Comac C919
| Comac C919 | |
|---|---|
 | |
.jpg) C919-100 STD of China Eastern, the type's largest operator | |
| General information | |
| Type | Narrow-body jet airliner |
National origin | China |
| Manufacturer | Comac |
| Designer | |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | China Eastern Airlines |
| Number built | 50 (including 8 prototypes) |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 2015–present |
Introduction date | 28 May 2023 with China Eastern Airlines[1] |
| First flight | 5 May 2017[2] |
| Initiated | 2008 |
| In service | 2023–present |
The Comac C919 is a narrow-body airliner developed by Chinese state owned aircraft manufacturer Comac. The development program was launched in 2008 as a competitor to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. Production began in December 2011, with the first prototype being rolled out on 2 November 2015; the maiden flight took place on 5 May 2017. On 29 September 2022 the C919 received its CAAC type certificate. The first production airframe was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on 9 December 2022 and was put into commercial passenger service on 28 May 2023.
The aircraft, primarily constructed with aluminium alloys, is powered by CFM International LEAP turbofan engines and carries 158 (8J + 150Y) to 168 (168Y) passengers in a normal operating configuration up to 5,555 km (3,000 nmi; 3,500 mi). In 2023, COMAC announced that it would develop both a shortened and a stretched version of the passenger jet – similar to the sub-variants offered for the competing Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo family.
Naming
[edit]In the model number, the C stands for "Comac" and "China".[3] The C also forms an "ABC" parallel situation with Airbus and Boeing.[4] The following 9 refers to longevity as per Chinese culture and the following 19 refers to the seat capacity of 190.
Development
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The 2008 program launch initially targeted a maiden flight in 2014.[5] Comac applied for a type certificate for the aircraft from the Civil Aviation Authority of China on 28 October 2010.[6] At that time the company intended to manufacture up to 2,300 aircraft of the type.[7] In June 2011, COMAC and Irish low-cost airline Ryanair signed an agreement to co-operate on the development of the C919.[8] In 2012 Airbus' chief strategist Marwan Lahoud assumed that the aircraft would offer competition to Airbus by 2020.[9]
Preliminary design
[edit]On 24 November 2011, Comac announced the completion of the joint definition phase, marking the end of the preliminary design phase for the C919, with estimated completion of the detailed design phase in 2012.[10] Production of the first C919 prototype began on 9 December 2011.[11] The C919's aerodynamics were designed with the help of the Tianhe-2 supercomputer.[12] The annual production was targeted at 150 planes by 2020.[13] Canada's Bombardier Aerospace started collaborating in March 2012 on supply chain services, electrical systems, human interface, cockpit, flight training, flight-test support, sales, and marketing.[14]
Prototyping
[edit]Its announced development budget was CN¥58 billion (US$9.5 billion) but its actual cost was estimated at well over CN¥125 billion (US$20 billion).[15] The first prototype was expected to complete final assembly in 2014 and perform its first flight in 2015;[16] however, delivery was delayed again until 2018 due to technical difficulties and supply issues.[17] At the November 2014 Zhuhai Airshow, it was announced that the first flight would be delayed to 2017.[18] On 2 November 2015, Comac rolled out its first C919 aircraft.[19][20][21]
In May 2018, the development of a composite wing completed in 2012 was revealed years after abandoning it for a metallic one, as static and damage tolerance tests were completed, verifying the structural design and strength before full-size composite wingbox tests.[22] On 12 July, the static test aircraft simulated a 2.5g manoeuvre with a 150% ultimate load, bending the wings at the tips by nearly three metres for three seconds.[23]
Espionage and reverse-engineering allegations
[edit]According to a report from cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike and a US Justice Department indictment, from 2010 to 2015 the Chinese cyberthreat actor Turbine Panda, linked to the Ministry of State Security's Jiangsu Bureau, penetrated a number of the C919's foreign components manufacturers including Ametek, Capstone Turbine, GE Aviation, Honeywell, Safran, and others and stole intellectual property and industrial process data with the aim of transitioning component manufacturing to Chinese companies.[24][25][26][27] The report stated that the operations involved both cyber intrusion and theft as well as human intelligence operations, in most cases using a piece of code custom written for this industrial espionage operation.[24][25][26][27] As of 2019, four people have been arrested in the US as a result of investigations into this economic espionage and theft of trade secrets.[27]
