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COMAC: C919 test aircraft are flying again
June 29th 2018
The Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) has announced its two C919 test aircraft have been returned to active flight test duty following weeks on the ground for modification work. Read More »
In this week’s update, COMAC said the C919 was on track. “Developmental test flights, static tests, and on the ground, post-sortie on-board tests and optimization are being carried out in an orderly manner,” the Shanghai-based OEM said. COMAC is assessing the C919 at its test bases in Shanghai, Xian and Dongying.
The state-controlled manufacturer said it remained confident it would receive type certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in 2020, with first delivery of the aircraft to an airline customer in 2021.
The C919 performed its maiden flight last May and a second prototype took to the skies in November. The test aircraft must survive a rigorous certification process to meet international aviation safety regulations. In March, COMAC reported that 23 C919 test flights had taken place and that a third prototype would be added to the test aircraft family this year.
When the C919 was announced in 2010, COMAC aimed for first delivery in 2016, but the prototype was not unveiled until November 2015 and technical setbacks delayed its maiden flight.
Seating 168 passengers in a single class configuration, the C919 is very similar to the A320 and B737 series. It will be powered exclusively by CFM International LEAP-1C engines.
In its latest update, in February, COMAC said it had received 815 orders for the C919, of which the vast majority were from Mainland carriers and lessors.
