First designed-in-China feeder passenger jet has passed all its blue print tests and the first model of the ARJ21 is to be built, said China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I) Wednesday.
In early 2005, blueprints for ARJ21 were completed by China Airplane Designing Institute I (CADI I) under AVIC I in Xi'an, capital city of northwest China's Shannxi Province.
The blueprints for the ARJ21 have passed theoretical airworthiness tests and they have been submitted for production. Sources with AVIC I could not confirm when the first test flights might take place.
"We will hand all the structural drawings to our partners for machining," said Huang Qiang, a manager with CADI I, adding that the ARJ21 is supposed to challenge Boeing and Airbus which are the largest providers in China for 78-to-105-seat regional jets.
The ARJ21 project partners have signed contracts with 19 aerospace component suppliers in Europe and the United States, said Huang.
ARJ-21, is short for "Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century," is featured for its safety and low price. It is the first regional jet that China has fully developed on its own, in accordance with the standards set by General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (GACAC), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Joint Aviation Authorities(JAA).
Once it goes into production the company expects to sell 500 of the jets in the next 20 years, said Huang.
AVIC I, founded in 1999, is the largest aviation manufacturer in China. It has 47 factories and 31 research and development institutes. Its major products include military aircraft, commercial aircraft and airborne equipment.
(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2006)
