Comac Forges Ahead with C919 Flight Tests

A third prototype of Comac’s C919 narrowbody passenger jet flew from the company's Shanghai production facility to its flight test operation in Xi’an, in central China, Friday in preparation for a new round of flight tests. 

According to Comac, prototype 103 took off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 6:32 a.m. local time and remained airborne for 2 hours 39 minutes before landing safely at Xi'an’s Yanliang Aviation Industrial Base. The manufacturer said the prototype will initially undergo a series of modifications before it begins flutter and airspeed calibration testing. Engineering teams will also carry out operational, performance, and load tests. Aircraft 103 completed its inaugural flight last December, having flown for 1 hour 38 minutes. 

Meanwhile, Comac’s first prototype, 101, continues its flight-test campaign at Xi’an while aircraft 102 undergoes flight testing at Dongying Shengli Airport in east China's Shandong Province. Prototype 101 completed its long-delayed first flight in May 2017 followed by a long-distance test flight six months later. Aircraft 102 conducted a successful two-hour first flight in December of that year and both prototypes flew again in June 2018 as part of a control-stability test and systems check. 

In a bid to accelerate its flight-test campaign, Comac plans to fly an additional three C919 prototypes this year. Coded 104, 105, and 106, the three prototypes have reached various stages of development. Once complete, they will join the flight-test program, bringing the total number of C919s to six.  

Comac has scheduled the six prototypes to collectively pass through some 729 test items and 4,200 hours of flight before the C919 obtains certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). China’s first indigenous airliner, the ARJ21, logged 5,000 hours before receiving CAAC certification.

In a separate development, Chinese start-up Genghis Khan Airlines launched commercial operations Friday from its base at Hohhot Baita International Airport to Ulanhot Airport, effectively becoming the second operator of the ARJ21 after Comac-owned Chengdu Airlines. Based in Inner Mongolia, the newly established carrier is the first to commit to operating a fleet consisting solely of the Chinese-made regional jet. Initial routes include connecting to destinations in Inner Mongolia.

Under this background, the "2019 Civil Aircraft Industry International Forum(CAIIF 2019)" is scheduled to be held in Xi'an on September 26th -27th, 2019, which will talk about Airworthiness Certification about China and in Global as well. CAIIF 2019 will bring together 200 delegates from Government Agencies, Regional Civil Aviation Bureau, Domestic and Foreign Airlines, Industry Association and Alliance, Airborne Interconnect System Integrator, Aircraft Manufacturer, Third Party Service Company, Aero Engine Company, Assembly Center, The Boeing Company, Airbus all together to sit down and discuss about the problems we’re facing now in Certification, Aircraft Design and Manufacture, Airborne Systems.

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