China Starts Mass Production of Home-grown Jet

[Shuimo]

2009-02-14 11:59:07 China Daily Web Editor: Cao Jie

China's state-owned Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing said on Friday it signed contracts with four other factories, marking the start of mass production of the country's first domestically developed regional jet, the ARJ21-700.
China's state-owned Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing said on Friday it signed contracts with four other factories, marking the start of mass production of the country's first domestically developed regional jet, the ARJ21-700.

The four companies are the Avici Commercial Aircraft Co Ltd (ACAC) and aircraft component factories in Chengdu, Xi'an and Shenyang. ACAC will produce the main bodies, while the other three will make wings and other parts.

According to Luo Ronghuai, deputy general manager of ACAC, there have been 208 orders for ARJ21 jets from foreign and domestic customers, including an order for 25 from US-based GE Commercial Aviation Services.

The first five planes will be delivered next year, with 10 to be delivered in 2011 and 15 in 2012.

Luo said this year would be "the year of trial flights" as four planes would make trial flights. The first ARJ21-700 made a trial flight in Shanghai on Nov 28.

http://english.cri.cn/6826/2009/02/14/1721s453746.htm (http://english.cri.cn/6826/2009/02/14/1721s453746.htm)

[wicked_hind]

Best of luck to the Chinese. They are going to have a lot of competition out there on the regional jet market, Embraer being the biggest competitor. And is it me, or does it resemble the Boeing 717?

Boeing 717
http://www.luftfahrt.net/galerie/photos/2003/10/1052157963_N991AT_Boeing-717_Air-Tran.jpg

[wicked_hind]

http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/photos/arj21/images/24693/arj-21-700.jpg

[USMCRTop]

Make what you know- there has been a plant set up by Mcdonnell Douglas in Shangahai since the late '80's IIRC that was making MD-80 fuselages and parts- this is more of the same

[31Bravo]

It is indeed based on the MD-80 family. According to Wikipedia it was built using tooling originally given by McDonnell Douglas to license built MD-90's in China. It's far more advanced obviously, fly-by-wire etc.

I hope Bombardier isn't too far behind with the C-Series for the 100 pax market.

[LineDoggie]

So in otherwords, another Licensing ripoff like the Su-27aka J-11A scenario?

[wicked_hind]

It is going to be interesting to see how this particular aircraft could bolster their own commercial aerospace industry, as far as developing and producing their own indigenous airliner designs. Once their abilities mature, and their marketing becomes more aggressive, Boeing and Airbus are going to have to be looking behind both their shoulders if the Chinese decide to produce larger capacity airliners. Even though Boeing's 737 series and the Airbus A-320 series have the market share when it comes to mid-range airliners, it'll only be a matter of time when we see a Chinese counterpart to those aircraft and I think it'll be this aircraft that will end up paving the way for China to start designing their own airliners.

[ViktorNavorski]

Here's hoping they're more safety conscious with their planes than they are with their cars.

[BAJACAL]

Here's hoping they're more safety conscious with their planes than they are with their cars.

BEAT ME TO IT rofl

[Toolhead]

Shuimo gets $100 for each post he makes.

[31Bravo]

It is going to be interesting to see how this particular aircraft could bolster their own commercial aerospace industry, as far as developing and producing their own indigenous airliner designs. Once their abilities mature, and their marketing becomes more aggressive, Boeing and Airbus are going to have to be looking behind both their shoulders if the Chinese decide to produce larger capacity airliners. Even though Boeing's 737 series and the Airbus A-320 series have the market share when it comes to mid-range airliners, it'll only be a matter of time when we see a Chinese counterpart to those aircraft and I think it'll be this aircraft that will end up paving the way for China to start designing their own airliners.

I don't think that Boeing and Airbus will ever be challenged by another airliner manufacturer. They own the entire market share from short range to intercontinental.

[-Julik- 4.GdKp]

So in otherwords, another Licensing ripoff like the Su-27aka J-11A scenario?

Maybe,and the plane is to be exported to the US soon...:cantbeli: