Chinese manufacturer COMAC declared on July 23 that it has finalized the C919 certification program, and its six test aircraft have completed the flights specified by China's aviation safety authority.
In this way, the C919 is in the last step to obtain the certification that authorizes its commercial operation, and consequently the first deliveries. The C919 program has been plagued by delays in recent years, in part due to rising geopolitical tensions between China and the US and COMAC's lack of know-how in manufacturing this type of aircraft.
COMAC this weekend positioned all six C919 prototypes at Weinan Airport in Shaanxi province and is likely to host a major event there when certification is issued.
The CAAC requires that 300 hours of functional and reliability testing are required prior to certification. Within these 300 hours, 150 flight hours can be performed in combination with other certification flight test tasks, and the remaining 150 flight hours need to be performed through independent operations.
These 150 hours were completed in recent months, with full supervision by CAAC, simulating official operations of commercial flights with the C919. In one of these, the new aircraft visited the newly opened airport at Daxing International Airport, in Beijing, a milestone for the country.
On another occasion, the C919 operated in icy conditions, as we can see in the image above, testing the aircraft's operating limits.
China Eastern Airlines, which is state-owned, previously said it expects to receive its first C919 by the end of the year, two in 2022 and two more in 2023. Therefore, production will still be on a small scale in the first years of the C919 on the market.
The COMAC C919 is very similar to the Airbus A320, measuring 38,9 meters long, 35,8 meters wing, height of approximately 12 meters and cabin width of 3,9 meters.
In general, 3 versions are available for purchase, ranging from 156 engers to 174 when in a single class configuration with high density. The COMAC aircraft has a range of 4075 km. A long-range version can fly up to 5555 kilometers.
Its project has the participation of American and European companies to build several systems of the aircraft, another step towards the westernization of COMAC. The engines, for example, are manufactured by CFM, from the same Leap line, which equips the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737 MAX.
This is the company's big bet to compete with the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320neo. The aircraft has already accumulated more than 700 orders, all by airlines in China.
COMAC has been developing the C919 for 13 years, and it should debut the aircraft with a delay even in relation to the brand new MC-21, manufactured by Russia.
