China Civil Aviation Industry, Technology, Infrastructure: News & Discussions
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Wed May 13, 2015 8:07am EDT
Exclusive: China set to delay maiden flight of C919 commercial jet - sources
SINGAPORE | By Siva Govindasamy
The nose of China's home-grown airliner C919 is unveiled in Chengdu, Sichuan province, July 31, 2014.
Reuters/China Daily
The maiden flight of China's only homegrown commercial jet, the Comac C919, is behind schedule and delivery could be pushed back as much as two years, sources familiar with the program said, dealing a blow to its push to challenge Airbus and Boeing.
The narrow-body aircraft, which will be able to carry 156-168 passengers and aims to compete with the Airbus (AIR.PA) A320 and Boeing (BA.N) 737, was originally scheduled to fly by end-2015 but two sources said it would be delayed to the first half of 2016.
Delivery of the first plane, scheduled for 2018, is also likely to slip, perhaps to as late as 2020, the sources added.
That means the C919 will be later, and a technologically inferior product, than the re-engined and improved variants of the 737 and A320 that will enter service in the next two years.
State-owned Comac, which is leading the design, development and production efforts into the C919, declined to comment.
China has high hopes for the C919 in the lucrative narrow-body market which accounts for more than 50 percent of the aircraft in service.
The final assembly of the first aircraft is taking longer than expected at the production facility in Shanghai, said the sources, who declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
"Comac is proceeding extremely cautiously with the first aircraft. It is deliberately checking everything ... to ensure that there are no safety issues," one source said.
Comac has commitments for 450 C919s, mainly from Chinese airlines and leasing firms backed by Chinese banks and financial institutions. Further delays will make it harder for the plane to make an impact beyond its home market.
China has identified the development of a mature aerospace industry as being key to economic growth, and the C919 and the acquisition of the associated technological know-how is central to that goal.
While Comac executives and Chinese government officials are concerned about the impact of the delays on the image of the C919 and the country, safety is a priority, said sources.
"Any delay is unfortunate, but it is far more important to have an aircraft that is safe and reliable. China is developing the C919 with long-term goals in mind, and it must be patient and careful," said a source close to Comac.
INTERNATIONAL SUPPLIERS
The first aircraft is in its sub-assembly facility, which is next to Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, and it will be rolled to the adjacent final assembly plant once the tail, vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer are fixed.
The two CFM International Leap 1C engines, manufactured by a joint venture between General Electric's (GE.N) aviation unit and France's Snecma, will then be fixed.
Systems from international suppliers such as Honeywell, United Technologies subsidiary Goodrich, Rockwell Collins and Parker Aerospace will be installed in the coming months.
"There is still a lot of work to do. At the pace that Comac is proceeding, they will only complete the systems integration around end-2015," one of the sources said.
The aircraft would then undergo ground tests which could take several more months, pushing the flight test program further out.
Chinese subsidiaries of AVIC, the country's state-owned aerospace conglomerate, are manufacturing the major components of the C919 such as the fuselage, wings and tail in factories around the country. These companies have many years of experience as supppliers to both Airbus and Boeing.
Comac, however, is largely dependent on the global suppliers for many of the aircraft's systems, although this is similar to the approach taken by Airbus and Boeing for their latest aircraft programs such as the A350 and 787.
Many of these suppliers have been asked to form joint ventures with Chinese companies, with Beijing hoping that the country will eventually have the capability to produce these systems and components at home.
That goal, however, is many years if not decades away from being realized, say industry observers.
LESSONS LEARNED
While Chinese designers and engineers conceived and developed the C919, Comac has hired several former employees of American and European aerospace companies to help with the program.
Comac will be hoping to learn from its much-delayed 100-seat ARJ-21 jet, which received its type certification in December, six years after its first flight and more than 12 years after it was conceived.
The first plane is due to be delivered to launch customer Chengdu Airlines in the coming months.
Certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) will allow the C919 to enter into service in the domestic market.
Comac, however, could also seek a U.S. FAA certification to improve the aircraft's standing in the international market and appeal to customers outside China.
