Its maiden voyage lasted just over two hours, but behind the flight starring last Sunday For the C919 plane between the airports of Shanghai and Beijing there is actually more than a decade of work, which has required starting up what is considered the first large passenger aircraft ‘made in China’. Now the Asian giant can already boast of having its “crown of industrial manufacturing” and prepare for an ambitious challenge: break the duopoly of the aeronautical industry between Boeing and Airbus.
At the moment it has already taken a key step (flight).
Board the C919. China is opening. And big. While we Spaniards went to the polls to vote for mayors and councillors, on Sunday the 28th the Asian giant celebrated the maiden voyage of its C919 passenger plane. Flight (MU9191) operated it china eastern airlines, departed at 10:30 a.m. from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and landed barely two hours later, at 12:31 p.m., at the Beijing Capital aerodrome. On board they traveled 128 passengers who were able to participate in a historic event, with a christening ceremony included.
¿Why is it so important? Because the C919 is not just any plane. As Xinhua stressesthe Chinese state news agency, is the first aircraft of narrow fuselage for passengers of national manufacture and created according to international standards. Its objective is not only to offer a “made in China” aircraft with which to renew the fleet of China Eastern Airline or other airlines that already have shown interest. What he aspires to is compete with the single-aisle models manufactured by industry giants Airbus and Boeing.
A project praised by Xi Jinping himself. Proof of the strategic importance of the C919 is that the highlight Xi Jinping, who has not doubted even presenting it as a triumph of national innovation and the path towards self reliance. “It will speed up the construction of a powerhouse in the making,” highlighted Xi in Septemberwhen meeting with project officials.
Shortly before, the C919 had achieved the TC certificate from the Chinese civil aviation regulator. means like Global Times wave cctv chainlinked to the Communist Party of China, have also highlighted its importance, presenting the aircraft even as “the crown of industrial manufacturing” for the chain behind it.
But… And how is C919? Its manufacturer, Commercial Aviation Corporation China (comac), owned by the state, claims it as the first aircraft of its kind developed autonomously by China following international standards and with independent property rights. The ship measures 38.9m long11.95 high and has capacity for between 158 and 192 seats, in addition to 4,075 to 5,555 km of autonomy. and if well those responsible emphasize its development “made in China”, bbc slides that at least in certain aspects, including for example engines or avionics, it still depends on Western components.
Designed to compete. The C919 is designed to compete with the A320 planes from the European Airbus and the 737 from the American Boeing, but it is not the first plane to come out of Comac’s work table. years ago already launched another model, the ARJ21which it presents precisely as “the first regional aircraft turbofan short- and medium-range aircraft independently developed by China”.
The size and capacity of the ARJ21 are, yes, quite smaller than those of the new commercial model: it is designed to add between 78 and 97 seats with a range of between 2,225 and 3,700 km. The company is also working on a much larger model, the CR929, double-aisle and promoted jointly with Russia. In September of last year it was anticipated that it can star in its first flight in 2030.
End to more than a decade. That the C919 has just covered its first commercial flight does not mean that the project is exactly new. As recalls the Xinhua news agency, was launched in 2007 and left the production line in Shanghai at the end of 2015. In 2017 it made its maiden flight and now, after having obtained the necessary permits and passed tests, it has finally achieved its commercial premiere. “It’s a coming-of-age ceremony for the aircraft. The C919 will get better and better if it passes market testing,” stand out from the company.
When China Eastern Airlines received its first unit, at the end of 2022, he CSMP pointed that his plans were to get a total of four aircraft in exchange for 99 million dollars each. Reuters goes further and ensures that by the end of 2022 Comac had received orders for 1,035 C919 from 32 customers. The objective of the firm, he specifies, would be for annual production to reach 150 aircraft in five years. Some experts point however, most of these orders could be letters of intent from national clients.
A plane “made in China”? This is how China presents it, which affects again and again the national development of the C919. What is certain however is that the aircraft is made possible to a great extent by foreign technology. As detailed by Quartzhe engine part of CGM International, a joint venture of GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, American and French, respectively. Their tires are Michelin and the systems that are in charge of control the pressure brings them Crane Aerospace & Electronics, based in the USA. Several of its systems are supplied collins aerospace and the wheels, brakes, or flight control electronics depart from honeywellboth companies of American origin, too.
Not all the pieces are western, of course. Shanghai Securities Journal highlights that there are important components and alloys that come from Chinese firms, such as AVIC Aircraft. After all, as the country also emphasizes, the aircraft is considered as “the crown of Chinese industrial manufacturing”.
Cover image: Wikipedia
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