Comac C919

Comac C919
A model of the future C919 in flight
Role	Narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner
National origin	People's Republic of China
Manufacturer	Comac
First flight	Late 2015 (projected)
Introduction	2018 (projected)[1]
Status	Under Development
Number built	Building 1 prototype.

The Comac C919 is a planned family of 158-174 seat narrow-body twin-engine airliners to be built by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac).^[2][3][4] It will be the largest commercial airliner designed and built in China since the defunct Shanghai Y-10. Its first flight is expected to take place in 2015, with first deliveries scheduled for late 2018.^[5]

The C919 forms part of China's long-term goal to break Airbus and Boeing's duopoly, and is intended to compete against Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and Irkut MC-21.^[6] As a long term plan the twin‑engine, twin aisle C929 and C939 are proposed, offering 300 and 400 seats, respectively.^[7]

Development

Comac applied for a type certificate for the aircraft from the Civil Aviation Authority of China on 28 October 2010.^[8] The company plans to conduct the first flight of the C919 in 2015, with deliveries beginning in 2017,^[8] whereas Marwan Lahoud, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer of Airbus Group,^[9] assumes a competition outside China around 2020.^[10]

In June 2011 COMAC and Irish low-cost airline Ryanair signed an agreement to co-operate on the development of the C919^[11] On 24 November 2011, Comac announced the completion of the joint definition phase, marking the end of the preliminary design phase for the C919.^[12] The company said it planned to cut the first metal for the aircraft in December 2011, with estimated completion of the detailed design phase in 2012.^[12]

With an estimated development cost of $8.3 billion, Comac planned to produce 5-10 planes per year in 2016 and 2017, subsequently ramping up to 150 C919s.^[13] The company intends to manufacture up to 2,300 aircraft of that type.^[14]

In 2014 delivery was yet again delayed by technology and supplier problems, this time to 2018.^[1]

Design

Design and assembly of the aircraft will be done in Shanghai, using foreign-made jet engines and avionics.^[15] However, China has expressed its desire to produce a domestically made engine for the C919.^[16]

The center wing box, outer wing box, wing panels, flaps and ailerons are planned to be built in Xi'an, China. The center fuselage sections are planned to be built in Hongdu, China.^[17] The airframe will be made largely of aluminium alloy, while the center wing box also makes use of carbonfiber composites.^[14]

CFM International will supply a version of the LEAP engine, the LEAP-1C, to power the aircraft.^[18] The engine's nacelle, thrust reverser and exhaust system will be provided by Nexcelle, with such features as an advanced inlet configuration, the extensive use of composites and acoustic treatment and an electrically operated thrust reverser.^[19] Michelin will supply Air X radial tyres.^[20]

Dimensions of the C919 are very similar to the Airbus A320, possibly to allow for a common pallet to be used. Its fuselage will be 3.96 metres (13 feet) wide, and 4.166 metres (13 feet, 8 inches) high, producing a cross-section of 12.915 square metres (139 square feet). The wingspan will be 33.6 metres (110 feet, 3 inches), or 35.4 metres (116 feet, 3 inches) if winglets are included.^[21]

Payload will be 20.4 metric tonnes. Its cruise speed will be Mach 0.785 and it will have a maximum altitude of 12,100 metres (39,800 feet).^[21]

There will be two variants. The standard version will have a range of 4,075 km (2,200nm), with the extended-range version able to fly 5,555 km (3,000nm).^[21]

According to a film shown by Comac at the 2010 Zhuhai Airshow, the company plans to build six different models of the aircraft: a base passenger aircraft with 168 seats, as well as stretched and shrunk passenger versions, business jet and freighter models, and a type designated only as "special".^[4]

Target

The Comac C919 is intended to be a new entrant in the market of commercial airliners. Ongoing fuel price increases, being especially damaging to the low-cost flying model, was probably the main reason for Ryanair's interest in the project. Generally, the low-cost airlines change planes frequently to avoid paying too much for fuel, because their model focus on making as many flights as possible. Direct competitor - Boeing 737 unit cost of US$ 78.3-108.3 million,^[22] means that target price for this airplane should be lower. The Airbus A320 costs even more, from US$71.9 million to US$120.5 million.^[23] The Comac developers have not announced a price tag for each plane, although based on industry speculation current orders for 2012 could be worth more than US$26 billion.^[24] This with 2012 orders for 380 examples,^[25] lead to projected average price of about $68 million.

Some experts believe the C919 will not be competitive either technologically or commercially when it enters service given the plane's strong dependence on foreign suppliers. In particular, the price of the engines is one of the key cost factors in aircraft manufacturing, and they will probably be bought from CFM International Inc. (LEAP-X1C engine), the same company that sells the CFM International CFM56 used by direct competitors.^[26] In 2013, state-owned newspaper Global Times complained that an Aviation Week editorial about the bleak prospects for the aircraft "maliciously disparaged the future outlook for the C919".^[27]

Orders and deliveries

At the 2010 Zhuhai Airshow, Comac announced orders for 55 C919 aircraft from six airlines, with an additional 45 options. The purchasing airlines or lessors included China Eastern Airlines, Air China, Hainan Airlines, China Southern Airlines, CDB Leasing Company, and GE Capital Aviation Services.^[28]

On 20 October 2011, Chinese leasing company ICBC Leasing announced an order for 45 C919s, as well as an agreement to be the launch customer for the aircraft.^[29] On November 11, 2014, Comac announced at the 2014 Zhuhai Airshow that China Merchants Bank's aircraft leasing division made a firm commitment for 30 C919s, and that total orders were now up to 450 aircraft.^[30]

