How much do you know about C919?

The C919 is seen during its maiden flight in Shanghai on May 5, 2017. [Photo: China Plus]

The C919, China’s first independently developed large passenger aircraft, has been made based on the latest international airworthiness and operating standards. Here are some main features and other interesting facts about the aircraft. 

Avionics/Electric Systems

"The avionics used on the C919 are the most powerful among those used on other aircraft of the same class. Before, many of the systems were stand-alone and not connected. But because of our latest R&D efforts and the use of newest materials and integrated modularized avionics, we can now simply upgrade these systems via software updates, which will ensure the aircraft remains up to date while keeping the costs low," explained Zhou Guirong, a deputy chief engineer of the C919 project. 

Senors

Zhou said the sensors on the C919 allow the aircraft to safely take off and land even when visibility is low and broadband technologies used on the plane can allow passengers to connect to the Internet while in the sky.

Digital/3D Development

Pan Lingyun, an information engineer on the aircraft, said digital technology was also used during the C919's design and production phase.

"When we made the C919, we used the 3D design technology. When our engineers and workers were working on the plane, they looked at the digitized images, instead of paper drawings as before. This has made our work more accurate and more efficient, which also helped us to manage our R&D budget," said Pan. 

Safety

The design, development, and airworthiness examination of the airplane are completely based on international civil aviation rules and regulations and airworthiness standards, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the producer of the plane. 

Economics

Fuel consumption and direct operating cost per seat per kilometer are lower than those of similar existing airplanes, said COMAC. 

Comfort

The C919 features broader cabins and wider seats, plus advanced system technology, to improve comfort, according to COMAC. 

Environmental Features

COMAC said the C919 features new engines to meet noise and pollutant discharge requirements. 

Next Step

Although the C919 has now made its maiden flight, the engineering team says its R&D and production tasks are far from finished. Six more planes will be built to conduct further tests and research work to perfect the aircraft's functionality.

What's in a name?

The "C" in the aircraft's name stands for both China and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, while 9 symbolizes "forever" in the Chinese culture, and 19 represents the 190 seats at maximum capacity.

Commercial Prospects

Its airworthiness will be further tested and need to be certified before it can begin commercial operation. Currently, 23 Chinese and international carriers have placed 570 orders for the aircraft, including Air China and Germany's PuRen Airlines.

The engineering team behind the aircraft expects a market of at least 2,000 orders for the C919 domestically. 

Significance

The maiden flight of the C919 makes China the fourth jumbo jet producer after the United States, Europe and Russia.