial operations on June 28, 2016, according to Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), the jet’s developer.

The 100,000th passenger was presented with a free return ticket on any routes being operated by ARJ21.

"The ARJ21 has been able to fly under all kinds of weather conditions stipulated by China's airworthiness regulation," COMAC announced on Thursday. Chengdu Airlines deploys the jet on eight routes between Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan Province and Shanghai as well as Wenzhou in neighboring Zhejiang Province and Nantong in eastern Jiangsu Province.

Passengers show off gifts presented by Chengdu Airlines on Thursday to mark the 2nd anniversary of the ARJ21's commercial operation.

The 100,000th passenger of ARJ21 is presented with a free return ticket on any routes being operated by the jet.

The ARJ21 is designed to fly in conditions prevalent in China’s central and western regions. It can take off and land at nearly all the highland airports in the country. It can also fly in temperatures below minus 30 degrees Celsius, COMAC revealed.

Chengdu Airlines has trained 28 specialized pilots for ARJ21, along with 17 flight crew and 85 repairmen, the airline said on Thursday.

The ARJ21 has 78 to 90 seats and a range of up to 3,700 kilometers. The jet has so far secured 453 orders from 21 companies at home and abroad.

 

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China's Y-12 plane passes FAA flight tests for automatic flight control
Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-30 21:32:55|Editor: ZX


BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- China's homegrown Y-12F versatile aircraft has passed evaluation flight tests for its automatic flight control system by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States, the plane's developer announced Saturday.

The Y-12F completed the FAA evaluation flight tests for its automatic flight control system on Friday, with its performance meeting the requirements, said AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry Company Ltd (AVIC HAFEI).

Headquartered in Harbin in northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province, AVIC HAFEI is a subsidiary of the stated-owned China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC).

It is the first time for U.S. civil aviation authorities to evaluate the auto-control system of the China-developed plane for its Part 23 certification standards for small fixed-wing airplanes, according to AVIC HAFEI.

The FAA conducted ground tests and flight tests for the automatic flight control system of the Y-12F plane in support of the Chinese civil aviation authorities.

The automatic flight control system of the Y-12F was developed by the aviation system provider Honeywell Aerospace.

The twin-engine propeller-driven Y-12F aircraft is designed according to airworthiness standards of China and the United States.

It conducted its maiden flight in 2010, and received certificates from the CAAC and FAA in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

The airborne automatic flight control system is capable of self-navigation and automatic piloting.

In mid-June, the Y-12F aircraft passed the Chinese civil aviation authorities' verification flight tests for its automatic flight control system.

 

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Shanghai-made light aircraft takes to skies
By Li Xinran | 00:01 UTC+8 July 5, 2018 |

PRINT EDITION

THE Oxai Aircraft M2 Skywave, a Shanghai-made two-seater amphibious light sport aircraft, successfully took off and landed on the Dishui Lake in Shanghai on its maiden test flight yesterday.

The single-piston aircraft, among the smallest of its kind in the world, carried out low-flying maneuvers around the lake at the southeast tip of the city.

The M2 Skywave can fly up to 1,000 kilometers on 100 liters of fuel. The empty weight of the airframe, which is 90 percent carbon-fiber composite, is 350 kilograms and maximum takeoff weight is 650kg.

Having an all-composite airframe, the M2 is powered by a 100-horsepower Rotax 912iS piston engine, which can run on autogas. Avionics are dual Garmin G3X Touch displays with a Garmin G5 attitude indicator as backup. Flight controls are conventional, with two control sticks in the cockpit.

Roger Mao, Oxai’s chief designer, president and CEO, and his team have been working on the seaplane for nine years after receiving the type and production certificates from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

“Skywave performs well at low speed which is good news for junior pilots,” said Mao.

“Skywave’s maiden voyage marks a breakthrough for Shanghai’s general aviation manufacturing industry.”

The Skywave is designed to take off and land on both ground and water. “A distance of 200 meters is required for takeoff while the landing requires 150 meters on land and 250 on water,” Mao told Shanghai Daily.

Oxai Aircraft, based in Lingang in the Pudong New Area, has already received 75 orders for the 1.8 million yuan (US$272,000) M2. It will receive Light-Sport Aircraft Airworthiness Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration when it is delivered to the American buyers.

General aviation is emerging as a strategic industry in China after the State Council issued a guidance in 2016 to develop the industry. China plans to build more than 500 general aviation airports by 2020 to serve more than 5,000 aircraft.

Skywave’s maiden voyage is a major breakthrough for China’s low-altitude airspace, according to the East China Regional Administration of the CAAC.

