China's first homemade passenger jet steps closer to maiden flight

The C919 passenger plane lifts its nose wheel off the ground during a taxiing test at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on April 23rd. [Photo: shobserver.com]

China's first domestically produced passenger plane has taken another vital step towards its first test flight, after successfully completing its fourth high-speed taxiing test, which saw the nose wheel lift off the ground for the first time, at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on April 23rd, reports Shanghai Observer.

The taxiing test of an airplane is crucial before it can conduct the maiden flight, as well as being a way to see if there are any problems related to the plane's design and manufacture.

To ensure the test safety, the taxiing speed of a plane was gradually increased from low to middle to high, reaching a speed in excess of 80 nautical miles per hour. Lifting the nose wheel off the ground during high-speed taxiing is the last step before a plane takes off, reports Shanghai Observer.

China’s first domestically produced passenger plane, the C919, built by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. [Photo: kankancity.com]

“Given the current test performance of C919, both the plane and pilot have been shown to work well. Everything is stable and normal.” said an official from the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC), which makes the C919.

The twin-engine C919 has been given the go ahead to fly by the evaluation committee of COMAC. It will make its maiden flight in due course, according to COMAC.