Airbus forecast in December that China will need over 5,300 new commercial aircraft from 2014 to 2033, or 17 percent of the world's total demand, and it will become the leading country for both domestic and international passenger air traffic.
(Editing by Stephen Coates and Jeremy Laurence)
Exclusive: China set to delay maiden flight of C919 commercial jet - sources
SINGAPORE | By Siva Govindasamy
The nose of China's home-grown airliner C919 is unveiled in Chengdu, Sichuan province, July 31, 2014.
Reuters/China Daily
The maiden flight of China's only homegrown commercial jet, the Comac C919, is behind schedule and delivery could be pushed back as much as two years, sources familiar with the program said, dealing a blow to its push to challenge Airbus and Boeing.
The narrow-body aircraft, which will be able to carry 156-168 passengers and aims to compete with the Airbus (AIR.PA) A320 and Boeing (BA.N) 737, was originally scheduled to fly by end-2015 but two sources said it would be delayed to the first half of 2016.
Delivery of the first plane, scheduled for 2018, is also likely to slip, perhaps to as late as 2020, the sources added.
That means the C919 will be later, and a technologically inferior product, than the re-engined and improved variants of the 737 and A320 that will enter service in the next two years.
State-owned Comac, which is leading the design, development and production efforts into the C919, declined to comment.
China has high hopes for the C919 in the lucrative narrow-body market which accounts for more than 50 percent of the aircraft in service.
The final assembly of the first aircraft is taking longer than expected at the production facility in Shanghai, said the sources, who declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
"Comac is proceeding extremely cautiously with the first aircraft. It is deliberately checking everything ... to ensure that there are no safety issues," one source said.
Comac has commitments for 450 C919s, mainly from Chinese airlines and leasing firms backed by Chinese banks and financial institutions. Further delays will make it harder for the plane to make an impact beyond its home market.
China has identified the development of a mature aerospace industry as being key to economic growth, and the C919 and the acquisition of the associated technological know-how is central to that goal.
While Comac executives and Chinese government officials are concerned about the impact of the delays on the image of the C919 and the country, safety is a priority, said sources.
"Any delay is unfortunate, but it is far more important to have an aircraft that is safe and reliable. China is developing the C919 with long-term goals in mind, and it must be patient and careful," said a source close to Comac.
INTERNATIONAL SUPPLIERS
The first aircraft is in its sub-assembly facility, which is next to Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, and it will be rolled to the adjacent final assembly plant once the tail, vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer are fixed.
The two CFM International Leap 1C engines, manufactured by a joint venture between General Electric's (GE.N) aviation unit and France's Snecma, will then be fixed.
Systems from international suppliers such as Honeywell, United Technologies subsidiary Goodrich, Rockwell Collins and Parker Aerospace will be installed in the coming months.
"There is still a lot of work to do. At the pace that Comac is proceeding, they will only complete the systems integration around end-2015," one of the sources said.
The aircraft would then undergo ground tests which could take several more months, pushing the flight test program further out.
Chinese subsidiaries of AVIC, the country's state-owned aerospace conglomerate, are manufacturing the major components of the C919 such as the fuselage, wings and tail in factories around the country. These companies have many years of experience as supppliers to both Airbus and Boeing.
Comac, however, is largely dependent on the global suppliers for many of the aircraft's systems, although this is similar to the approach taken by Airbus and Boeing for their latest aircraft programs such as the A350 and 787.
Many of these suppliers have been asked to form joint ventures with Chinese companies, with Beijing hoping that the country will eventually have the capability to produce these systems and components at home.
That goal, however, is many years if not decades away from being realized, say industry observers.
LESSONS LEARNED
While Chinese designers and engineers conceived and developed the C919, Comac has hired several former employees of American and European aerospace companies to help with the program.
Comac will be hoping to learn from its much-delayed 100-seat ARJ-21 jet, which received its type certification in December, six years after its first flight and more than 12 years after it was conceived.
The first plane is due to be delivered to launch customer Chengdu Airlines in the coming months.
Certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) will allow the C919 to enter into service in the domestic market.