Two field takeoff and landing points have been established in the Lingang area while two airspaces over the coastal town have been approved.

Lingang has built a 600-meter grass runway and water takeoff-landing areas on Dishui Lake to enable test flights of drones and general aviation aircraft. The town is also a pilot zone of low-altitude digital management.

 

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Airbus, China join hands in nano-tech application in aeronautic industry
Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-05 21:07:03|Editor: ZX


BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Airbus and China's nanoscience research institution on Thursday announced the joint establishment of a lab to explore the engineering application of nanoscience in the aeronautic industry.

Airbus Beijing Engineering Centre (ABEC) and the National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology of China (NCNST) on Thursday signed an agreement on engineering polymer nanocomposites for aeronautic applications.

They will jointly conduct research on electrically conductive, self-healing and toughening nanocomposites, aiming to explore the engineering applications of nanocomposite technology.

"Nanoscience is changing people's perception and will greatly impact the future economy and industry development," said NCNST director Liu Minghua.

Liu added, the Chinese side will bring into full play its advantages in the cutting-edge nano-tech to enhance the structural and functional performances of the nanocomposites in the aviation field.

Co-founded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Ministry of Education, the NCNST is China's key nanoscience scientific research base for its basic and applied study.

The ABEC is a joint venture between Airbus and China Aviation Industry Corporation. It takes part in designing components for all Airbus programs, such as the five percent of A350XWB airframe work packages.

"I am delighted to witness another milestone in the history of ABEC and to see our cooperation in China extending to new areas with new partners.

"Research and innovation are key drivers for Airbus and we think highly of China's innovation abilities. It is a new milestone of the deepening cooperation between Airbus and China," said Francois Mery, COO of Airbus China commercial aircraft.

"China is a leader in the field of nanoscience. I am confident that our cooperation will benefit both sides and the future of the global aviation industry with the expertise of Airbus and our Chinese partners," he said.

 

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New security scanner ready for airports
By Zhao Lei | China Daily | Updated: 2018-07-11 09:57

An exhibitor demonstrates a security scanner that uses millimeter wave imaging at a science and technology convention in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, last year. The technology was introduced recently for use in civil aviation in China. Zhang Yuan / China News Service

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, the country's largest missile maker, developed what engineers say is the most advanced security screening instrument in the nation - the so-called 3D millimeter wave scanner.

The scanner, designed and built by the Beijing Huahang Radio Measurement Institute under CASIC's Third Academy, is the "smartest and most capable" of all security scanners in China, according to the institute, which specializes in radar and photoelectric equipment.

Several countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan have already adopted similar wave scanners for airport security checks.

The device is a whole-body imaging device that uses a form of electromagnetic radiation to detect objects concealed beneath a person's clothing.

Zhao Yinghai, chief designer of the product, said that compared with the metal detectors widely employed at government buildings, public venues and security checkpoints at airports and railway stations, the new scanner offers faster response times and higher accuracy with much less manpower needed.

The scanner is capable of detecting as many as 89 dangerous or risky items within 1 second, including those "invisible" to existing body-screening devices such as corrosive or flammable liquids.

The device has a 95 percent accuracy rate, meaning most security personnel will be released from time-consuming hand searches. The scanner will greatly boost security checkpoints' efficiency while being more convenient for passengers, Zhang said, noting it is safe for use on humans.

"Its radiation on a human body is one thousandth that of a mobile phone signal - so it's basically radiation-free," he said. "Its safety has been examined and certified by national authorities, and all related information is available to the public."

Hu Lin, one of the scanner's designers, said that even if a passenger carries a dangerous item smaller than a 1-jiao coin, it will be instantly detected and displayed on the scanner.

As for privacy concerns, Hu said the scanner shows a human figure on the display at the checkpoint rather than an actual image of passenger's body. In a separate control room, security examiners will be able to see the actual image but the passenger's face and groin will be blurred.

The institute built China's first prototype millimeter wave scanner in 2011 and has registered more than 40 national patents regarding advanced body-imaging technologies. The institute said it has continued to upgrade the product, which is in trial use at several domestic airports.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China recently issued a set of guidelines on the use of millimeter wave scanners at airports, encouraging the replacement of metal detectors that have been relied upon by Chinese airport security authorities for 26 years.

The Civil Aviation Administration conducted trials of similar scanners at multiple domestic airports in August and May.

