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Comac C919

Comac C919
A model of the future C919 in flight
Role Narrow-body jet airliner
National origin People's Republic of China
Manufacturer Comac
First flight 2014
Introduction 2016
Status Under development
Number built 0

The Comac C919 is a planned family of 168-190 seat narrow-body airliners to be built by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac).[1][2][3] It will be the largest commercial airliner designed and built in China since the defunct Shanghai Y-10. Its first flight is expected to take place in 2014, with deliveries scheduled for 2016.[4]

The C919 forms part of China's long-term goal to break Airbus and Boeing's duopoly, and is intended to compete against Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737.[5] As a long term plan the twinengine, twin aisle C929 and C939 are proposed.

Contents

Development

Construction of the nose section of the aircraft commenced on 2 September 2009.[6]

Comac applied for a type certificate for the aircraft from the Civil Aviation Authority of China on 28 October 2010.[7] The company plans to conduct the first flight of the C919 in 2014, with deliveries beginning in 2016,[7] whereas Marwan Lahoud, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer of EADS, assumes a competition outside China around 2020.[8]

On 24 November 2011, Comac announced the completion of the joint definition phase, marking the end of the preliminary design of the C919.[9] The company said it planned to cut the first metal for the aircraft in December 2011, with estimated completion of the detailed design phase in 2012.[9]

Design

Design and assembly of the aircraft will be done in Shanghai, using foreign-made jet engines and avionics.[10] However, China has expressed its desire to eventually produce a locally-made engine for the C919.[11] It has been announced that Michelin will supply Air X radial tyres.[12]

The center wing box, outer wing box, wing panels, flaps and ailerons are planned to be built in Xi'an, China. The center fuselage sections are planned to be built in Hongdu, China.[13]

CFM International will supply a version of the LEAP-X engine, the LEAP-X1C, to power the aircraft.[14] The engine's nacelle, thrust reverser and exhaust system will be provided by Nexcelle, with such features as an advanced inlet configuration, the extensive use of composites and acoustic treatment and an electrically-operated thrust reverser.[15]

Dimensions of the C919 are very similar to the Airbus A320, possibly to allow for a common pallet to be used. Its fuselage will be 3.96 metres (13 feet) wide, and 4.166 metres (13 feet, 8 inches) high, producing a cross-section of 12.915 square metres (139 square feet). The wingspan will be 33.6 metres (110 feet, 3 inches), or 35.4 metres (116 feet, 3 inches) if winglets are included.[6]

Payload will be 20.4 metric tonnes. Its cruise speed will be Mach 0.785 and it will have a maximum altitude of 12,100 metres (39,800 feet).[6]

There will be two variants. The standard version will have a range of 4,075 km (2,200nm), with the extended-range version able to fly 5,555 km (3,000nm).[6]

According to a film shown by Comac at the 2010 Zhuhai Airshow, the company plans to build six different models of the aircraft: a base passenger aircraft with 168 seats, as well as stretched and shrunk passenger versions, business jet and freighter models, and a type designated only as "special."[3]

Orders and deliveries

At the 2010 Zhuhai Airshow, Comac announced orders for 55 C919 aircraft from six airlines, with an additional 45 options. The purchasing airlines or lessors were China Eastern Airlines, Air China, Hainan Airlines, China Southern Airlines, CDB Leasing Company, and GE Capital Aviation Services.[16]

On 20 October 2011, Chinese leasing company ICBC Leasing announced an order for 45 C919s, as well as an agreement to be the launch customer for the aircraft.[17]

Pilot production of the C919 began on December 9, 2011.[18]

Orders
Customer Order Options Notes
Air China 5 15
BOCOMM Leasing[19] 30 0 Leasing company and unit of Shanghai based Bank of Communications
CDB Leasing Company 10 0 Leasing company and unit of Beijing based China Development Bank
China Aircraft Leasing Company (CALC) 20 0 Leasing company based in Hong Kong
China Eastern Airlines 5 15 Shanghai based airline
China Southern Airlines 5 15 Guangzhou based airline
GECAS (General Electric Capital Aviation Services) 10 0 Leasing company based in Stamford, CT and Shannon, Ireland; unit of General Electric
ICBC Leasing 45 0 Leasing company of Beijing, China based Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
Hainan Airlines 5 15 Haikou based airline under Grand China Air
Sichuan Airlines 20 0 Chengdu based airline with 40& provincial ownership
BOC Aviation[20] 20 0 Leasing company of Singapore and wholely owned by Bank of China
Total 175 60

Specifications

This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.