Comac, however, could also seek a U.S. FAA certification to improve the aircraft's standing in the international market and appeal to customers outside China.
Airbus forecast in December that China will need over 5,300 new commercial aircraft from 2014 to 2033, or 17 percent of the world's total demand, and it will become the leading country for both domestic and international passenger air traffic.
(Editing by Stephen Coates and Jeremy Laurence)
Keel
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Something to correct /clarify wrt the post @# 5
"The maiden flight of China's only homegrown commercial jet, the Comac C919"
ARJ-21-700 and MA60 precede C919 as China's homegrown commercial airplanes with smaller passenger carrying capacities than C919
ARJ-21-700 is the first homegrown commercial jet with max 90 passengers. Production certification has been awarded recently
China's first made passenger jet | Page 7
MA60 is the first homegrown commercial turbo-prop airplane with max 60 passengers.
Other "Made in China" business/personal airplanes are:
Harbin AVIC Y-12 -
19 passengers
sold locally and overseas to
Chinese aircraft maker gets U.S. orders - Xinhua | English.news.cn
China to Export 4 Y-12 Aircraft to Russia for the First Time Ever
and more here:
Sales of Civil Aircraft
b. First flight is further pushed back by half a year to first half year of 2016
"The narrow-body aircraft, which will be able to carry 156 to 168 passengers and aims to compete with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, was originally scheduled to fly by the end of this year, but two sources said it will be delayed until the first half of next year.
China's Comac to delay C919 first flight"
c. delivery is further pushed back by 1-2 years to on or before 2020 from a revised tentative date of 2018/2019
"The plane's first delivery to customers, planned for 2016, may also be delayed, the paper cited the official as saying.
But Wang Ya'nan, deputy editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, expected a longer delay.
"The earliest time for its delivery to buyers is likely to be in 2018 or 2019," Wang said, according to the paper, adding that authorities in China and abroad would need two to three years to certify its airworthiness.
China Comac Delays First C919 Flight - Business Insider "
There are also many things which are out of Comac's direct control like the delivery of important parts from overseas suppliers and to deal with problems and corrections during process of certifications
As experienced as Boeing and Airbus, they have to overcome various delays in their projects:
Boeing 787 Dreamliner: a timeline of problems - Telegraph
Airbus May Delay First Flight of A320neo With Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan Engine - 24/7 Wall St.
Late Engine Issue May Cause A320neo First Flight Delay | Commercial Aviation content from Aviation Week
Questions Remain About First Flight Of A320neo With Pratt Engine - Hartford Courant
Japan's MRJ faces delay too
MRJ first flight delayed to Q2 2015 - 8/22/2013 - Flight Global
All the best Comac C919: safety and quality above all else!
Tianjin Figurine Zhang - Tianjin
"The maiden flight of China's only homegrown commercial jet, the Comac C919"
ARJ-21-700 and MA60 precede C919 as China's homegrown commercial airplanes with smaller passenger carrying capacities than C919
ARJ-21-700 is the first homegrown commercial jet with max 90 passengers. Production certification has been awarded recently
China's first made passenger jet | Page 7
MA60 is the first homegrown commercial turbo-prop airplane with max 60 passengers.
Other "Made in China" business/personal airplanes are:
Harbin AVIC Y-12 -
19 passengers
sold locally and overseas to
Chinese aircraft maker gets U.S. orders - Xinhua | English.news.cn
China to Export 4 Y-12 Aircraft to Russia for the First Time Ever
and more here:
Sales of Civil Aircraft
b. First flight is further pushed back by half a year to first half year of 2016
"The narrow-body aircraft, which will be able to carry 156 to 168 passengers and aims to compete with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, was originally scheduled to fly by the end of this year, but two sources said it will be delayed until the first half of next year.
China's Comac to delay C919 first flight"
c. delivery is further pushed back by 1-2 years to on or before 2020 from a revised tentative date of 2018/2019
"The plane's first delivery to customers, planned for 2016, may also be delayed, the paper cited the official as saying.