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1017469063591702528

 

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HNA’s Urumqi Air Wants to Buy COMAC's 20 China-Made Regional Jets
CHEN SHANSHAN
DATE: TUE, 07/17/2018 - 15:18 / SOURCE:YICAI

HNA’s Urumqi Air Wants to Buy COMAC's 20 China-Made Regional Jets​

(Yicai Global) July 17 -- HNA Group's Urumqi Air wants to buy 20 regional jets from the first national passenger aircraft maker.

Western China's Urumqi Air signed a letter of intent to purchase ARJ21-700 regional jets at the 51st Farnborough International Airshow in the UK on July 16. The deal will promote integration between the Chinese passenger aviation industry's sole manufacturer and the airline operator.

Indebted HNA lopped 33 percent off its order for narrow-body passenger jets last month, as the Hainan province-based firm rationalized its demand according to its funds and liabilities.

HNA plans to altogether buy some 100 regional jets and 200 large passenger planes, C919s, according to the reviewed plan signed with the Shanghai-based aircraft maker on July 2.

COMAC has delivered five ARJ21 jets which have flown eight air routes and carried over 100,000 passengers. The firm aims to obtain international safety certificates for the C919 by the end of 2020 and deliver the first orders in 2021.

 

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China's homegrown Y-12 airplane starts to carry short haul civil transport
Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-28 22:57:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan


HARBIN, July 28 (Xinhua) -- China's home-developed Y-12 versatile plane has started to carry the domestic short haul civil transport in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, according its developer.

The Nenjiang Mo'ergen airport started operation on Friday, opening flights between the Nenjiang City and the provincial capital Harbin, as well as the cities of Mohe and Heihe on the China-Russia border.

The airport thus became the first general airport in northeast China which focus on short haul transport. It is also the country's first general airport with short-haul flights linking the hub airport with remote regions.

It represents that the Y-12 airplane has officially entered into the service of the country's civil aviation transport.

The Y-12 series, manufactured by AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry Company Ltd., is a regional turboprop aircraft designed for passenger, cargo and emergency rescue flights in plateau or mountainous regions.

The twin-engine propeller-driven Y-12 series aircraft is designed according to airworthiness standards of China and the United States.

 

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Chinese-developed AC312E helicopter passes stability flight test
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 20:13:51|Editor: ZX


BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese-developed AC312E light civilian helicopter has passed its stability flight test, a key performance test for helicopters, its developer announced Thursday.

The model has undertaken multiple flight tests totalling 18 hours, including those for stability and cooling of its propulsion system, at a civil airport in Jiamusi, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, according to Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

It represents a major step for AC312E on its validation flight test journey as a new helicopter model, the AVIC said.

The AC312E, a light twin-engine helicopter, is being developed by AVIC Hafei in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang.

The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is 4.25 tonnes, with a maximum payload of 1.7 tonnes. It can carry nine passengers.

The AC312E series may be extended to include four specialist models for emergency medical services, search and rescue, business transport, and law enforcement, according to its developer.

AVIC is among the world's leading helicopter manufacturers with more than 50 models in 12 series and annual production of more than 300 aircraft.

 

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Sino-Russian aircraft project solicits proposals for landing gear system
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-03 23:14:39|Editor: Li Xia


BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Sino-Russian joint CR929 wide-body aircraft project has issued a request for proposal (RFP) for its landing gear system, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) said on Friday.

Commercial Aircraft International Co. Ltd. (CRAIC), a joint venture between COMAC and its Russian partner United Aircraft Corp., has issued the RFP to potential suppliers worldwide, according to COMAC.

The RFP includes all major requirements for the full life cycle of CR929's landing gear system, including engineering, customer service, quality, airworthiness and supply chain management.

The supplier of the landing gear system will be listed among the first-tier suppliers, as the system requires extremely high safety standards and its development involves a long and complicated process of design, manufacturing, and testing.

All potential suppliers are requested to submit their proposals by the end of November.

In May 2017, the CRAIC was set up to develop the CR929, a 280-seat widebody jetliner with a range of 12,000 km. Its preliminary design is expected to be concluded in mid-2019.

 

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Media report successful first flight of V1plus 1:10 scaled prototype on 8th Aug. V1plus is designed by COMAC's wind pursuer workshop to test Truss-Braced Wing concept. V1plus's design is positioned as a mid-range subsonic narrow-body passenger aircraft with larger seat, with a wingspan of approximately 52m, which can operate at airports of Class D and above, and is compatible with all current airport ground facilities. The concept design scheme is highly inherited from the C919 aircraft in terms of the straight section of the nose, fuselage, etc., and the cabin layout and interior. It is of typical "COMAC lineage".

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Source in Chinese: “追风”工作室又出招啦！“乘风”V1plus首飞成功！