In November 2022, a federal jury in Cincinnati convicted Yanjun Xu, 42, on counts of conspiracy to commit economic espionage, conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, attempted economic espionage and attempted trade secret theft. The US court found that Xu played a key role in a plot to steal trade secrets from western aerospace firms, for the purpose of helping the C919 commercial airliner program. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.[28]
It has been also put forward that Comac reverse-engineered some Western aircraft designs such as A320 and 737, although the extent and credibility of such claims are disputed. Former Airbus vice president Patrick Devaux stated that a newly-purchased A320 that was originally meant for commercial service was instead dismantled to be examined and the aircraft has since been known as the "ghost plane"; Airbus has not commented in order to preserve its market standing in China.[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][excessive citations]
Junjie "Jeff" Zhang was stopped by customs from boarding a flight in Dallas to China in 2019 with devices containing confidential and proprietary documents, graphs and blueprints belonging to the aviation company where Zhang worked. The company based in Wichita was seeking at the time to do business with COMAC on the C919 airplane.[37] [failed verification]
Flight testing
[edit]
High-speed taxi tests by the first C919 prototype were completed in April 2017[38] and the first flight took place on 5 May 2017.[39][40] At the time, Comac had a planned test programme of 4,200 flight hours and introduction to service in 2020.[2] It was estimated that this could be delayed into 2021.[41] The European Aviation Safety Agency was meant to validate the Chinese type certificate.[42] The 4,200 hours of testing planned were higher than the 3,000 hours typically required for the Airbus or Boeing narrowbodies, but lower than the 5,000 hours needed for the ARJ21 (now the Comac C909).[43]
Comac had its second prototype ready on 28 July 2017, aiming to fly it within the year for engine, APU, fuel system and extreme weather tests. The flight-test plan included six aircraft.[44] On 28 September, it made its second flight at 10,000 ft (3,000 m), which lasted 2 hours 46 minutes, although it was supposed to last one more hour.[45] The five-month delay between first and second flights, while the second prototype was being ground-tested, was extraordinary: in 2013 the Airbus A350 flew again after five days and in 2015 the troubled Mitsubishi MRJ flew again after eight days.[46]
On 3 November, it made its third flight in 3h 45min, reaching 3,000 m (9,800 ft).[47] It was transferred on 10 November from Shanghai to Xi'an to continue its flight test program, a 2h 24min, 1,300 km (700 nmi; 810 mi) flight reaching 7,800 m (25,600 ft) and Mach 0.74 (823 km/h; 444 kn).[48]
The second prototype made its first flight on 17 December 2017. The flight test program allocated the first three prototypes for aircraft performance and engine and power systems testing, the fourth prototype for avionics and electrical system, and the fifth and sixth prototypes for passenger facilities, including the cabin and information system.[citation needed]
The delay between first and subsequent flights underlined the program immaturity by maiden flight: flying early at low speed and altitude is possible but faster and higher is limited by aeroelastic flutter needing ground vibration testing and aircraft instrumentation which were not ready in May.[49] Due to flight testing problems, the 2020 introduction previously scheduled was delayed to 2021, for China Eastern Airlines.[50] In February 2018, the first prototype was flying more than once a week.[51]
In June 2018, Aviation Week reported flight-test aircraft grounding for modifications, extending the schedule by three months but maintaining a 2020 certification target. The two prototypes needed their flaps and tailplanes modified, due to delamination of the carbon-fiber reinforced plastic elevators.[52] The third test aircraft was also being modified and maximum-rate pressurization was tested. As three other planes were available in 2019, Comac maintained first deliveries for 2021.[53]