But Wang Ya'nan, deputy editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, expected a longer delay.
"The earliest time for its delivery to buyers is likely to be in 2018 or 2019," Wang said, according to the paper, adding that authorities in China and abroad would need two to three years to certify its airworthiness.
China Comac Delays First C919 Flight - Business Insider "
There are also many things which are out of Comac's direct control like the delivery of important parts from overseas suppliers and to deal with problems and corrections during process of certifications
As experienced as Boeing and Airbus, they have to overcome various delays in their projects:
Boeing 787 Dreamliner: a timeline of problems - Telegraph
Airbus May Delay First Flight of A320neo With Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan Engine - 24/7 Wall St.
Late Engine Issue May Cause A320neo First Flight Delay | Commercial Aviation content from Aviation Week
Questions Remain About First Flight Of A320neo With Pratt Engine - Hartford Courant
Japan's MRJ faces delay too
MRJ first flight delayed to Q2 2015 - 8/22/2013 - Flight Global
All the best Comac C919: safety and quality above all else!
Tianjin Figurine Zhang - Tianjin
TaiShang
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'Brain' of China-developed C919 is being assembled
June 24, 2015
The C919 is undergoing final assembly in Shanghai in prepartion for its test flight.. (Photo/Jfdaily.com)
China's first large domestic commercial jetliner, the C919, is undergoing final assembly inShanghai in preparation for its test flight, according to its manufacturer CommercialAircraft Corp of China (COMAC).
COMAC explains that the general assembly includes two stages; one is fuselage assembly, which has been completed.
The other is the installation of the flight systems, known as the "nerves" and "brain" of large aircraft. This is more difficult than the first phase, and is progressing smoothly.
COMAC received orders on the first day of the just-concluded 51st Paris Air Show. Pu Ren Germany Gmbh, owned by China PR Group Co, signed a contract for seven of COMAC's shorter-range regional ARJ21-700 and seven C919. Ping An International Financial Leasing Co signed for 50 of C919 at the show as well. This brought to 507 the total number of pledges for China’s first large passenger jet under development.
According to previous media reports, the first delivery of the C919, a narrow-body plane with 156 to 168 seats considered a future competitor of the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737, will be pushed back to 2020.
Industry experts said that potential delays in delivery of new aircraft are not unusual in theaviation industry, adding that China must be certain of the safety of the jets given the lackof experience in developing commercial jets.
The model of C919 displayed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd at the 15th Aviation Expo in Beijing, capital of China. The four-day event kicked off at the China National Convention Center in Beijing on Sept. 25, 2013. (People's Daily Online/Yan Meng)
Design sketch of C919. （File Photo)
June 24, 2015
The C919 is undergoing final assembly in Shanghai in prepartion for its test flight.. (Photo/Jfdaily.com)
China's first large domestic commercial jetliner, the C919, is undergoing final assembly inShanghai in preparation for its test flight, according to its manufacturer CommercialAircraft Corp of China (COMAC).
COMAC explains that the general assembly includes two stages; one is fuselage assembly, which has been completed.
The other is the installation of the flight systems, known as the "nerves" and "brain" of large aircraft. This is more difficult than the first phase, and is progressing smoothly.
COMAC received orders on the first day of the just-concluded 51st Paris Air Show. Pu Ren Germany Gmbh, owned by China PR Group Co, signed a contract for seven of COMAC's shorter-range regional ARJ21-700 and seven C919. Ping An International Financial Leasing Co signed for 50 of C919 at the show as well. This brought to 507 the total number of pledges for China’s first large passenger jet under development.
According to previous media reports, the first delivery of the C919, a narrow-body plane with 156 to 168 seats considered a future competitor of the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737, will be pushed back to 2020.
Industry experts said that potential delays in delivery of new aircraft are not unusual in theaviation industry, adding that China must be certain of the safety of the jets given the lackof experience in developing commercial jets.