Production of the first C919 testing prototype began on December 9, 2011.^[31] The flight testbed was expected to enter final assembly in 2014, and perform its first flight sometime in 2015.^[32] However, as of the 2014 Zhuhai Airshow, the first flight has been delayed to 2015, with the first delivery delayed to 2018.^[33]

Orders

Customer	Order	Options	Notes
ABC Financial Leasing[34]	45	0	Leasing company owned by Agricultural Bank of China
Air China	20	0	Beijing based airline
BOC Aviation[35]	20	0	Wholly owned by Bank of China, former leasing company of Singapore
BOCOMM Leasing[36]	30	0	Leasing company and unit of Shanghai based Bank of Communications
CCB Financial Leasing[37]	50	0	Leasing company owned by China Construction Bank and Bank of America
CDB Leasing Company	10	0	Leasing company and unit of Beijing based China Development Bank
China Aircraft Leasing Company (CALC)	20	0	Leasing company based in Hong Kong
China Eastern Airlines	20	0	Shanghai based airline
China Southern Airlines	20	0	Guangzhou based airline
GECAS (General Electric Capital Aviation Services)	20	0	Leasing company based in Stamford, CT and Shannon, Ireland; unit of General Electric
Hainan Airlines	20	0	Haikou based airline under Grand China Air
Hebei Airlines	20	0	Shijiazhuang based airline
ICBC Leasing	45	0	Leasing company of Beijing, China based Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
Industrial Bank Financial Leasing Co Ltd[38]	20	0	Leasing company of Fuzhou, China based Industrial Bank Co.
Joy Air[39]	20	0	Xi'an based airline
Sichuan Airlines	20	0	Chengdu based airline
China Merchants Bank	30	0	Chinese bank's aircraft leasing division
Huaxia Financial Leasing[30]	20	0	Leasing unit of Huaxia Bank
Total	450	0

Specifications

	C919-Mixed	C919-All ECO	C919-High Density
Flight crew	2
Seating capacity	156 (2-class)	168 (1-class)	174 (1-class)
Seat pitch base line	12 pax 38in - 144 pax 32in	168 pax 32in	174 pax 30in
Length	38.9 metres (127 ft 7 in)
Wingspan	35.8 metres (117 ft 5 in)
Wing area	129.15 square metres (1,390 square feet)
Wing Sweepback
Height	11.95 metres (39 ft 2 in)
Cabin width	3.9 metres (12 ft 10 in)
Cabin height	2.25 metres (7 ft 5 in)
Aisle width
Seat width
Typical empty weight
Maximum take-off weight		170,400 pounds (77,300 kg) extended range
Range fully loaded	4,075 km (2,200 nmi)	5,555 km (2,999 nmi)
Max. operating speed		Mach 0.785 900 kilometres (560 mi) (extended range)
Normal cruise speed	834 kilometres (518 mi)
Take off run at MTOW
Service Ceiling	12,100 metres (39,700 ft)
Powerplants (2x)	CFM International LEAP 1C
Engine thrust	25,000–30,000 lbf (110,000–130,000 N)

See also

• Comac ARJ21

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Airbus A320neo family
• Boeing 737 MAX
• Bombardier CSeries
• Irkut MS-21 series
• Kawasaki YPX

Related lists

• List of airliners

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Comac C919.

• C919 Program official page at Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China
• Analysis: COMAC attempts to break the Airbus-Boeing duopoly Fuentes, 2011

Transport in China History Proposed public transport Government agencies Ministry of Transport State Railways Administration Civil Aviation Administration China Maritime Safety Administration Road Expressways (NTHS) China National Highways Road numbering Rules (Road safety law) Licence plates AH1 Gallery road Zhongshan Road Automotive industry Motor Vehicle Driving License Rail History Eastern-Qing South Manchuria Narrow-gauge Passenger rail China Railway Corporation China Railway High-speed High-speed Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen Beijing–Shanghai Lines Beijing-Harbin Beijing-Shanghai Beijing-Hong Kong Beijing-Guangzhou Lanzhou-Lianyungang Lanzhou-Xinjiang Lhasa-Xigazê Qinghai-Tibet Locomotives Stations Rapid transit systems Maglev Water Ports Dalian Guangzhou Lianyungang Ningbo Qingdao Rizhao Shanghai Shenzhen Suzhou Tangshan Tianjin Xiamen Yingkou Hong Kong* Canals Grand Canal Lingqu Canal Red Flag Canal Zhengguo Canal Industry Shipping industry China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation China State Shipbuilding Corporation Ship lifts Aviation Major airlines Air China Cathay Pacific* (Dragonair*) China Southern Airlines China Eastern Airlines Hainan Airlines Shandong Airlines Shanghai Airlines Shenzhen Airlines Sichuan Airlines Xiamen Airlines Airports By traffic Major Airports: Beijing Capital Guangzhou Baiyun Hong Kong* Shanghai Hongqiao Shanghai Pudong Industry Aviation Industry Corporation of China China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition Comac Other topics Transport by province / city Bridges Tunnels Chinese New Year Transit Disasters Category Economy Communications * in / related to the special administrative regions

Lists relating to aviation General Aircraft manufacturers Aircraft engines manufacturers Airlines Defunct airlines Helicopter airlines Airports Aerobatic teams Civil authorities Gliders Museums Navigation and Transport Acts Registration prefixes Rotorcraft manufacturers Timeline Military Air forces Experimental Missiles Unmanned Weapons Accidents / incidents Commercial airliners by location Fatalities by death toll General aviation Military By registration Records Airspeed Altitude Distance Endurance Firsts Large Most-produced aircraft Most-produced rotorcraft Misc. List of jet airliners