Comac denied any grounding and highlighted that modifications were part of the flight test process, stating the two first aircraft were flying stability tests and checking systems. The first was calibrated and had its counterweight and trailing cone systems modified while the second had its functions and systems checked. The third was in final assembly with its wing and fuselage joined, cables and systems were being installed for a first flight target by the end of the year.[54] On 12 July, the second prototype flew from Shanghai-Pudong to Dongying Airport in 1h 46min to allow for various meteorological conditions testing.[23] In September, Comac expected to conduct 1,500 test flights for over 2,000 flying hours before the first delivery and planned to fly the third prototype before the end of 2018.[55]
In October 2018, the flight-deck design was re-evaluated to comply with US FAR Part 25.1302, which is not required by CAAC but would be needed for FAA certification in order to sell the aircraft outside China. Developing a Chinese engine to replace the CFM Leap-1C would take at least another 15 years.[56] At that time the two prototypes had flown less than 150 h, averaging less than 5 h per month each. To achieve certification in December 2020 and first delivery in 2021, the planned 4,200 h of flight tests would need 33 hours a month each if the last four prototypes are evenly spaced before year-end-2019. Newest airliner designs like the Airbus A350 needed a 2,600 hour test program, and the Mitsubishi MRJ was expected to need 3,000 h.[57]
On 15 October 2018, ten Chinese nationals, including intelligence officials, were indicted by the US for allegedly working with COMAC to steal the secrets of thirteen foreign aerospace companies that were partnered with COMAC to build the C919.[58]
By the end of 2018, the first prototype was to enter flutter flight tests after having completed ground tests.[59] The third prototype made its maiden flight on 28 December for 1h 38 min.[60]
A fourth prototype conducted its maiden flight on 1 August 2019 from Shanghai Pudong International Airport.[61][40] A fifth prototype conducted its first flight on 24 October 2019, also from Shanghai airport; the fifth prototype was expected to test for extreme weather conditions, the environmental control system, drainage systems and electrical supplies.[62] Comac rescheduled its certification target from 2020 to 2021, with the first delivery the following year.[63][40]
The sixth and final prototype, intended for the flight certification program, completed its maiden flight on 27 December 2019. Reports at the time indicated that the C919 was expected to commence commercial service with China Eastern Airlines in either 2021 or 2022.[64]
On 27 November 2020, the C919 received its type inspection authorization from the CAAC, meaning that "the aircraft design has been finalised and verified, and that no major changes can be made to its structure."[65]
After completing cold-weather testing in China's Inner Mongolia, the C919 was slated to conduct flight tests in natural icing conditions from London International Airport in Ontario, Canada during March 2021. However, these tests may have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[66][needs update]
Entry into service
[edit]The C919 completed its first pre-delivery flight test at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Comac reported that the aircraft (B-001J, MSN107) successfully completed a 3-hour test session on 14 May 2022.[67] The aircraft, bearing the livery of China Eastern Airlines, was set to be delivered in 2022.[68] In May 2022, the heavily modified jet was listed for a price of 653 million yuan (US$101 million), almost matching the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737 MAX competitors, and twice the US$50 million price initially anticipated, albeit with composite wings.[69]
The airline flew a number of route-proving flights throughout 2022 to reinforce its viability on important segments. Many of the flights were flown between different Chinese cities. Around the same time, the first production aircraft, bound for China Eastern Airlines, started performing flight tests to ensure its preparation for commercial service. COMAC reported after the first flight that all pre-set tasks were accomplished successfully.[70] Plans foresaw that one C919 was to be delivered to China Eastern Airlines in 2022,[needs update] while the remaining four aircraft in the first batch of orders would be delivered in 2023.[71]
The aircraft received its airworthiness certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China on 29 September 2022[72] and the first operational airframe intended for commercial service was delivered to launch customer China Eastern Airlines on 9 December 2022 in Shanghai.[73]
The C919 aircraft delivered to China Eastern Airlines continued flying short test flights for most of January 2023, with a break from 20 to 28 January for the Lunar New Year celebrations.[