The model of C919 displayed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd at the 15th Aviation Expo in Beijing, capital of China. The four-day event kicked off at the China National Convention Center in Beijing on Sept. 25, 2013. (People's Daily Online/Yan Meng)
Design sketch of C919. （File Photo)
TaiShang
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(ECNS) – Installation of the onboard system in China's first large passenger jet, the C919, has begun at the Shanghai headquarters of the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), the Jiefang Daily reported on Tuesday.
Onboard systems are an airplane's "nervous system" and "brain." Installation of the systems will involve repeated tests, which are being pushed ahead steadily, according to project managers.
The C919 will make its maiden test flight before the end of the year.
COMAC has received 57 new pledges for the C919, with 50 coming from Ping An International Leasing and seven from Puren Airlines, a German carrier owned by China's Puren Group, boosting the total number of orders to 507, the company said
Onboard systems are an airplane's "nervous system" and "brain." Installation of the systems will involve repeated tests, which are being pushed ahead steadily, according to project managers.
The C919 will make its maiden test flight before the end of the year.
COMAC has received 57 new pledges for the C919, with 50 coming from Ping An International Leasing and seven from Puren Airlines, a German carrier owned by China's Puren Group, boosting the total number of orders to 507, the company said
China's Domestic Commercial Jetliner Receives 500 Orders
The C919's manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) says 500 orders for the jetliner have been received so far.
The C919's manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) says 500 orders for the jetliner have been received so far.
TaiShang
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Yeah, nowhere near happening. 200-300 tops. But still, it's a gigantic first step. Next step, widebody! What took the West about a 100 years to achieve, China will do in about 20-25. Awesome.
steelseries779
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BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Thai airline City Airways and Chinese aircraft leasing company ICBC Leasing are planning to purchase and lease 20 China-designed passenger planes, they said on Wednesday.
In a major vote of confidence in China's ambitious aircraft manufacturers, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) on the sidelines of the Beijing Aviation Expo, according to a statement from the COMAC.
The orders will include 10 C919 aircraft and 10 ARJ21-700 aircraft.
Financial details were not disclosed.
The C919, a 150-seat jet designed for short-haul commercial use, is China's first large passenger aircraft.
The ARJ21-700 is smaller, with 78 to 90 seats and a designed economic life of 60,000 flying hours or 20 calendar years.
Earlier reports said China plans to roll the first C919 off the assembly line and run a test flight this year. The ARJ21-700, on the other hand, was officially certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China at the end of last year.
City Airways board chairman Timothy Yan said the China-made jets will be deployed for domestic flights and routes to and from Thailand's neighboring countries.
The new deal will bring total orders of C919 and ARJ21-700 to 514 and over 300, said Tian Min, COMAC chief accountant.
Thai firm to lease China-designed planes | GlobalPost
COMAC Secures 10 Orders Each for C919 and ARJ21-700_CANNEWS
In a major vote of confidence in China's ambitious aircraft manufacturers, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) on the sidelines of the Beijing Aviation Expo, according to a statement from the COMAC.
The orders will include 10 C919 aircraft and 10 ARJ21-700 aircraft.
Financial details were not disclosed.
The C919, a 150-seat jet designed for short-haul commercial use, is China's first large passenger aircraft.
The ARJ21-700 is smaller, with 78 to 90 seats and a designed economic life of 60,000 flying hours or 20 calendar years.
Earlier reports said China plans to roll the first C919 off the assembly line and run a test flight this year. The ARJ21-700, on the other hand, was officially certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China at the end of last year.
City Airways board chairman Timothy Yan said the China-made jets will be deployed for domestic flights and routes to and from Thailand's neighboring countries.
The new deal will bring total orders of C919 and ARJ21-700 to 514 and over 300, said Tian Min, COMAC chief accountant.
Thai firm to lease China-designed planes | GlobalPost
COMAC Secures 10 Orders Each for C919 and ARJ21-700_CANNEWS
Our first customer in Asia - Congratulations!
Leasing is a smart approach to secure businesses in Asia and elsewhere.
Congo is the first comfirm customer of ARJ-21 but thai is the first asia. Congrat!
Keel
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Correct, so I have mentioned "Asia"
There is another semi-Germany company who has signed a contract with COMAC also
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