In recent months, Russia has been making major changes to its own production commercial aircraft, such as the MC-21 Riders and Sukhoi SSJ100. The goal is to manufacture Russian components for these planes, replacing Western ones.
And another project is also undergoing several changes is the CR929, carried out in conjunction with the Chinese COMAC. Before focused on taking the Airbus and Boeing market, the new generation widebody is now changing its design to receive Russian and Chinese components.
Logically, the Russians and Chinese are avoiding sanctions implemented by the West, which is gradually paralyzing Airbus and Boeing planes that are currently the main airlines flying in Russia. The war with Ukraine brought the country the consequence of not being able to buy foreign components or aircraft, limiting the country's aviation.
And the Minister of Industry and Commerce of Russia, Denis Manturov, declared during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that the Russians and Chinese will direct the CR929 to serve the internal market, since China fears similar sanctions due to Taiwan.
“The CR929 program is ongoing. But taking into the new introductions, about the restrictions that exist today in of cooperation, which were formed by Chinese partners with the involvement of Western manufacturers, now this is impossible, so you will have to spend time restructuring approaches using only Russian manufacturers and Chinese", declared Manturov.
With Denis Manturov's statement, Russia and China should possibly prioritize a CR929 with PD-35 engines, developed by the Russian state-owned Aviadvigatel, based on the new generation engines of the MC-21, more economical in of fuel consumption.
Russia is also developing various structural components in composite materials, as in the case of the MC-21, while China is working on the avionics and interior of the aircraft.
With all these changes, the CR929 project could be available in 2030 for Russian and Chinese airlines.
The project is conducted by two state-owned companies in China and Russia, Comac and UAC, respectively. Final assembly of the aircraft will be done in Shanghai, due to the fuselage being produced in China. The aircraft's wings, empennage section and tail will be produced in Russia.
Previously, CRAIC announced that the new CR929 concept approaches the size of the A330-900neo, and will also need an even more powerful engine, with 78000 lbs of thrust, previously UAC estimated an engine of 71000 lbs for the aircraft.
Despite the larger size, the range estimate remains the same (for the CR929-600), 12000 km. According to CRAIC, this is enough to fulfill most long-haul routes, including flights from Asia to the United States.