General characteristics

Performance

  • Range: 4,075 km (2,532 mi; 2,200 nmi)
  • Extended range variant: 5,555 km (5.555×1015 nm)
  • Service ceiling: 12,100 m (39,698 ft)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related lists

References

  1. ^ "China names first jumbo jet C919, to take off in 8 years". Xinhua News Agency. 6 March 2009. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/06/content_10959526.htm. Retrieved 8 September 2009. 
  2. ^ Lagorce, Aude (December 21, 2009). "Safran, GE win contract for engines to upcoming Chinese jet". MarketWatch. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/safran-ge-to-provide-engines-for-chinese-jet-2009-12-21?reflink=MW_news_stmp. Retrieved 2010-03-20. 
  3. ^ a b "Comac plans six C919 models targeting Airbus and Boeing". Flightblogger (Flightglobal.com blog). 16 November 2010. http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/2010/11/comac-plans-six-models-for-its.html. Retrieved 23 November 2010. 
  4. ^ Sandilands, Ben (8 September 2009). "China models its airliner ambitions". Crikey. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/2009/09/08/china-models-its-airliner-ambitions/. Retrieved 8 September 2009. 
  5. ^ "China unveils jet at Asia's biggest air show". Agence France-Presse. 8 September 2009. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jgqpxKbcG-tUo1rtB46uKgwov6pw. Retrieved 8 September 2009. 
  6. ^ a b c d Perrett, Bradley (8 September 2009). "Comac Begins Building C919 Structure". Aviation Week. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id=news/COMAC090809.xml. Retrieved 8 September 2009. 
  7. ^ a b "Zhuhai10: COMAC releases C919 specifications". Flight Global. 16 November 2010. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/11/16/349741/zhuhai10-comac-releases-c919-specifications.html. Retrieved 23 November 2010. 
  8. ^ Airbus to Seek Alliances as Rivals Try to Sell Big Planes Bloomberg
  9. ^ a b "C919 project at "crucial point" in detailed design - Comac". Flightglobal.com. 25 November 2011. Archived from the original on 30 November 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/63axjYeBx. Retrieved 1 December 2011. 
  10. ^ Pratt offers geared turbofan for China's C919 airliner
  11. ^ "Jumbo jet project boon to suppliers". China Daily. 27 August 2009. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-08/27/content_8621974.htm. Retrieved 8 September 2009. 
  12. ^ "Michelin to supply tyres for China's first commercial airliner". Michelin. 12 April 2011. http://news.michelin.co.uk/newsuk/en/news/news-detail/news/20080819113604/28056.html. Retrieved 26 June 2011.  ]
  13. ^ http://www.airframer.com/aircraft_detail.html?model=C919
  14. ^ "CFM to build LEAP-X engine in China after C919 deal". http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/21/336431/cfm-to-build-leap-x-engine-in-china-after-c919-deal.html. Retrieved 21 December 2009. 
  15. ^ "High Tech Nacelle for C919 Said To Be World First". http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=busav&id=news/NAC020110.xml&headline=High%20Tech%20Nacelle%20for%20C919%20Said%20To%20Be%20World%20First. Retrieved 7 September 2011. 
  16. ^ "Comac C919 lands orders from six customers for 100 jets". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 16 November 2010. http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/228677.asp?source=rss. Retrieved 18 November 2010. 
  17. ^ "ICBC Leasing orders 45 C919s, becomes launch customer". Flightglobal.com. 20 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/62aNYE8ta. Retrieved 20 October 2011. 
  18. ^ http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90778/7679422.html
  19. ^ 30C919
  20. ^ C919 20

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