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Currently, a proposal for a preliminary design has already been completed for the domestically-made C919 jumbo jet with 168 seats as its standard configuration. The manufacturing division revealed that it will be capable of producing 150 domestically-made jumbo jets each year, with overall output reaching 3000 planes, which will place the company third in the international jumbo jet market. It is planned for the aircraft to have its first test flight in 2014 and to be delivered for commercial use by airlines in 2016.
The domestically produced jumbo jet has 168 seats as the standard configuration
At a news conference for the 13th Aviation Expo China on April 29, Chen Jin, director of the Sales and Marketing Department at the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the manufacturer of the domestically-made jumbo jet, revealed that the domestically-made C919 jumbo jet has already completed its preliminary design proposal and submitted the feasibility report to the State Council. Chen further stated that the plan is to have the first test flight in 2014 so that it can be used for commercial use by airlines in 2016. The C919 jumbo jet will have a total of 168 seats as its standard configuration but the production of an elongated version is open for future consideration.
The engine will be superior to that of the Boeing 737
Chen said that the jumbo jet will adopt a new generation engine superior to that of the Boeing 737, featuring increased economic performance, reduced emissions and enhanced comfort. However, in the beginning stages of delivery for commercial use by airlines in 2016, the jumbo jet will be unable to use domestically-made engines, so the internationally accepted practice of global sourcing will be adopted. "But our domestically-made engines will be used on next-generation models such as the C929 and the C939." Global sourcing will also be adopted with the C919 parts and materials, and established products from vendors already holding international airworthiness certificates will be used, with the related invitations for bidding currently under way. "The Aviation Industry Corporation of China is supposed to obtain an international airworthiness certificate soon." Chen said that as a national strategy, the manufacture of domestically-made jumbo jets will surely prioritize purchasing domestically-made parts, boosting related industries.
5 comments:
Isn't "jumbo jet" a designation specifically used for Boeing 747?
This must be a translation error. They are talking about large passenger aircraft, large/jumbo apparently meaning anything beyond 150+ seats. The term "Jumbo Jet" is out of place, since the 747, bearing this nickname, exceeds 350 seats even in a low-capacity configuration.
Furthermore they are talking about being third in the "Jumbo Jet"-market, so obviously they mean producers of large aircraft like Boeing and Airbus.
One thing I find rather questionable is the boasting by the company to offer a superior engine compared to the 737, but at the same time not even specifying when this engine is available except it will be some time after 2016. Not only is the 737 being offered with a vast array of engines, based on its very long production history. The currently offered engines are state of the art and Boeing just as well as Airbus have repeatedly made it clear that it wont make sense to develop 737/A320-successors unless the current threshold in developing even more efficient engines has been overcome.
It is one thing to compete in the jetliner market, its a completely different thing to compete in the engine market at the same time. If they seriously suggest to convince customers of buying both items in one package then COMAC might be in for a rather unpleasant surprise. Neither Airbus nor Boeing are doing anything like that.
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Details are given in the news about the C-919 which will be Chinese aircraft in class of 737. This is second step after the flight of ARJ-21. Larger aircraft will be C-929 and C-939, no further information is yet released about that
Engines in short to medium term will be outsources and long run objective is for local ones
I think regardless of its international competence Chinese airlines will do well in the exploding domestic market.
To market their "Jumbo Jet" internationally the Chinese need to work on their language skills apart from the technical ones.
China must actually produce C-919 well before 2016 as it is still a heavy fully aluminium airframe. The new generation jets by Boeing and Airbus by 2016 will be fully composite construction. It will not be able to compete with the newer western jets by then. Alternatively it must redesign C-919 with composite airframe if it wants to launch by 2016.
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