China-built aircraft C919’s maiden flight set for May 5

2017-05-04
cgtn.com

The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) announced on May 3 that May 5 had been set for the maiden flight of the domestically developed aircraft C919, according to CCTV reporters Zhao Zhongliang and Wu Jie.

Aircraft C919 is scheduled to make its maiden flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport on May 5. The flight will be postponed if the weather is not suitable for takeoffs.

‍The single-aisle jetliner has a maximum capacity of 174 passengers with a range of 5,000 kilometers.

The C919 is China’s answer to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.

The aircraft is not 100 percent made in China. That’s because the engines, fuselage, radar and landing gears are imported from the US, France and Germany. However, the wings and rudder are Chinese engineered.

COMAC said that it will gradually replace the imported elements with Chinese parts, and expects to fly with Chinese engines by 2020.

Analysts say the C919 has improved the aviation landscape in China and given a significant boost to the country’s aerospace industry.